Visa Foundation Commits $5 million to support women Entrepreneurs in Africa

Visa Foundation announced that it expects to contribute $5 million in grants and impact investments in Africa that will support women’s participation in the digital economy.  The Foundation investments were made in connection with United States Vice President Kamala Harris’s trip to Africa and the creation of a new Women in the Digital Economy Fund and follows Visa’s recent pledge to invest $1 billion in Africa to advance resilient, innovative, and inclusive economies.

Visa Foundation support would focus on increasing access to financial solutions and other services for women entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa, to drive equitable digital financial access as countries continue to digitize. The contributions will be allocated to programs that address the digital gender divide, and support women’s full participation in the 21^st century economy

“Expanding access to digital financial services lies at the core of Visa’s purpose, and our company and Visa Foundation are committed to helping address gender disparity and connecting more people to the global economy,” said Aida Diarra, Senior Vice President and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa.  “We welcome and are pleased to support important global initiatives, such as the Women in Digital Economy Fund, and we look forward to working with government, NGO and private sector partners to create equitable access for all.”