Nedbank has partnered with the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) to launch a new programme aimed at helping women-owned businesses in South Africa strengthen their operations, scale production and access larger domestic and international markets.
The Nedbank–AWIEF Women Enterprise Growth and Export programme is a 12-month business and enterprise supplier development initiative targeting established South African Exempted Micro Enterprises (EMEs) and Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs) that are at least 51% owned by black women.
The programme builds on the long-standing partnership between Nedbank and AWIEF, which dates back to 2018 and has included implementation of the AWIEF Growth Accelerator and investment readiness programme in South Africa.
The new initiative is focused on product-based businesses at the growth stage, particularly enterprises that are already generating revenue and have the potential to expand their production, fulfilment and distribution capacity.
Participants will receive support to strengthen their business systems, improve financial and market readiness, prepare for exports and increase their ability to supply larger buyers.
The programme will also help participating businesses explore opportunities in regional African and international markets as they seek to expand beyond South Africa.
Under a three-year partnership between Nedbank and AWIEF, the initiative will support 75 women-owned small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs), with 25 businesses selected for each annual cohort.
The organisers say the programme is designed for businesses with clear growth potential and the ambition to enter new markets, increase production and fulfil larger commercial orders.
The official launch will take place during the AWIEF2026 Conference and Exhibition scheduled for 10–11 November 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town.
The initiative comes as women entrepreneurs across Africa continue to seek greater access to finance, markets, business networks and investment opportunities needed to scale their enterprises and participate more effectively in regional and global trade.