Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa: Capital Readiness Training with Village Capital

As part of the Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa 2025 initiative, Africa Fintech Foundry (AFF) recently participated in a four-day Capital Readiness Training delivered by Village Capital, one of the world’s leading ecosystem builders.

This programme was designed for its Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs) across Africa under the Africa Ecosystem Catalyst Facility, a groundbreaking $4 million fund dedicated to supporting high-potential startups in Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania of which AFF was to be selected, reaffirming our commitment to strengthening Africa’s innovation landscape and equipping founders with the tools they need to thrive.

Africa is entering a pivotal era where entrepreneurship, technology, and financial inclusion are converging to power economic transformation. Yet one of the continent’s most enduring challenges remains access to capital, not only the availability of funding, but the limited knowledge around how entrepreneurs can position themselves to secure it, and the critical role that support organisations must play in guiding and preparing these startups to access the right types of capital.

The Village Capital training directly addresses this gap. By equipping ESOs such as AFF with deeper capital expertise, stronger networks, and better systems, it strengthens the entire value chain, from early-stage ideation to investment readiness. The ripple effect is powerful:

• More investable startups,
• More confident investors,
• And a more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable tech ecosystem across Africa.

Phase 1: Capital Landscape Mapping

The programme began with an in-depth exploration of Africa’s capital landscape. We examined the diverse spectrum of capital providers, spanning debt, equity, and grants in their various forms, while analysing their expectations, evaluation criteria, and how they make funding decisions.

This session sharpened our understanding of:

• The different types of capital (debt, equity, quasi-equity, grants).
• Which forms of capital best suit startups at different maturity stages.
• How to identify capital gaps in an ecosystem.
• Strategies for democratizing access to finance and promoting inclusion.

For AFF, this phase strengthened our mission to ensure that entrepreneurs, regardless of background, have equitable access to the right kind of support and funding to grow sustainably.

Phase 2: Developing Ecosystem Partnerships

Capital doesn’t operate in isolation; relationships power ecosystems. In this phase, we shifted from simply identifying capital providers to learning how to build meaningful, value-driven relationships with them.

Key skills gained include:

• Building “warm introduction” networks for founders.
• Curating ecosystem-building programs that deepen engagement between investors and startups.
• Structuring partnerships that accelerate deal flow and increase trust within the ecosystem.

This aligns closely with AFF’s long-term strategy: connecting startups to strategic partners, investors, corporates, and global innovation networks.

Phase 3: Becoming a Sourcing and Due Diligence Partner

This phase was particularly valuable for AFF. We explored how accelerator hubs can evolve into trusted sourcing and due diligence partners for investment funds.

We learned how to:

• Screen startups more effectively.
• Build credibility with investors by presenting well-vetted, data-backed deal flow.
• Create due-diligence support systems that reduce investor friction.
• Position AFF as a pipeline builder for African-focused funds.

This not only enhances our value proposition as an accelerator but strengthens our role as a bridge between innovators and capital allocators.

Phase 4: Deploying Capital

The final phase examined how ESOs can expand their role by deploying capital internally, either through small grant rounds, catalytic instruments, or innovation funds.

The training provided frameworks on:

• Designing in-house capital deployment mechanisms.
• Evaluating investment opportunities.
• Managing capital responsibly.
• Supporting founders, post-investment.

This insight positions AFF to explore future opportunities to fund early-stage entrepreneurs more directly, amplifying our impact and increasing the number of investable startups in Africa.

The Capital Readiness Training is more than a capacity-building exercise. It is a blueprint for a more resilient and equitable African startup ecosystem. By developing stronger ESOs, they create a multiplier effect where support reaches hundreds of startups, catalyzing job creation, innovation, and economic growth.

For Africa, this means:

• A stronger base of investment-ready businesses.
• Better-aligned capital flows to sectors that matter, fintech, agriculture, health, climate, education, and more.
• Sustainable entrepreneurship that drives long-term prosperity.

AFF remains committed to fostering an ecosystem where African entrepreneurs are empowered, capital-ready, and globally competitive. Armed with the insights and tools gained from this training, we will continue to deliver the programmes, partnerships, and platforms that enable founders to thrive.