"Women are not a side note in Tanzania's startup story; we are builders of the economy," says Anabahati Mlay, Country Manager for Women Creating Wealth (WCW) Tanzania and Co-Chair of the Tanzania Startup Week 2025 Organising Committee.
At Tanzania Startup Week 2025 in Dar es Salaam, WCW Tanzania helped shape the agenda as both an ecosystem partner and a voice for women entrepreneurs. The Week brought together innovators, policymakers, financial institutions and investors, creating a space for real dialogue, collaboration and investment in the country's entrepreneurial landscape.
As part of the official programme, WCW hosted a session on "Women, Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance", exploring how gender-lens and impact investing can unlock capital for women-led enterprises. A keynote address was delivered on behalf of ELG member Sauda Msemo, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, by Nangi Massawe, Financial Inclusion Manager at the Bank. A panel that followed, featuring the Capital Markets and Securities Authority, PASS Trust and the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank, shared practical tools to move capital toward women-owned businesses, including guarantee schemes, blended finance and joint capacity-building initiatives. WCW entrepreneur Nuru Lema of Yana Corp then pitched her edtech business to investors, demonstrating the readiness and potential of women in the programme. Panellists affirmed their commitment to continue partnering with WCW to strengthen women's access to finance.
Throughout the Week, WCW entrepreneurs showcased their products and services at the WCW exhibition booth, meeting investors, partners and other ecosystem players. On the third day, the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Mwigulu Nchemba, visited the booth and spent time engaging with the entrepreneurs and learning more about the programme.
More than 70 WCW entrepreneurs took part in sessions, panels and masterclasses on investment readiness, access to finance, emerging opportunities, legal and compliance issues, and the role of women in delivering Tanzania's Vision 2050 and its ambition of a USD 1 trillion economy.
WCW's participation at Tanzania Startup Week 2025 reaffirmed our commitment to placing women entrepreneurs at the heart of national conversations on economic transformation--and to supporting them to grow, influence policy and lead as Tanzania pursues inclusive growth.
