Africa’s entrepreneurial journey is being rewritten not only by daring founders but also by the institutions that stand behind them. GrowthAfrica has announced 17 Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs) selected for the ESO Uplift Programme.
It is a bold initiative. Co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), led by the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK) and implemented in collaboration with the Amahoro Coalition, the programme strengthens the foundations of Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
At its core, the ESO Uplift Programme is about scale. Over four years, it will deliver hands-on venture support to 35 social impact enterprises (SIEs) each year, while also building the capacity of 15 to 20 ESOs annually. It is a multiplier effect strengthening organisations that in turn strengthen ventures.
A Pan-African Footprint
Operating across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Ghana and Egypt, the programme targets the full arc of an entrepreneur’s journey from inception and ideation to investment readiness and accelerated scaling. By equipping ESOs with tools, structures and knowledge, it aims to widen the impact of social enterprises and ease their access to capital.
The benefits are twofold. Participating ESOs improve their ability to deliver support to founders, while also strengthening their own internal sustainability, operational effectiveness and ecosystem engagement. In a continent where access to finance and institutional support remain pressing hurdles, this initiative is both timely and catalytic.
The 17 Selected ESOs
The organisations selected for the 2025 cohort reflect Africa’s diversity and dynamism:
- Anza Village – Kenya
- BAYE Africa – Kenya
- Bulongo Incubator for Creative Skills – Zambia
- Capital Solutions – Uganda
- Duapa Werkspace – Ghana
- Emerging Leaders Foundation – Kenya
- HOPin Academy – Ghana
- icealex – Egypt
- Kayana Create – Kenya
- Kyusa Uganda – Uganda
- La Maison Treize – Egypt
- LiNC Advisory Limited – Zambia
- Mkazipreneur Social Enterprise – Uganda
- Nakuru Box Innovation Center – Kenya
- NIA Ventures – Kenya
- Stewardship Agribusiness Incubation Center (SAIC) – Rwanda
- Talents Enabling Uganda – Uganda
Each of these organisations represents a bridge: connecting ambitious entrepreneurs with the mentorship, networks and resources they need to thrive.
GrowthAfrica: A Love Story to Africa
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Nairobi, GrowthAfrica is one of the continent’s most established accelerators. Its reach is Pan-African, with offices in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi and Zambia and activities stretching to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Mozambique.
In two decades, GrowthAfrica has:
- Worked with over 2,000 African businesses.
- Accelerated more than 350 post-revenue ventures.
- Supported over 1,000 entrepreneurs through programmes and events.
Its mission is simple yet profound: to grow Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation and business. Their approach recognises a crucial truth, ventures do not scale in isolation. They need systems, structures and communities around them.
Africa is home to the fastest-growing youth population in the world. By 2050, one in four people globally will be African. Entrepreneurship is not just an economic driver, it is a social necessity. Stronger ESOs mean stronger entrepreneurs. Stronger entrepreneurs mean more resilient societies.
The ESO Uplift Programme is not just about training organisations. It is about anchoring Africa’s entrepreneurial story in institutions that will endure.
As GrowthAfrica puts it: “Collectively, we will be shaping a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem and driving the growth and impact of social enterprises across Africa.”
