Young African social entrepreneurs building solutions to systemic challenges are invited to apply for the Social Innovators Programme (SIP) 2026 — a flagship 9-month accelerator fellowship by LEAP Africa designed to equip early-stage social enterprises with the skills, resources, connections, and credibility needed to grow and sustain their impact.
Fellows go through intensive virtual training, one-on-one mentorship, monthly webinars, and site visits, culminating in a physical Awards ceremony where they present their enterprises to investors, funders, and policymakers. Fellows can expect to dedicate an average of 12 to 14 hours per month over the course of the fellowship.
Programme Structure:
- 4 to 6 weeks of intensive virtual sessions
- 4 months of one-on-one mentorship
- Monthly virtual webinar sessions and networking calls
- A 5-day physical enterprise sustainability workshop
- Site visits and an in-person Awards ceremony with investor and funder presentations
Who Can Apply:
- Young Africans aged 18 to 35 as at April 2026
- Citizens or permanent residents of an African nation with an enterprise geographically located in Africa
- Founders or co-founders of a social venture with at least three years of impact
- Professionally proficient in English
- Able to commit fully to the programme from April to October 2026
- First-time SIP applicants — ventures that have not previously participated in the LEAP Africa Social Innovators Programme
Fellows are drawn from fields including agriculture, technology, climate action, sustainable cities, clean energy, and workforce development.
What Fellows Receive:
- World-class mentorship and one-on-one coaching from experienced practitioners
- Access to investors, funders, and policymakers at the end-of-programme Awards ceremony
- Funding opportunities and visibility for their social enterprises
- A powerful network of African social innovators across 14 countries
- Capacity building across enterprise sustainability, growth, and impact