Black Girls Rising

What Black Girls Rising does

Black Girls Rising is a black-led, youth-focused non-profit organisation founded in 2021 and headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa (Registration Number 2021/367129/08). The organization empowers young black girls and women aged 9-18 from under-resourced communities across Southern Africa to become climate-activist leaders, operating a portfolio of five interconnected programmes plus supporting media initiatives.

Its core offerings include the Rising in Leadership Programme (flagship five-year climate activism and leadership training for ages 12-18, ~50 participants across 8+ Cape Town communities), Rising in Education Scholarship Fund (tuition, transport, and data support at Curro DigiEd School for 4 scholars), Inter-Generational Learning Space (parent-daughter workshops addressing intergenerational trauma), Rising in Braveness Programme (year-long online training reaching 25-30 participants in South Africa, Kenya, and Zambia, culminating in a five-day Cape Town camp), and the Brave Girls Project (bi-monthly workshops for ~40 girls aged 9-11). Supporting initiatives include the Raise Your Voice Podcast (~10 episodes/year) and the Rising in Leadership Holiday Programme.

The organization operates on a non-profit, donation-funded model with no program fees; revenue mechanics are not disclosed. There is no proprietary technology platform — delivery is via in-person workshops and online training supplemented by a YouTube/Facebook/Instagram presence. Geographic reach spans South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe via direct operations in Cape Town and partner referrals in other countries. Governance is provided by a board chaired by Carly Tanur with a Youth Council embedded in program strategy.

Name

Black Girls Rising

Legal name

Black Girls Rising

Website

https://blackgirlsrising.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Girls Rising is a Cape Town-based non-profit founded in 2021 that runs mentorship, training, and scholarship programmes empowering young black women aged 9-18 from under-resourced Southern African communities to become climate-activist leaders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Climate Education and Leadership Programs

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

Keywords

• Youth climate activism
• Girls education programs
• Environmental justice training
• Leadership mentorship programs
• Green skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Black Girls Rising is a black-led, youth-focused nonprofit that delivers a portfolio of multi-year education, mentorship, climate activism, and leadership programmes for young black girls and women (ages 9-18) from under-resourced communities in Cape Town and across Southern Africa (South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe). The programmes combine foundational awareness workshops, five-year climate leadership training, online training cohorts, parent-daughter intergenerational workshops, and educational scholarships. Programme activities are reinforced by a youth-led podcast and holiday advocacy intensives.

Product overview

Black Girls Rising is a black-led, youth-focused non-profit organisation based in Cape Town that operates a portfolio of empowerment and education programmes for young black women aged 9-18 from under-resourced communities in Southern Africa (South Africa, Zambia, Kenya). The core offering consists of five interconnected programmes: the Rising in Leadership Programme (flagship five-year climate activism and leadership training), Rising in Education Scholarship Fund (high school educational support and sponsorship), Inter-Generational Learning Space (parent-daughter workshop series), Rising in Braveness Programme (online year-long training across Southern Africa), and Brave Girls Project (foundational workshops for ages 9-11). Supporting initiatives include the Raise Your Voice Podcast (media training) and Holiday Programme. These programmes are designed as a pipeline where girls progress from Brave Girls Project to Rising in Leadership, can access scholarships for education, and participate in podcasting and family support activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brave Girls Project: Bi-monthly in-person workshops for young black girls and women in Cape Town, ages 9-11, focusing on women and water, clean air, period power, and food justice.
• Rising in Leadership Programme
• Rising in Education Scholarship Fund
• Rising in Braveness Programme
• Inter-Generational Learning Space
• Raise Your Voice Podcast

Products and services

• Rising in Leadership Programme Flagship five-year programme training young black women aged 12-18 on self-development and climate activism through monthly in-person workshops, psychological support, mentorship, and holiday programmes. Works with approximately 50 participants from eight communities in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Rising in Education Scholarship Fund Scholarship programme supporting young black women from the Rising in Leadership Programme through high school education. Covers tuition fees at Curro DigiEd School, transport, and data costs, with additional coaching and mentorship. Four scholarship recipients have been supported.
• Inter-Generational Learning Space (Parent and Daughter Programme) Five-year programme building stronger family relationships through guided workshops and termly support sessions involving young black women aged 12-18 and their parents, supporting change-maker daughters and addressing intergenerational trauma.
• Rising in Braveness Programme Online training course for black girls and young women aged 12-17 in Southern Africa (South Africa, Kenya, Zambia). Runs for one year with monthly online workshops, culminating in a five-day camp and graduation in Cape Town. Works with 25-30 participants.
• Brave Girls Project

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Life After Coal CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Girls Rising is a community gender justice organisation and member of the Life After Coal Campaign, a joint campaign by environmental justice organisations Earthlife Africa, groundWork, and Centre for Environmental Rights. The campaign advocates for coal phase-out and just transition policies, with Black Girls Rising contributing youth and gender justice perspectives to environmental advocacy efforts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator: South African non-profit creating pathways to employment for youth from under-resourced communities. Comparable Cape Town base, target demographic, and youth-development mission.
• African Women's Development Fund (AWDF): Pan-African grantmaker that funds women's rights organisations across Africa. Comparable regional women's empowerment funder/operator footprint across BGR's geographies.

Broad incumbents

• earthlife Africa: South African environmental justice organisation and BGR partner in the Life After Coal Campaign. Comparable environmental-justice and just-transition advocacy scope.
• ActionAid South Africa: South African branch of a global feminist anti-poverty NGO running women and youth programs including climate. Overlaps with BGR's intersectional women+climate advocacy in Cape Town.
• UNICEF South Africa: UN agency delivering education, gender, and youth programs across South Africa. Comparable beneficiary population and program themes (girls' empowerment, climate education).

Direct peers

• Girl Rising: Global non-profit that uses storytelling and education to empower girls, including climate-relevant programming. Closely comparable mission of equipping girls from under-resourced communities to become leaders.
• Akili Dada: Kenya-based non-profit that mentors and trains young women from under-resourced communities to become leaders. Direct geographic and mission overlap with BGR's girls' leadership work in Kenya and beyond.
• WoMin African Alliance: African alliance working at the intersection of gender justice and climate/extractives. Comparable Southern-African, women-led climate-justice focus with policy advocacy.

Others

• Climate Action Network Africa: Regional climate-justice coalition connecting African climate organisations. Comparable pan-African climate-advocacy network and potential coalition partner for BGR.

Emerging players

• Education Africa: South African non-profit providing educational programs and scholarships for youth. Comparable education-and-scholarship product to BGR's Rising in Education Scholarship Fund.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCo4kT-e3v1rXJuGgSdisqUw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackGirlsRising
• Instagraminstagram.com/black.girls.rising
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-girls-rising

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Girls Rising