By Bricky Mong’ina
The Future Is Female Mentorship Program has opened applications for its sixth edition, with the 25 finalists set to be unveiled at the Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 19, 2026.
Claudine Moore, managing director of Allison Worldwide and founder of the Future Is Female Mentorship Program, said applications for the 2026 cohort are now open through F6S and will close on November 13, 2026.
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The Africa Fintech Summit, scheduled for November 18–20, will bring together fintech founders, investors, policymakers and innovation leaders from across the continent.
“As part of its presence at AFTS Kigali, the programme will also host a dedicated masterclass for female founders attending the summit, focused on founder visibility, communications strategy, and positioning for growth, partnerships and investment,” Moore said.
Launched on Africa Day in 2020, the first ever public relations and communications mentorship initiative dedicated exclusively to female tech founders, has expanded significantly, attracting applications from 37 African countries, representing a 253 per cent increase from its inaugural year.
Now in its sixth edition, the initiative is building on previous support from Google and Salesforce. This year’s edition will feature expanded partnerships across technology, media, venture capital, business development and innovation, providing finalists with additional mentorship, training and advisory support.
“The relaunch of The Future Is Female Mentorship Program marks an exciting new chapter for the incredible community of African female founders we have built over the years,” Moore said.
Visibility and business growth
The complimentary virtual mentorship programme will provide specialised masterclasses and tailored sessions covering communications and visibility strategies, founder storytelling and brand positioning, media relations and thought leadership, digital marketing and audience engagement, personal branding, stakeholder communications, investor visibility and business growth communications.
Moore said the initiative was designed to go beyond conventional mentorship by creating an ecosystem in which female founders could access the expertise and opportunities needed to grow their businesses.
“The programme has always been about more than mentorship; it is about creating an ecosystem where female founders can truly thrive. As we return in 2026 with expanded partnerships, broader industry expertise and new collaborators, we are excited to provide even greater support, opportunities and impact for finalists across Africa and beyond,” she said.
Special consideration will be given to startups working in artificial intelligence (AI), health, education, finance, agriculture and sustainability. Priority will also be given to businesses addressing the needs of African women and girls.
Summit partnerships continue
The 2026 edition will continue working with F6S as its application platform partner and the Africa Fintech Summit as the host platform for the announcement of the Top 25 finalists and the dedicated masterclass.
Previous partners have included TechCabal, Google for Startups Accelerator, the Women Founders Africa Program, Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund and Africa Communications Week.
Through the expanded programme, organisers aim to strengthen communications capacity, increase the visibility of female-led technology businesses and help founders position themselves for partnerships, investment and sustainable growth across Africa and beyond.
