When conversations about startup ecosystems arise, the spotlight often falls on Silicon Valley or Toronto. Yet, some of the most transformative innovations are happening thousands of miles away.

In African countries, entrepreneurs are reimagining solutions to climate change, energy, and food security. Village Capital, a global venture capital firm and impact investor, has been quietly but powerfully shaping that story.

A Different Kind of Capital

Founded in 2009, Village Capital is known for its “peer-selected investment” model, where entrepreneurs evaluate each other and decide who receives funding. This approach has supported over 1,400 startups in 28 countries with investment and mentorship. In Africa, Village Capital stands out for directing resources to Black-majority countries where barriers to funding remain high.

Its Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa 2025 program focuses on Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. These nations are tackling climate resilience, renewable energy, and food security. These countries are rich with entrepreneurial talent, from innovators building solar-powered cold storage to those developing drought-resistant crops or launching blue economy projects that protect oceans while fueling livelihoods.

More Than Money

Village Capital’s program creates a nurturing ecosystem where entrepreneurs gain:

• Mentorship from industry leaders who understand both local realities and global market trends.
• Investor connections that open doors to venture funding, angel networks, and institutional capital are often inaccessible to African founders.
• Financial modelling support, helping startups build the robust business structures required to attract long-term investment.

This holistic support matters. In many African markets, entrepreneurs struggle not because of a lack of ideas, but because of missing infrastructure around them. Limited access to networks, high risk perception from investors, and scarce training in the financial mechanics that underpin business scaling all hold back potential. Village Capital bridges that gap.

Tackling Africa’s Pressing Priorities

The focus areas, climate adaptation, renewable energy, blue economy, and food security, are not just buzzwords. They are existential priorities for the continent. Sub-Saharan Africa loses billions annually to post-harvest food waste. 

Energy poverty still affects over half a billion people. Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities and the industries they depend on. Against this backdrop, entrepreneurs supported by Village Capital are crafting lifelines for their communities.

Lessons for Global Black Wealth

Village Capital’s work also carries broader implications for Black wealth globally. By empowering African entrepreneurs to secure funding and scale solutions, the ripple effects extend far beyond national borders. Successful African startups can attract diaspora investment, build trade linkages, and model pathways for Black entrepreneurs everywhere who are navigating similar funding barriers.

As Canada’s Black entrepreneurial ecosystem grows, Village Capital’s African focus offers lessons: that collective support, innovative funding models, and deep mentorship can turn systemic gaps into fertile ground for wealth-building. “Banking on Black” does not stop at national borders. It thrives when we recognise the global networks of innovation binding Black communities together.