The goal of the ITIDA-VISA Mentorship Program is to improve cooperation in the promotion of entrepreneurship, to enable start-ups to develop innovative fintech solutions, and to facilitate digital payments in Egypt.
Upon entering the program, selected fintech startups and entrepreneurs will be entitled to access the Application Programming Interfaces (API) of VISA, which enables integration and experimenting with the global network of financial services company’s sandbox. In needed to stimulate their business and enrich their experience, they will also be granted access to Visa’s global partner network.
In addition, after completion of professional training and business mentorship, the program provides a reward of US$20,000 for the best performing start-up, which includes business models, industry requirements analysis, and learning about business methodologies that speed up access to the Visa network.
The programme will stop receiving applications on the 3rd of March.
Visa’s Support for Entrepreneurs Across Africa
Overs the year, Visa has come up with various ways to supports entrepreneurs in Africa. Some of these are the “Where You Shop Matters” Initiative which connects Nigerian small business with customers by providing entrepreneurs with a platform to showcase their businesses. The initiative is also offered the first 100 SMEs who set up their Ecommerce on the platform, $200 worth of online advertising to boost their digital marketing campaigns
Having observed the challenges faced be female entrepreneurs on the continent, Visa launched another empowerment programme called She’s Next, to support female small business owners with the funds they need to run and grow their businesses. The initiative was launched at the 28th World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA) in Cape Town, South Africa.
