Naspers and Prosus Launch Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge to Bridge $42 Billion Gender Funding Gap

Global technology groups Naspers and Prosus have officially launched the Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge, a targeted program specifically designed to identify and support women-led technology and tech-enabled startups across the African continent. This crucial initiative follows a successful pilot program that was first rolled out in India earlier this year. The Challenge explicitly underscores the companies’ strategic commitment to empowering talented female founders and actively addressing the significant, documented gender gap in technology entrepreneurship and investment across Africa. Research indicates a severe imbalance: while women comprise 26% of Africa’s overall entrepreneurs, female-led startups collectively receive less than 3% of the total available venture capital funding. This stark reality points to an immense $42 billion funding gap. Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, South Africa CEO and Executive Director of Naspers and Prosus, emphasized the transformative potential of the program, stating that the Tech FoundHER Challenge aims to provide these women founders with essential, holistic support—including capital, professional networks, and necessary market access—all of which are required to scale their ventures, accelerate growth, and drive innovation across both their local communities and the broader African economy. Addressing this disparity, she added, could unlock up to an estimated $316 billion in Gross Domestic Product growth across the region. The programme offers a total of three substantial equity-free grants totaling US$100,000 to the most outstanding women founders selected from across Africa. Crucially, the support extends beyond just funding. Participants will also gain invaluable access to senior mentors, specially curated networking opportunities, and enhanced public visibility. Six shortlisted finalists will receive expert feedback from a high-calibre panel of executives, investors, and seasoned business leaders. These six finalists will then have the unique and prestigious opportunity to present their ventures live at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on November 19, 2025, strategically coinciding with Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Prajna Khanna, Chief Sustainability Officer at Naspers and Prosus, highlighted the importance of integrating access to capital with capability building and public visibility for these women founders. The program is being run in deep partnership with Lionesses of Africa, a major networking organization that represents over 1.8 million women entrepreneurs, ensuring participants benefit from robust resources, exposure to funding opportunities, and a strong platform to share their unique business narratives. Eligible applicants must be tech or tech-enabled startups, possess at least one woman founder in a leadership position, be at or before the Series B funding stage, and demonstrate verifiable revenue-generating operations with proven market traction. Applications officially opened on September 1, 2025, via the Lionesses of Africa website, with submissions reviewed in two comprehensive rounds before the six finalists are selected to advance.