Women in Tech Zambia
Programme
About the Programme
Empowering Women. Advancing Tech. Transforming Communities.
The Zambia Women in Tech Zambia Accelerator programme, implemented by BongoHive Innovations, is an accelerator designed to support women-led, tech-based and tech-enabled businesses in Zambia. The programme combines world-class training, strategic mentorship, and equity-free funding to help female entrepreneurs grow their startups and scale sustainable solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Benefits
3-Month acceleration
Structured training focused on business strategy, growth, and operations.
Professional Mentorship
Expert guidance from seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, strategic partners, and industry specialists.
Technical & Business Support
Access to legal, financial, accounting, and digital services.
Milestone Development Plan
Create a personalized milestone development plan towards investment readiness, growth, and impact utilizing Abaca, VilCap’s online milestone tracking tool
Financial Analysis
Access to 1:1 coaching with an investment analyst focused on building a financial model and financial narratives.
Networking Opportunities
Meet investors, corporates, and potential strategic partners.
Media Exposure
Increased visibility through media and public events.
Equity-Free Grant
$10,000 awarded to 5 selected businesses to scale their solutions.
Market Expansion Support
Six months of targeted post-programme support designed to help you scale operations and deepen your market reach.
Alumni Community
Join an active network of women tech founders and BongoHive alumni for ongoing collaboration and support.
Who can apply?
Startups must meet the following criteria:
Legally registered for-profit business (less than 10 employees) must have been registered with PACRA for at least 3 months.
Headquartered and operational in Zambia.
Revenue-generating (under $100,000 annually)
Have raised less than $500,000 in equity.
Have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and proven traction (users, partnerships, revenue, etc.).
At least one female founder with equal or majority ownership.
One full-time founder must be based in Zambia and must be able to participate in all programme activities from 23 June – 9 October 2025.
The founder should be 18–35 years old.
The business must be tech-based or tech-enabled, addressing one of the thematic challenge areas.
Empowering women with digital technology solutions
Timeline
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Applications Open
28 April 2025
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Applications Close
28 May 2025
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Top 20 Selection
29 May – 17 June 2025
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Top 20 Bootcamp
23 June – 2 July 2025
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Top 10 Announcement
4 July 2025
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Acceleration Phase
7 July – 25 September 2025
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Demo Day
9 October 2025
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Post Programme Support
14 October 2025 – 27 February 2026
WHAT PROBLEM ARE YOU SOLVING
Click on a tab below
Health Technology: Innovating for Equitable Health Access
In Zambia, underserved communities face significant barriers to accessing quality healthcare. Despite advancements in HealthTech, such as telemedicine, AI-driven diagnostics, and mobile health platforms, these solutions have not been fully leveraged to improve healthcare access and outcomes for all.
The challenge is to innovate and scale HealthTech in a way that ensures equitable, inclusive, and accessible healthcare for underserved populations across the country.
SDG: SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities
How might we use these technologies to overcome barriers and improve healthcare equity in Zambia?
Education Technology: Empowering the Next Generation
In rural Zambia, girls and women face significant barriers to accessing quality education, including limited opportunities to develop digital literacy skills. While EdTech solutions have the potential to improve education access, there is a gap in scalable systems that can effectively reach underserved populations and address educational inequalities.
The challenge is to design inclusive and scalable EdTech solutions that improve access to quality education, bridge educational gaps, and enhance digital literacy for all individuals, particularly in rural areas.
SDG: SDG 4 – Quality Education
Financial Technology: Empowering Entrepreneurs in Zambia
In Zambia, entrepreneurs, especially those in underserved communities, face substantial barriers to accessing financial services, including limited access to credit, savings tools, investment options, and financial literacy resources. Despite the potential of financial technology (FinTech) solutions to address these gaps, there remains a lack of inclusive systems that cater to the unique needs of local entrepreneurs.
The challenge is to design and implement inclusive FinTech services that enhance financial literacy, improve access to credit, and provide tools for savings and investment, ultimately fostering business growth and economic empowerment for Zambian entrepreneurs.
SDG: SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies: Empowering Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs in Zambia, particularly women, face significant challenges such as limited access to funding, market entry barriers, and operational inefficiencies. These issues are compounded by gender bias in the tech industry, which hinders the growth of businesses.
The challenge is to harness AI and emerging technologies to help entrepreneurs overcome these barriers, improve business efficiency, and foster inclusivity within the digital economy.
SDG: SDG 5 – Gender Equality, SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Access Technology: Inclusive Innovations for Persons with Disabilities
Persons with disabilities in Zambia often face challenges in mobility, communication, and access to essential information, which limits their full participation in society. While AI and assistive technologies hold great potential, their integration into accessible and inclusive digital solutions remains limited.
The challenge is to harness AI and assistive technologies to create innovative solutions that enhance mobility, communication, and information access for persons with disabilities, ensuring inclusivity in tech design.
SDG: SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities, SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
TESTIMONIES FROM COHORT 4
Contact Us
Call: +26 095 301 7526
Email: [email protected]
BongoHive Technology & Innovation Hub
6th Floor, ZEP-RE Business Park, Alick Nkhata Road, Lusaka, Zambia
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