Empowering Ghana’s young women entrepreneurs: Social Enterprise Accelerator Programme spurs growth, jobs, and innovation

Densu Associates has launched a Social Enterprise Accelerator (SEA) pilot Programme. This initiative aims to support young women-led social enterprises in Ghana. It is implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

The programme has already shown impressive results. It created 74 new jobs and impacted 840 individuals through community reinvestment. Additionally, over GH₵260,000 was mobilised in capital.

Launched in November 2024, the SEA Programme selected 12 promising social enterprises. These businesses operate in Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, North East, and Upper East regions. They are either led by young women or focus on improving women's lives.

Participants received a comprehensive support package. This included grant funding, mentorship, coaching, peer learning, and masterclasses. The goal was to equip them with skills and resources for sustainable business growth.

Densu Associates monitored the entrepreneurs’ progress closely. Their experiences will help shape future plans for scaling the initiative. Insights were shared during a learning forum with key stakeholders from various sectors.

Research revealed that access to funding is a major challenge. A significant 92% of participants cited lack of capital as their biggest barrier to growth. This financial constraint limits their ability to scale operations and innovate.

Additionally, 50% reported difficulties in building partnerships and collaborations. About 42% faced legal obstacles like registration delays and unclear tax policies. Other challenges included limited access to technology and socio-cultural norms affecting women entrepreneurs.

Despite these hurdles, the SEA Programme has been praised by participants for its results. Coaching support significantly impacted their development as well.

Some participants developed comprehensive business plans through expert guidance. About 24% improved their financial management skills while 21% enhanced legal compliance.

The programme also created broader benefits beyond business performance. The 12 enterprises collectively generated 74 new jobs and offered numerous internships and training opportunities.

SEA participants mobilised GH₵260,062 from grants and investments, showing increased financial capacity. Their advocacy efforts reached an additional 840 individuals in their communities.

Recognition followed these achievements; around 75% of participants received awards or media features. This recognition boosted their credibility and expanded their networks significantly.

For many young women involved, the programme sharpened their business skills while providing visibility needed for growth.

The SEA Learning Forum allowed stakeholders to reflect on achievements and plan future steps for social entrepreneurship in Ghana.

The pilot phase demonstrated the potential of a flexible accelerator model for meaningful impact. Nafisa Yussif from the Mastercard Foundation stated that proper support helps young women build movements alongside businesses.

With this success, Densu Associates aims to scale the SEA Programme further into more regions and support more entrepreneurs.