The United States and AWIEF launch the 2024 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa (AWE LESA)
The U.S. Mission to South Africa and the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) proudly announce the launch of the 2024 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program in Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa.The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. It supports the U.S. National Strategy on Gender, Equity and Equality and reflects the United States’ commitment to advancing gender equity and economic prosperity in Southern Africa
The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs LESA (Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa) program is centred on the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative, an accredited online global management and entrepreneurship certificate consisting of five world-class courses and available to learners across the globe.The overall goal of the program is to promote economic prosperity, including equitable economic development opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups and individuals. AWE LESA provides a resource for women entrepreneurs to engage in online education with guided facilitation and localization; fosters networks that support participants’ access to peer-to-peer mentorship, business partners, and scaling opportunities with businesses in the region and in the United States; as well as provides access to a range of educational programs tailored to women’s economic empowerment to expand the impact on the participant.
AWE LESA 2024 will empower 100 young women entrepreneurs in seven cities – five in South Africa and one each in Lesotho and Eswatini. The program will host cohorts in Bloemfontein (10 participants), Cape Town (10 participants), Johannesburg (15 participants), Polokwane (15 participants), Manzini (20 participants), Maseru (20 participants), and Pietermaritzburg (10 participants). The participants will attend in-person training sessions and events at designated American Corners and partner spaces in each location.
AWE LESA 2024 activities will take place between August 2024 and January 2025, and this edition will bring the total number of women entrepreneurs trained through the U.S. Mission to South Africa and AWIEF partnership to more than 700.
Further details about the programme can be found here
To submit your application, click here
