After years of consulting in a world-class organisation, Yasmin & Afua recognised that African women were looking for advice and products to help them live a well rounded life. This led to starting a company targeted at providing every smart African woman with the resources to build amazing businesses and careers. She Leads Africa aims to be the #1 destination for smart Afrian women globally.
10 female entrepreneurs from across the continent and diaspora competed for more than $30,000 in cash and prizes at the She Leads Africa Entrepreneur Showcase. Dozens of angel investors, representatives from venture capital companies and a high profile panel of judges came together to find the next hottest startups worthy of investment.
SLA co-founder Yasmin Belo-Osagie was featured in a Microsoft commercial in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Within two weeks of airing, this commercial drove 5x more digital return on investment than any other in its industry.
We are the first African startup to ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange. By this time, SLA was delivering business and career advice to 200,000 millennial African women through in person workshops and digital training.
The 3-month Accelerator Program kicked off in partnership with Oxfam to identify, support and fund the next generation of Nigeria’s brightest entrepreneurs. Since then, every year, the winning entrepreneur goes home with a cash prize to fund their business.
We welcomed 1,400 women for the first SLAY Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. SLAY Festival is a celebration of innovation, culture and technology with African women. Thanks to all the speakers, brands and media partners, participants had an unforgettable experience.
Our track record in inspiring and developing African women globally, gave us a strong reputation with investors. Their investment will go a long way in expanding our reach on influence.
Our annual event was live in Joburg for the very first time! Co-organised by She Leads Africa and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), more than 1200 entrepreneurs and professionals enjoyed an unforgettable event – mainstage panel discussions, networking sessions, masterclasses, mogul talk sessions, shopping from local vendors…and not to forget an electrifying session with Bonang Matheba!
Trained over 30,688 female Nigerian micro, small, and medium-scale entrepreneurs for over 5 years in using Meta products to scale their business.
After 7 years of operation, the SLA Accelerator program in partnership with Oxfam was successfully rounded off with a close out event. We've been able to train over 120 female business owners through the SLA Accelerator Program (later known as High Growth Coaching Program) since its inception in 2017. With a track record of creating over 3,000 jobs in the last 3 years.
The employability program -SLA Level Up Program in partnership with CFYE (Challenge Funds for Youth Employment) is focused on employment and entrepreneurship. The program aims to help graduates and entrepreneurs to level up their employability skills and business processes respectively. In the long term in the next 2 years, we will be creating 100 employment opportunities, matching 700 employment opportunities and improving 200 jobs for young Nigerian women.
Presented by She Leads Africa and the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), the Level Up Career Fair successfully bridged the employment skills gap for Nigerian female graduates. The event connected talented young women with entry-level job opportunities and critical skills training across key sectors like Digital Marketing, Project Management, Operations, and Finance. By providing targeted networking, on-spot interviews, and specialized training modules, the fair demonstrated a powerful commitment to transforming career opportunities for young Nigerian women. More than just a job fair, it represented a strategic approach to addressing youth unemployment and professional development.
The Business Boost Lab was a high-impact workshop that empowered women entrepreneurs with practical strategies to scale their businesses. Focused on real growth and sustainable success, the event brought together creatives, founders, and business owners aged 20–35 for hands-on guidance and actionable insights. Participants left with clarity, confidence, and a solid game plan to make 2025 their breakthrough year.
The SLA BoostHer Program, in collaboration with Jobberman is a transformative initiative designed to empower young Nigerian women entrepreneurs. This program addresses the unique challenges faced by women in business and job-seeking through a blended learning experience that includes advanced self-paced courses. Through a blended learning approach, participants will gain access to high-quality training, expert-led masterclasses, and hands-on guidance tailored to their needs, fostering sustainable business growth and economic independence.
