Applications are currently open for the 2026 AWIEF-NedBank Women Enterprise Growth & Export Programme. This initiative is a fully funded, 12-month enterprise and supplier development program tailored for established, black women-owned, product-based businesses in South Africa. The program is designed to enhance operational capacity, improve financial and market readiness, and facilitate access to larger corporate, retail, public-sector, regional, and international opportunities. It is part of a three-year partnership between Nedbank and AWIEF, aiming to support a total of 75 black women-owned SMMEs, with 25 businesses selected for each annual cohort.
Program Benefits
• Practical business growth training
• An individual business diagnostic and development plan
• Coaching and technical mentoring
• Supplier and retail-readiness support
• Financial and investment-readiness support
• Export development and market-access linkages
Eligibility Requirements
• Must be at least 51% owned by black women
• Qualify as an Exempted Micro Enterprise (EME) or Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE)
• Be legally registered and operating in South Africa
• Be post-revenue, currently trading and serving paying customers
• Be product-based—producing, manufacturing, processing, assembling, packaging, formulating or distributing physical products
• Operate in one of the priority sectors listed below
• Be looking to expand market access nationally, regionally, intra-Africa and internationally
• Nominate a woman owner who can commit to the full 12-month programme
Priority Sectors
• Agriculture & Agro-processing
• Manufacturing
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Cleaning & Hygiene
• Textile, Apparel & Accessories
• Beauty, Wellness & Personal Care
• Tourism & Hospitality
• Design & Craft
• Building & Construction
• Green Economy & Renewable Energy
• Circular Economy
Program Timeline
• Applications Open: 12 August 2026
• Applications Close: 7 September 2026
• Phase I (Screening & Selection): September – October 2026. This includes application screening, shortlisting, due diligence, structured interviews, and the final selection of 25 businesses.
• Phase II (Official Launch & Bootcamp): 10–11 November 2026. The program launches at the AWIEF2026 Conference & Exhibition in Cape Town, followed by an in-person two-day bootcamp.
• Phase III (Programme Implementation): November 2026 – October 2027. This phase involves training, coaching, mentoring, diagnostics, and market-access support.
For additional details and to access further information, interested parties are encouraged to visit the official webpage of the AWIEF-NedBank Women Enterprise Growth & Export Programme.