ENTREPRENEUR · GRANT-BACKED FELLOWSHIP

Digital Entrepreneurship
Accelerator

Build the African digital ventures that will power the next generation of the continent’s economy.

DURATION16 Weeks

LEVELAspiring & Early-Stage Founders

AWARDDFA Entrepreneur Fellowship

LANGUAGESEnglish, French, Swahili, Hausa

DELIVERYBlended — Online + 5 Hub Cities

NEXT INTAKEAnnual — January cohort

Apply Now →All Programmes

PROGRAMME IMPACT

Fellows graduated to date320

Ventures still operating after 24 months74%

Total seed funding raised by graduates$2.8M

Hub cities across Africa5

Programme Overview

Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit is unmatched — but too many promising digital ventures fail not from lack of ambition, but from lack of the right skills, networks, and capital connections. The Digital Entrepreneurship Accelerator is DFA’s most intensive programme: a 16-week fellowship combining digital skills, business fundamentals, mentorship, and access to a pan-African investor network.

Fellows receive comprehensive support from ideation through to launch-ready ventures, including a seed fund access programme for the most promising graduates. The accelerator runs across five hub cities — Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Kigali, and Cairo — with a blended online and in-person model. Places are limited to 40 fellows per cohort.

What You Will Study

MODULE 01

Digital Skills for Entrepreneurs

Master the tools every modern entrepreneur needs: no-code platforms, digital marketing, e-commerce, and data analytics for small business.

MODULE 02

Business Model Design & Validation

Apply lean startup methodology and customer discovery to validate your venture idea against real market data before building anything.

MODULE 03

Digital Marketing & Growth Strategy

Build a customer acquisition engine using SEO, social media, content marketing, email, and paid advertising — with an African market focus.

MODULE 04

Financial Modelling & Funding Strategy

Build investor-grade financial models, understand African funding ecosystems (angel, VC, grants, DFIs), and develop your fundraising strategy.

MODULE 05

Legal, Regulatory & Operations

Incorporate your business, protect your IP, navigate African regulatory environments, and build scalable operational systems from day one.

MODULE 06

Pitch, Demo Day & Investor Access

Develop and rehearse your investor pitch. Present at DFA Demo Day before a panel of active African investors and corporate partners.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this programme, you will be able to:

Launch a market-validated digital business concept

Build a professional digital presence and customer acquisition funnel

Develop investor-grade financial models and pitch decks

Access DFA’s network of 200+ African investors and sector mentors

Compete for seed grants of up to $25,000 USD

Join the DFA Entrepreneur Alumni community for life

Who Is This For?

Open to aspiring entrepreneurs with a digital business idea, early-stage founders seeking to accelerate growth, professionals wanting to launch side ventures, and recent graduates with entrepreneurial ambitions. Applicants must submit a venture concept. Places are strictly limited to 40 fellows per cohort.

“The accelerator connected me to my first investor, helped me revalidate my business model, and gave me a community of fellow founders across Africa. Twelve months later, we have 800 paying customers in four countries.”

— Kofi A., Founder & CEO — Accra, Ghana