The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has opened applications for the 2026 edition of its annual Pitch n Grow competition, inviting women entrepreneurs from across the continent to compete for funding, mentorship, investor exposure and a chance to showcase their businesses on a continental stage.
Finalists will pitch their ventures live at the AWIEF 2026 Conference, scheduled to hold in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 10 and 11.
The 2026 edition is themed “Deep Roots, Digital Futures,” reflecting AWIEF’s focus on encouraging women-led businesses to leverage technology to address Africa’s unique development challenges through locally driven innovation.
The competition is open to women founders and co-founders developing solutions in sectors including artificial intelligence and machine learning, agritech, health technology, clean energy, water technology, biotechnology, fintech, cybersecurity, education technology, smart cities, the circular economy and other frontier technologies.
Applicants will compete in one of three categories based on the maturity of their businesses. These include the Pre-Venture track for concept-stage startups with a prototype or proof of concept, the Early-Stage track for registered businesses already generating revenue, and the Growth-Stage track for ventures with proven market traction and expansion plans.
Successful applicants will participate in expert-led training boot camps and receive mentorship from investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Finalists will also benefit from media exposure, networking opportunities with ecosystem partners, travel and accommodation support to attend the Cape Town conference, as well as cash prizes and international recognition.
Applications opened on June 22 and will close on July 20, 2026. Orientation webinars for applicants are scheduled to take place between July 1 and 7, followed by a boot camp in August. Finalists will be announced on September 20 ahead of the live pitch competition in November.
AWIEF said the programme is designed to identify, support and scale high-potential women-led businesses across Africa while strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship on the continent.
Interested entrepreneurs can submit their applications online before the July 20 deadline through the official Pitch n Grow application portal.
