African female entrepreneur attending a seminar. Christian Yakubu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Beyoncé said it loud and clear: “Who runs the world? Girls.” Pay no attention to the stereotypes. African women aren’t just sitting idle and waiting for things to fall on their lap. They are making big moves, creating business empires in everything from fashion brands to tech firms.
From time immemorial, women have helped with farming, running houses, and exchanging commodities in marketplaces. Their spirit of entrepreneurship has kept evolving. From the tech hub of Nairobi to the busy markets of Lagos, female entrepreneurs are reshaping the African business scene and taking the lead in a variety of industries, demonstrating that the possibilities are endless. In addition to creating enterprises, they are also challenging stereotypes and changing their communities one step at a time.
In Africa, women are more likely than males to start their own businesses. According to the African Development Bank, the continent has the largest proportion of female entrepreneurs worldwide. OECD research reveals that more than a quarter of all businesses were either started or are run by women.
Roland Berger’s Women in Africa Entrepreneurship Study (2018) noted that female entrepreneurs contributed between US$250 billion and US$300 billion to African economic growth in 2016, equivalent to about 13% of the continent’s GDP.
A World Bank 2008 report, entitled, ‘Doing Business: Women in Africa’ listed the three countries with the relatively largest proportion of women entrepreneurs – Ghana (44%), Cape Verde (43%), and Rwanda (41%). By 2018, the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (2018), showed Ghana (46%), Uganda, Bangladesh, and Vietnam were the countries with the highest number of female entrepreneurs. More recently, Nigeria and Zambia are in the lead with the highest proportion of female entrepreneurship on the African continent.

Photo credit: Facebook / Leading Ladies Africa
Africa has a long history of female entrepreneurs. We have the likes of Maggy Lawson, known locally in Togo as ‘Mama Benz’. In the 1970s, she became a popular female entrepreneur selling cotton fabric with vibrant prints for clothing manufactured throughout West Africa. Divine Ndhlukula, the creator of Zimbabwe’s first security firm to receive ISO certification, is another example. Ethiopian businesswoman Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu established SoleRebels, one of Africa’s most well-known shoe producers, in 2005. A key figure in the ICT sector, Ory Okolloh co-founded the crowdsourcing crisis information platform Ushahidi.
We also have remarkable individuals like Tara Fela-Durotoye, a prominent personality in the Nigerian beauty sector, known for her makeup line and entrepreneurial activities, and Rebecca Enonchong, the ‘Queen of African digital,’ who created AppsTech and supports African digital entrepreneurs.
Examples of other successful female entrepreneurs include Bridgette Radebe, known as South Africa’s first Black female mining magnate. She built a successful mining company called Mmakau Mining with interests in various minerals. Similarly, Folorunsho Alakija, a Nigerian businesswoman with a diverse portfolio, has achieved significant success in the oil industry and the fashion world.
How Women Entrepreneurs Are Driving Economic Change in Africa
Women entrepreneurs in Africa contribute significantly to the economy. Whether they’re selling handmade crafts online, developing innovative agricultural solutions, or disrupting the tech industry, African women entrepreneurs are making a significant impact across various sectors. Their businesses often cater to community needs and can be a significant source of income for families across the continent. Some of their key contributions include:
Job and wealth creation: By starting businesses, women entrepreneurs generate employment opportunities for themselves and others. International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that women-owned businesses in Africa create approximately 18 million jobs across Africa.
Poverty reduction: By generating income and creating jobs, women entrepreneurs significantly reduce poverty levels within their communities.
Contribution to GDP: The economic impact of women-owned businesses is substantial. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), women make up 58% of Africa’s self-employed population, contributing around 13% of Africa’s total GDP. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) estimates that women contribute about 150 billion annually to African economies.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Beyond job creation, women entrepreneurs are innovators. From technology to agriculture, fashion, and healthcare, they are reshaping the African business landscape, driving progress across diverse sectors of the economy. These women are developing creative solutions to address local challenges and tapping into untapped markets.
Community development and social Impact: Many female entrepreneurs in Africa prioritize community development and social impact in their business ventures. Research indicates that women tend to reinvest a larger proportion of their income back into their families and communities. They often invest in their local communities by supporting education, healthcare, and other social initiatives.

Photo source: Facebook / African Women Entrepreneurs
Challenges Faced by Female Entrepreneurs In Africa
Despite the significant contributions of women entrepreneurs to Africa’s economic growth, they face several challenges. They include limited access to funding, limited access to markets and networks, cultural and social barriers, balancing their work with their family responsibilities, and gender discrimination.
Irrespective of these challenges, female entrepreneurs in Africa are breaking barriers and achieving remarkable success. There are numerous initiatives geared toward supporting and promoting African women entrepreneurs. The likes of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Lionesses of Africa, She WINS Africa, the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), She Leads Africa, and the Abdul Lateef and Sanni Foundation Womenpreneur Program help provide funding and other kinds of support.