In line with its overarching transformative entrepreneurship model, the Sahara Group Foundation has unveiled an initiative to assist African entrepreneurs bring their dream of owing a thriving business to reality.
The initiative, according to the foundation, is Making A Difference Around Africa (MADAA) and has been designed to give wings to the aspirations of African entrepreneurs.
Part of the wings the initiative will give the beneficiaries are access to a robust suite of resources, including financial and investment support worth $100 million and mentorship from seasoned industry experts.
The foundation disclosed that application has been opened for African entrepreneurs to benefit and will close at end of November 2024, with beneficiaries expected to leverage the platform to assume leadership and influential roles in their various business niches.
Speaking at the unveiling of MADAA, which attracted stakeholders from corporate businesses, entrepreneurs, and members of the press, Head of Programs at Sahara Group Foundation, Chidilim Menakaya, said the initiative promises sustainable economic opportunities to its target demography, which are budding entrepreneurs with remarkable business ideas.
According to her, “MADAA is a strategic platform developed by Sahara Group Foundation to identify entrepreneurs and social innovators who are on the cusp of greatness and provides the much-needed impetus to scale their novel ideas, as well as their small businesses, to great heights.”
Menakaya explained that the launch of the MADAA initiative underscores Sahara Group Foundation’s unwavering commitment to “building sustainable communities through Extrapreneurship,” and represents the first project amongst an array of curated social interventions designed to promote sustainable development in Africa “by growing and scaling the base of entrepreneurs who have exceptional ideas that can transform the continent’s economic fortunes.”
“We are actively on the lookout for the extraordinary, the unusual, those whose business ideas can be nursed to fruition sustainably, particularly with the deployment of locally occurring resources. Entrepreneurs desirous of moving their craft to the next level need to head to the foundation website and apply for MADDAA right away”, she added.
Shortlisting of candidates begins in December ahead of the final selection of beneficiaries to feature on the actual program which starts in Q1 of 2025.
MADAA’s launch comes amid Sahara Group Foundation’s drive for inclusiveness and progressive partnerships that promote expansion, business advisory, and capacity development in the Medium Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) sector across the continent.
“MADAA seeks to support African home-grown innovations and businesses to succeed, scale and thrive sustainably, thereby establishing an integrated ecosystem of collaborators actively contributing toward transforming economic development in Africa,” Menakaya concluded.
