The African Development Bank Group’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) and social impact organisation Lionesses of Africa have launched a new publication aimed at helping women entrepreneurs across the continent overcome one of their biggest barriers to growth: access to finance.
The publication, Financing Business Growth, was unveiled on Tuesday and comes as women-led businesses in Africa continue to face an estimated $42 billion financing gap, limiting their ability to expand operations, create jobs and contribute more fully to economic growth.
Produced jointly by AFAWA and Lionesses of Africa, the digital playbook features practical insights from 25 women entrepreneurs across 17 African countries, documenting how they secured funding, scaled their businesses and navigated the challenges of raising capital.
The featured entrepreneurs operate in sectors including agribusiness, fashion, finance, green energy, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, security, technology and water management.
According to the organisations, the publication is designed to serve as a practical resource for entrepreneurs, financial institutions, policymakers and business support organisations by offering real-world lessons on building investor confidence, strengthening business operations and accessing finance for sustainable growth.
AFAWA, a pan-African initiative of the African Development Bank Group, works to close the financing gap facing women entrepreneurs through financing, technical assistance and policy engagement with financial institutions.
Lionesses of Africa, meanwhile, supports a network of more than 1.8 million women entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries and the African diaspora through digital platforms, research, business resources and entrepreneurship support programmes.
The organisations said their partnership helped ensure the publication reflects the realities facing women entrepreneurs across different African markets, while showcasing successful financing journeys that demonstrate the importance of targeted financial support, sound business fundamentals and enabling business ecosystems.
“The Financing Business Growth playbook is founded on a simple belief: some of the most valuable lessons a woman entrepreneur can learn come from another woman who has successfully navigated the journey before her,” said Melanie Hawken, founder of Lionesses of Africa.
“Drawing on firsthand experience of overcoming challenges and securing funding, this playbook offers practical guidance to help more women entrepreneurs unlock the capital they need to grow and succeed.”
Melissa Basque-Roux, AFAWA Coordinator, said improving women’s access to finance has wider economic benefits beyond individual businesses.
“At AFAWA, we know that when women entrepreneurs gain access to finance, they do far more than grow businesses — they create jobs, strengthen communities and drive economic transformation. This playbook highlights what is possible when women entrepreneurs thrive and provides practical guidance to support more founders along that path.”
Beyond highlighting individual success stories, the publication expands research into Africa’s gender financing gap by documenting the experiences of women entrepreneurs across diverse sectors and countries. It also provides practical guidance to help business owners better understand what lenders and investors look for when evaluating enterprises seeking capital.
The launch comes amid growing recognition that improving access to finance for women-owned businesses could unlock significant economic gains across Africa, where small and medium-sized enterprises remain a major source of employment and innovation but continue to face persistent financing constraints.
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