The Amahoro Coalition just dropped the list for its fourth Fellowship cohort, and it’s a powerful one. They’ve selected 41 brilliant entrepreneurs and social-change leaders for what remains Africa’s premier support hub for displaced founders.
Forget the old stereotypes about displacement. This fellowship is the only one of its kind on the continent, purposely built to back displaced founders who are busy doing the heavy lifting—creating jobs, pulling in serious investment, and building resilient businesses. These aren’t just survival hustles; these ventures are driving real innovation and pumping life into local economies.
This latest group is incredibly diverse, drawing talent from 15 countries across Africa and the Middle East, with their businesses now making waves in 16 different African nations. The standout metric? Women are leading the charge, making up 63% (24 out of 41) of the selected fellows. They’re tackling everything from agritech, health, and climate action to creative industries, logistics, and digital services.
“Cohort 4 is full of exceptional leaders who aren’t sitting around waiting for change—they’re out there creating it,” says Julia Oduol, Principal Strategy Custodian for the Amahoro Fellowship. “They are generating jobs and building ventures that solve some of the continent’s most pressing challenges right from within their communities. We couldn’t be prouder to welcome them into our ecosystem.”
Patricia Barandun from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) echoed this energy. “We’re proud to partner with the Amahoro Coalition to back leaders who know the reality of displacement firsthand, yet are actively shaping Africa’s economy,” she noted. “This is all about championing locally-led solutions. With this year marking the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, backing these communities so they can truly thrive is more meaningful than ever.”
What the Fellowship Actually Does
It’s a mix of self-paced learning, live masterclasses, solid mentorship, and direct connections with capable investors and private-sector leaders. The goal is simple: help these founders sharpen their business models, get investment-ready, and scale up.
But it’s not just about capacity building; they’re putting real money on the table. Each Fellow has access to up to $160,000 in catalytic funding. That’s the highest investment ticket in the world specifically dedicated to refugee-led enterprises, giving them the runway they need to scale, hire, and dominate new markets.
The Impact Speaks for Itself
Over the first three cohorts, Amahoro has backed 88 entrepreneurs across 15 countries. Before joining the programme, these businesses employed a combined 428 people. Today? They support over 2,240 jobs. That’s a massive jump that proves exactly how much untapped economic muscle displaced founders have.
So far, fellowship-supported businesses have locked in over $2.4 million in funding directly from the Amahoro Coalition. For many of these founders, this was their very first taste of institutional funding. And it acted as the perfect catalyst—that early backing unlocked an additional $4.1 million in outside financing, showing that investors see real value in refugee-led businesses.
Ultimately, this goes way beyond individual success stories. These fellows are creating high-value jobs in sectors that are pushing Africa forward, from tech and climate action to commercial agriculture.
This initiative is powered by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Mastercard Foundation. Plus, thanks to a solid partnership with global logistics giant PSA BDP, the fellows get direct access to top-tier mentorship and industry secrets from seasoned leaders.
