Accelerate Africa and Rwanda private sector federation, team up to turbocharge entrepreneurship, innovation, and SME growth

Accelerate Africa and the Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF) have unveiled a strategic partnership designed to boost entrepreneurship, spur innovation, and accelerate the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Rwanda and the African continent.

The alliance combines Accelerate Africa’s strengths in startup ecosystem development with PSF’s mandate to champion Rwanda’s private sector.

What the partnership aims to achieve

The partnership seeks to promote entrepreneurship and innovation among youth and emerging business leaders, support startups and SMEs with market access, mentorship, and business development services, facilitate investment opportunities and strategic partnerships for high-growth enterprises, strengthen private sector participation in regional and continental trade and to organize business forums, networking events, investment missions, and capacity-building programs

Gilbert Ewehmeh, CEO & Continental Coordinator of Accelerate Africa, highlighted the milestone: “This partnership represents a significant milestone in our mission to build a thriving African entrepreneurial ecosystem.

By collaborating with the Rwanda Private Sector Federation, we are creating new opportunities for startups, SMEs, investors, and innovators to contribute meaningfully to economic transformation and job creation across Africa.”

The Rwanda PSF reaffirmed its commitment to initiatives that boost the competitiveness of businesses and strengthen the private sector’s contribution to Rwanda’s development agenda.

The collaboration will also back the organization of the Africa Startup Congress (ASC27), slated for February 24–26, 2027, in Kigali, and other ecosystem-building initiatives designed to connect entrepreneurs with investors, policymakers, development partners, and corporate leaders.

About the organizations

Accelerate Africa is a pan-African entrepreneurship and business-support organization focused on fostering innovation, startup growth, investment readiness, enterprise development, and ecosystem collaboration to drive industrialization and job creation.

On the other hand, Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF) is the umbrella body representing Rwanda’s businesses, advocating for private sector development, business-friendly policies, and enhanced competitiveness.

Why this matters

Both organizations emphasize collaboration among ecosystem actors as essential to unlocking Africa’s entrepreneurial potential and sustaining growth.

The partnership positions Rwanda as a hub for continental entrepreneurship initiatives and strengthens pathways for startups to scale with regional and global investor support.

The Future

ASC27 in Kigali (Feb 24–26, 2027) as a platform to showcase startups and connect them with investors and policymakers

There is an ongoing capacity-building programs, mentorship, and market-access initiatives across Rwanda and beyond.

This collaboration signals a bold step toward a more integrated African entrepreneurial landscape, where startups, SMEs, investors, and policymakers work in concert to drive job creation and inclusive economic transformation.

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