Women's Empowerment Network of South Africa (WENOSA)

What Women's Empowerment Network of South Africa (WENOSA) does

Women's Empowerment Network of South Africa (WENOSA) is a national non-profit organisation headquartered in South Africa that delivers a portfolio of women's empowerment programmes addressing systemic barriers to women's economic participation. Its core offerings include the WENOSA Scholarship Programme (up to R50,000 tuition support per candidate for final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students at South African public universities), the Next Generation Women Leaders Programme (targeting 150 mid-level female professionals for senior leadership), Women in Business Workshops (entrepreneurship training, startup-to-scale-up curriculum), monthly Pitching Rounds and the Women in Business Funding Pitch (connecting founders with investors and grant opportunities), the Shepreneur Series (storytelling platform for women founders), the School & Sanitary Pads Programme (menstrual hygiene product distribution in schools), and the Adopt-a-School Programme. The organisation supports beneficiaries across four segments: women entrepreneurs and SMB owners, final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students, next-generation women leaders, and schoolgirls/young women.

WENOSA relies on a community-led go-to-market motion leveraging strategic partnerships across public, private, and civil society sectors. Distribution combines an online scholarship application portal, virtual workshops delivered via Zoom and YouTube, direct community and school outreach, and a partnership network for extended reach. Marketing channels span the organisation's website (wenosa.org), blog content, and organic social presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, with an email newsletter pathway. The business model is donation- and grant-funded: all programmes are provided free to beneficiaries, scholarship funding is paid directly to universities, and no commercial pricing, revenue, or government contracts are disclosed. Free general contact is via [email protected], and the scholarship programme is handled by [email protected], supporting a small team of 8 employees.

The organisation's 2026 Vision targets scaling 300 small women-owned businesses for revenue and job-creation, equipping 150 mid-level female professionals for senior roles, and increasing bachelor pass admissions from Lefontse Girls High with scholarships for top performers. The technical infrastructure is minimal — consisting of a WordPress-based website, online forms (iqxkirag.forms.app), standard social media platforms, and basic video conferencing — with no proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, API, or software product. WENOSA operates as a programme-delivery non-profit rather than a technology organisation, and its core value proposition is the integrated ecosystem of programmes and partnerships rather than technological differentiation.

Name

Women's Empowerment Network of South Africa (WENOSA)

Legal name

Women's Empowerment Network of South Africa

Website

https://wenosa.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WENOSA is a South African non-profit delivering an integrated portfolio of women's empowerment programmes — scholarships, business workshops, pitching rounds, mentorship, and school outreach — to women entrepreneurs, students, leaders, and schoolgirls.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit women's empowerment services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAF

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPAGABAA

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYEDAAAOAM

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

Keywords

• Women empowerment programmes
• Non-profit education access
• Women entrepreneurship support
• Scholarship funding support
• Gender equality advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: WENOSA operates as a national non-profit organization that likely relies on donations, grants, and funding from government, corporate, and individual donors to sustain its operations and programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

WENOSA is a South African non-profit that runs an integrated portfolio of women's empowerment programmes, including scholarships of up to R50,000 for final-year undergraduates and postgraduates, leadership development for mid-level professionals, women in business workshops, pitching platforms for women entrepreneurs, menstrual hygiene product distribution to schools, and advocacy aligned with UN SDG 5. Services are delivered free or grant-funded to beneficiaries across South Africa.

Product overview

WENOSA operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected empowerment programmes rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the WENOSA Scholarship Programme (providing up to R50,000 tuition support for final-year undergraduates and postgraduates), the Next Generation Women Leaders Programme (leadership development for 150 mid-level professionals), Women in Business Workshops (entrepreneurship training including startup-to-scale-up curriculum), Women in Business Funding Pitch (competitive pitching platform connecting founders with investors), School & Sanitary Pads Programme (addressing period poverty in schools), Shepreneur Series (storytelling and visibility platform for women founders), Adopt-a-School Programme (educational infrastructure support), and monthly Pitching Rounds (access to mentorship, partnerships, and grant funding). These programmes collectively form an integrated ecosystem centered on economic inclusion, leadership development, and holistic community support for South African women.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WENOSA Scholarship Programme A strategic initiative providing focused financial support of up to R50,000 in tuition fees to academically talented South African women pursuing final-year undergraduate, Honours, Master's, or Doctoral qualifications in critical and underrepresented sectors at South African public universities. Funds are paid directly to the university for verified outstanding fees.
• Next Generation Women Leaders Programme A leadership development initiative that equips women with tools and mentorship to assume senior roles, with a 2026 vision target of providing tools to 150 mid-level female professionals.
• Women in Business Workshops Entrepreneurship support workshops covering entrepreneurship essentials, Global Entrepreneurship Week sessions, and transitioning from startup to scale-up, delivered virtually via Zoom and YouTube.
• Women in Business Funding Pitch A competitive pitching platform that connects women founders with mentorship, funding opportunities, grant opportunities, and exposure to investors and industry leaders.
• School & Sanitary Pads Programme An initiative addressing period poverty by distributing menstrual hygiene products and providing related education across South African schools to reduce absenteeism and support girls' continued education.
• Shepreneur Series A platform providing visibility and storytelling opportunities for women founders, offering networking, real-world insights from fellow founders, and community for founders navigating similar obstacles.
• Adopt-a-School Programme A school support initiative aimed at advancing educational access and supporting infrastructure improvements for targeted schools.
• Pitching Rounds Monthly pitching events where women entrepreneurs present their businesses to receive mentorship, funding opportunities, strategic partnerships, and grant opportunities from judges and mentors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Target of 300 small women-owned businesses with scaled revenues and job-creation capabilities by 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UN Women: United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment globally. Comparable as a high-level institutional actor whose SDG 5 mandate WENOSA explicitly aligns with, but vastly larger in resources and scope.
• Vital Voices Global Partnership: Established global non-profit identifying and investing in women leaders across sectors. Comparable to WENOSA's Next Generation Women Leaders programme but operating at significantly greater scale across multiple geographies.

Regional players

• WIMBIZ (Women in Management, Business and Public Service): Nigerian non-profit advancing women in management, business, and public service through capacity-building, mentoring, and networking. Highly comparable to WENOSA's Women in Business and leadership development offerings, though operating in a different African market.
• Women for Africa Foundation: Spain-based foundation driving African women's development through education, entrepreneurship, and health programmes. Comparable to WENOSA's integrated empowerment model but with cross-continental funding and delivery.
• Akina Mama wa Afrika: Pan-African feminist NGO focused on women's rights, leadership, and economic empowerment. Comparable as an Africa-rooted women's empowerment organisation combining advocacy and capacity-building programming.

Direct peers

• African Women's Development Fund (AWDF): Pan-African grantmaking foundation that funds organisations advancing women's rights across the continent. Directly comparable to WENOSA as a women's-empowerment non-profit operating in Africa with a grant-and-programme delivery model.
• Graça Machel Trust: Pan-African advocacy and programme foundation advancing women's and children's rights across the continent. Comparable as a regionally focused women's empowerment non-profit combining advocacy, programmes, and partnership-driven delivery.
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: Global non-profit focused on supporting women entrepreneurs in low- and middle-income countries through mentorship, training, and market access. Highly comparable to WENOSA's Women in Business workshops, Pitching Rounds, and entrepreneurship-support programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_wenosa
• Facebookfacebook.com/WENOSA%20
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-s-empowerment-network-of-south-africa-wenosa
• Instagraminstagram.com/wenosa/?hl=en%20

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Women's Empowerment Network of South Africa (WENOSA)