Future of Work Africa 2021
Supporting for-profit, market-based Future of Work solutions in Africa
Village Capital, with the support of IFC, is launching Future of Work Africa 2021 – an accelerator supporting and scaling startups across Sub-Saharan Africa that help young people find jobs, build careers, and prepare for the future of work.
Africa’s workforce is projected to be the largest in the world in the coming decades, with hundreds of millions of people below the age of 25 starting to look for work. But there are simply not enough quality jobs for this young and growing population. Nearly half of young people on the continent are unemployed, and in some countries, more than four out of five work in the informal sector, with fluctuating incomes and few if any benefits. While agriculture has long been the continent’s top sector, more and more of Africa’s population is moving to urban areas, where jobs in the formal sector are in short supply.
Our accelerator will support entrepreneurs of early-stage ventures building for-profit, market-based solutions across the education, employment, and benefits spectrum that can help young people in Sub-Saharan Africa better prepare for and manage the future of work. Participants can expect our renowned investment readiness curriculum, engagement with mentors and investors, and peer collaboration
ELIGIBILITY
Ventures must address youth unemployment through the following:
- Innovations like upskilling/reskilling programs
- Credentialing programs
- New approaches to apprenticeship or employment matching
- Financial health for informal workers, and/or
- Edtech.
THE WORKSHOPS
Future of Work Africa 2021 will host two cohorts, each cohort will have between 10 and 15 entrepreneurs. We are not sure yet if the program will be in person or virtual. A decision will be made as we approach the workshop dates.
Cohort 1
Sprint Week: May 3-7
Work Week 1: Jun 2-4
Work Week 2: Jun 29- Jul 1
Work Week 3: Jul 27-29
Closing Week: Aug 23-27
Cohort 2
Sprint Week: May 17-21
Work Week 1: Jun 15-17
Work Week 2: Jul 13-15
Work Week 3: Aug 10-12
Closing Week: Sept 13-17
The deadline to apply for this program (for both cohorts) is January 22, 2021.
Overview
| Program dates | May 10 - Jun 25, 2021 |
| Organizer | Village Capital |
| Targets | Africa |
| Sectors | Creative, media and entertainment, Diversified services, E-learning, EdTech, Education, HealthTech, ICT |
Team
Portfolio
| Name | Country | Sector(s) | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACE Smart Technologies Ltd E-Learning | Zambia | Education, Educational products, Educational servi… | Growth stage |
| ICT for Development Kenya Training rural youth on technology for job creation | Kenya | Education, Educational products, Educational servi… | Growth stage |
| Mosabi Embedded upskilling for financial and platform journeys | Sierra Leone | E-learning, Fintech, Machine learning | Startup stage |
| UrbanSense App Solutions at your fingertips | South Africa | Business services, Diversified services, Smart cit… | Startup stage |
| CoffeeChat Speak with coaches & experts across emerging markets. | Mauritius | Consulting and business development, HR and recrui… | Startup stage |
| Angaza Elimu Delivering personalized and mastery-based learning experince | Kenya | E-learning, Software as a Service | Startup stage |
| BeSingularity Sales tech Solution Plc SalesSolution for Business | Ethiopia | HR and recruitment | Startup stage |
| Irawo Where creators succeed together | Benin | Creative, media and entertainment, Education | Growth stage |
| Ecomake Innovations Raising changemakers and green entrepreneurs for the sdg | Ghana | Educational services, Manufacturing | Startup stage |
| Utiva Helping People Move Into Tech. Giving talents a global advantage | Nigeria | E-learning, Educational products | Growth stage |
| Tustawi Professional Education Ltd. Digitised higher learning that is relevant, affordable, and engaging | Kenya | E-learning, Educational products, Educational serv… | Startup stage |
| Worknasi Plus Freelancing and Remote working marketplace and tools | Tanzania | Business services, Educational services, Informati… | Startup stage |
| Irawo Africa ...the beauty of African fashion | Nigeria | Clothing and textiles production, Fashion | Startup stage |
| Afrilearn World-class education for Africans anywhere. | Nigeria | Education, Educational products, Educational servi… | Startup stage |