Future of Work Africa 2021

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.