BongoHive

Most start-up programmes hand over a short-term grant, run a few workshops, and wish you the best. This one is different.

BongoHive, in partnership with AUG10FORD Training, has launched Move your Start-up to the Next Level — a Swiss-Foundation-backed sponsorship programme designed to help Zambian youth-led businesses move from proof of concept to investor-ready.

Over 24 months, selected founders will receive hands-on support in financial management, business systems, governance, compliance, marketing, and operational growth because building a successful business takes more than capital. It takes structure, capability, and the right support system.

If you’re a founder already building, validating, or generating traction and ready to scale, this opportunity could be your next step. 🚀

Applications close on 20 June 2026.

Apply here: https://ideaspring.co.zm/aug10ford/move-your-start-up-to-the-next-level

Today, participants of the FACE NDC Innovation Challenge step forward to pitch ventures designed to tackle climate challenges and shape a more sustainable future. From innovation to impact, these founders are turning ideas into action.

We’re excited to witness the creativity, passion, and solutions that will emerge from today’s Pitch Day.

Founded in 2019 by Chilufya Mutale and her co-founder Eugene Mwila, PremierCredit was built on a bold mandate to dismantle the institutional financial barriers throttling underserved entrepreneurs and women-led MSMEs across Africa. Operating early on with lean, localized infrastructure, a major catalyst arrived when the co-founders entered BongoHive’s FinTech4U Cohort 2 accelerator program, backed by the United Nations Capital Development Fund. This critical ecosystem exposure provided invaluable regulatory alignment with the Bank of Zambia, refined their product architecture, and yielded a $5,000 grant that validated their early peer-to-peer (P2P) lending frameworks. Leveraging this technical validation, the startup secured a landmark $650,000 seed investment from gender-lens venture capital fund Enygma Ventures in late 2020, giving the co-founders the critical runway to fully digitize their ecosystem.

Propelled by this robust foundation, the enterprise underwent a strategic group rebrand to eShandi, cementing its evolution into a credit-first, pan-African challenger bank. This digital pivot unlocked unprecedented commercial scales, culminating in a massive $10 million financing facility partnership with Yango Group to drive asset and fleet financing across Zambia, Angola, DR Congo, Namibia, and Ethiopia. Today, the fintech ecosystem spans multi-country operations including Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Kenya, having disbursed over $12 million in loans to empower more than 1.5 million users, an impact that earned Mutale the prestigious African Woman in Finance Award at the Africa Financial Industry Summit. To explore this world-class financial ecosystem, visit the official PremierCredit Website and eShandi Website.

Premier Credit: https://www.premiercredit.co.zm
eShandi: https://www.eshandi.com