Celebrating Women’s Day: Empowering Female Founders and Leaders in Africa’s Tech Ecosystem

At Africa Tech Festival, our commitment goes beyond ensuring strong representation of female speakers. We are dedicated to actively supporting and uplifting women across Africa’s tech ecosystem. This Women’s Day, we are proud to present a dynamic lineup of sessions tailored to empower female founders, innovators, and leaders driving change in the region.

With a focus on critical areas such as funding, mentorship, leadership, and innovation, these sessions are designed to inspire, equip, and connect women with the tools and networks they need to thrive. From breaking barriers to fostering resilience, we aim to create a platform where women can share their stories, exchange ideas, and spark transformative solutions.

Join us as we celebrate the remarkable contributions of women shaping the future of entrepreneurship and technology in Africa.

Workshop: Becoming Investor Ready – A Funding Workshop for Female Founders

Fundraising can be one of the most challenging aspects of entrepreneurship, especially for early-stage female founders. This interactive workshop is designed to equip female founders with the tools and strategies they need to secure funding and build sustainable businesses.

Led by seasoned investors and successful female founders, the session will cover:

• Pitch Refinement: Learn how to craft compelling pitches that resonate with investors.
• Cap Table Literacy: Understand the fundamentals of equity distribution and ownership.
• Storytelling for Impact: Discover how to use storytelling to highlight your vision and value.
• Identifying Aligned Capital: Gain insights into finding investors who share your mission and values.

Participants will leave with practical frameworks, actionable tools, and valuable peer connections to strengthen their fundraising strategies.

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Mentorship Power Hour: Unfiltered Advice from VCs to Female Founders

This year, we’re excited to introduce the Mentorship Power Hour, a unique opportunity for female founders to connect directly with venture capitalists (VCs). In this intimate and interactive session, five VCs will sit down with female founders to provide unfiltered advice, answer questions, and share insights on navigating the funding landscape.

Whether you’re seeking guidance on scaling your business, refining your pitch, or overcoming challenges, this session offers a rare chance to gain personalized advice from industry experts. It’s a space for candid conversations, actionable feedback, and building relationships that can propel your business forward.

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Fireside Chat: What It Really Takes: Raising Capital as a Female Founder in Africa

In this honest and thought-provoking fireside chat, two successful female founders will share their personal journeys of securing funding in Africa’s unique entrepreneurial landscape. From navigating coded bias to overcoming rejection, this session will provide a raw and authentic look at the challenges and triumphs of raising capital as a female founder.

Key discussion points include:

• Breaking Barriers: What obstacles still exist, and how can founders overcome them?
• Resilience and Strategy: Insights into navigating rejection and bias, and advice for aspiring founders.
• Investor Perspectives: What female founders wish investors understood about their journeys.

This session is a must-attend for anyone looking to understand the realities of funding in Africa and gain inspiration from women who have paved the way.

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 | 3:05 PM – 3:30 PM

Pitch Showcase: Female Founders Take the Stage

Visibility is key to success, and the Pitch Showcase offers female founders a platform to shine. In this exciting session, founders will take the stage to pitch their businesses to an audience of investors, industry leaders, and peers.

This showcase is not just an opportunity to secure funding, it’s a chance to gain recognition, build connections, and inspire others with innovative ideas.

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Panel: Leading from the Front: Women Shaping Africa’s Tech Future

From startups to corporate boardrooms, women are driving Africa’s digital transformation; but structural barriers persist. This powerful panel brings together tech founders, investors, and corporate executives to discuss what it takes to lead, grow, and break glass ceilings in entrepreneurship and enterprise.

Key themes include:

• Redefining the Leadership Pipeline: How mentorship, sponsorship, and succession planning can elevate women to executive and entrepreneurial ranks.
• Funding Equity & Influence: Strategies for building inclusive decision-making systems that support women-led innovation at scale.
• Building for Impact: Stories of women leaders solving Africa’s biggest challenges through inclusive, locally relevant, and financially viable tech solutions.

This session will highlight the importance of inclusive leadership and showcase how women are shaping Africa’s future.

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 | 3:20 PM – 4:10 PM

Together, we can break barriers, drive change, and create a future where women thrive as founders, leaders, and innovators. Join us this November in Cape Town for these transformative sessions and be part of the movement to uplift women in the industry!