Women make up the majority of the latest cohort of refugee entrepreneurs selected under the Amahoro Fellowship Programme, with 24 of the 41 fellows being female.
The Amahoro Coalition announced the selection of 41 entrepreneurs and social-change leaders for the latest cohort of its fellowship programme, which supports refugee and displaced business founders.
The entrepreneurs come from 15 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda and Syria.
They are building businesses across 16 African countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana and South Africa.
Their ventures operate in sectors such as agriculture, education, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, climate action, logistics and creative industries.
According to the coalition, the fellowship supports refugee and displaced entrepreneurs who are creating jobs, attracting investment and contributing to economic activity in their host countries.
The 12-month programme includes business training, mentorship, peer learning, and engagement with investors and private-sector leaders. Participants also receive access to funding of up to $160,000 to scale their businesses.
Since its launch, the programme has supported 88 refugee and displaced entrepreneurs across 15 African countries.
The coalition says businesses supported under the first three cohorts increased their workforce from 428 employees before joining the fellowship to more than 2,240 jobs.
They have also secured more than $2.4 million in funding through the programme, with an additional $4.1 million raised from other investors, according to the coalition.
The fellowship is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Mastercard Foundation.
PSA BDP provides mentorship and industry expertise to participants.
Patricia Barandun, Head of Section Migration and Forced Displacement at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, said the initiative supports locally driven solutions that enable displaced communities to thrive.
She added that refugee entrepreneurs are contributing to Africa’s economy through business growth, innovation and job creation despite displacement challenges.
