Story by Wellington Makonese
Women and young entrepreneurs are set to play a central role in Africa’s economic transformation as new initiatives seek to unlock opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The United Nations Development Programme, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has launched a major programme aimed at empowering women- and youth-led enterprises to participate more effectively in regional and international trade.
Known as ECoWYERT, the five-year, multi-country initiative is designed to help entrepreneurs overcome barriers that often limit their participation in trade, including restricted access to finance, weak market linkages and limited business capacity.
Speaking at the recently concluded Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, UNDP Resident Representative Dr Ayodele Odusola said the programme is intended to turn trade into a pathway for jobs, income and resilience.
“ECoWYERT is designed to help women and youth-led enterprises participate more effectively in regional trade under the AfCFTA. Many young people turn to entrepreneurship and trade, but face barriers such as limited access to finance, weak market linkages and low business capacity,” he said.
Dr Odusola noted that the programme adopts an integrated, systems-based approach that goes beyond training alone.
“It combines three mutually reinforcing pillars: enterprise capacity building, access to inclusive finance and ecosystem strengthening. We are not just supporting individual businesses; we are helping to build the entire system required for inclusive trade to work at scale,” he said.
A key feature of the initiative is its strong focus on inclusion and gender equality.
At least 70 percent of programme participants will be young rural women, ensuring that those who are often excluded from formal economic systems are placed at the forefront of Africa’s trade agenda.
The programme will also prioritise informal traders, displaced youth and entrepreneurs in underserved communities.
Dr Odusola said ECoWYERT is expected to boost participation in regional value chains, create jobs, raise incomes and promote the formalisation of small businesses.
“Inclusive trade is not just a social priority; it is an economic imperative for Africa’s growth,” he said.
By strengthening enterprises, improving access to finance and addressing systemic barriers, the initiative aims to build more resilient and inclusive local economies across the continent.
UNDP says its comparative advantage lies in combining policy expertise, practical implementation and strategic partnerships with governments, the private sector and development institutions.
The organisation will oversee programme coordination to ensure both immediate benefits for enterprises and long-term systemic change.
As Africa deepens economic integration under AfCFTA, ECoWYERT is set to position women and youth at the centre of the continent’s trade-driven growth and industrial transformation.
