Young entrepreneurs running established businesses in Rwanda, Uganda, Senegal, Gambia, Zambia, or Zimbabwe and ready to sell beyond their borders now have a structured pathway to do it. The YouthConnekt Africa Export Accelerator — developed in partnership with United Nations Development Programme and the African Union — is a results-driven programme helping youth-led enterprises enter intra-African markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
This is not a grant programme. It is designed for growth-oriented enterprises ready to invest in their own expansion and compete in regional trade.
About the Programme
The E-Accelerator addresses the real barriers that keep youth-led businesses out of regional trade — complex customs procedures, regulatory compliance gaps, non-tariff barriers, and limited access to finance. Rather than offering generic capacity building, the programme provides tailored diagnostics, enterprise strengthening, export-readiness accreditation, and direct access to financing opportunities.
A key feature is the establishment of Policy Sandboxes across the six pilot countries, enabling qualified enterprises to navigate non-tariff barriers and participate more effectively in intra-African trade.
Programme Structure
The E-Accelerator journey runs across eight stages:
- Application and diagnostics
- Selection and announcement of the pilot cohort
- Export FitLab
- Tailored enterprise advisory
- Continental Bootcamp at the YouthConnekt Africa Summit
- Business export accreditation
- Facilitated intra-African export through Policy Sandboxes
- Exposure to continental business and financing opportunities
What Selected Enterprises Receive
- A detailed diagnostic of their export readiness and business capacity
- Individualised business advisory services tailored to their specific barriers
- Export-readiness accreditation recognised within the AfCFTA framework
- Access to Policy Sandboxes to navigate non-tariff barriers
- Participation in the Continental Bootcamp at the YouthConnekt Africa Summit
- Exposure to continental business networks and financing opportunities
Who Can Apply
- Young entrepreneurs under 35 years old
- Businesses based and operating in Rwanda, Uganda, Senegal, Gambia, Zambia, or Zimbabwe
- Enterprises already established at the local level with a clear intent to expand into regional markets
- Businesses ready to invest in their own growth — not those seeking grants