9 Free Resources for Women Entrepreneurs and Investors

Happy Women’s Day, South Africa!

As a women-led team, we always think about what it means to live and breathe what this day signifies.

Women’s Day allows us to look back at history and honour the paths paved for us by women who fought for access, equality, and the right to be human.

We’re proud of the programmes we’ve designed and delivered that push the fold to ensure women entrepreneurs and investors are empowered to thrive as equal and valid contributors to society. 

To commemorate this Women’s Day, we’ve put together a list of resources that we hope will help women who are building businesses or investing in them.

Whether you’re seeking funding opportunities for your business or are looking for a community of female founders in South Africa who convene to learn from each other, see the list below for relevant resources:

1. Directory of Investors Specifically Interested in Female Led/Owned Businesses in Africa | PWC Advisory [Resource]
Spearheaded by PWR advisory, a leadership, diversity and inclusion advisory and advocacy firm, this regularly updated directory shares details of investors funding African female entrepreneurs. The directory covers different categories of investors – from private equity funds to angel investors. Access it here.

2. Boardroom Africa network [Opportunity]

The Boardroom Africa (TBR Africa) is the largest regional network of female executives in Africa, with a membership of 2500+ executive women from more than 65 countries with work in or focused on Africa. If you are a senior manager or senior executive woman looking to make an impact, you can apply to join this network. Find out more.

3. Future Females Invest Mauritius [Opportunity]
Are you an angel investor looking for a group to join? The Future Females Invest angel group aims to democratise investments and making angel investing accessible for women by providing free investment coaching and deal support. Many of their members are first-time angels. Read more about what they do.

4. MIT-D Lab Gender Lens Investing tools [Resource]
The MIT-D Lab, a participatory design and inclusive innovation initiative, has designed a range of tools that explore how investors can develop more inclusive gender investing practices. The toolkit specifically deals with sourcing, due diligence, and gender data. Explore the tools.

5. Xena World: A community for South African women entrepreneurs [Resource]
Xena is an app that connects you to a community of female entrepreneurs from all walks of life. It allows you to connect with hosts and thousands of members. You can also access learning material in their resource hub for free and join group mentorship sessions too. Visit Xena World.

6. HerMeNow Accelerator program [Opportunity]
This accelerator is designed for women-led social enterprises focusing on building impactful solutions in culture, mindset, and education and aims to help grow your business through a three-month program driven by Bloom’s project-based learning methodology and world-class support. Apply for the accelerator.

7. Value for Women’s® Practical Guide for Entrepreneurial Intermediaries and Investment Firms [Resource]
Value for Women ® has put together a resource titled: “A Journey Not a Destination: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurial Intermediaries and Investment Firms To Overcome 5 Common Stumbling Blocks in Their Gender Journey” that outlines the top five challenges investors face and shares tips to overcome them. Download the resource.

8. Lacoona Legal: What the law says about the protection of women in the workplace [Resource]
This LinkedIn post by Lacoona Legal provides a quick overview of laws that have been put in place since that historic day to protect women at work. Read the overview.

9. Breaking Barriers: Female Technology Entrepreneurship in Southern Africa [Report]
Developed by the Southern Africa Innovation Support Programme, this report outlines the experience of women leading technology startups in Southern Africa. It looks at challenges female entrepreneurs face and what support structures are needed to ensure issues such as the funding gap are not hindrances to the success of this field – for all. Read the report. 

For more resources and tools, follow Viridian on LinkedIn, where we share resources, reports, and opportunities regularly.

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