Continental Giants Unite in Rwanda to Spark Africa's Next Economic Revolution

KIGALI, Rwanda — Accelerate Africa and the Private Sector Federation (PSF) of Rwanda officially signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) here in Kigali on June 25, 2026. This strategic alliance sets the stage for the upcoming Africa Startup Congress, taking place in Kigali from February 24th to 26th, 2027. 

Backed by the embassies of Kenya and Japan, the initiative establishes a robust ecosystem designed to scale startups into bankable ventures by bridging critical funding and capacity gaps. The Body"Our mission focuses heavily on resource mobilization and capacity building," said Gilbert EWEH MEH, Continental Coordinator and CEO of Accelerate Africa, following the signing ceremony. "Under this MOU, Accelerate Africa will deliver specialized masterclasses in investment readiness, identifying feasible local ventures to connect them directly with international donors and global capital."

CEO of Accelerate Africa Gilbert EWEH MEH signs a strategic MOU with Rwanda's PSF in Kigali, launching a partnership to deliver investment readiness training and resource mobilization for continental startups.

In addition, Callixte Kanamugire, the Acting CEO of the Private Sector Federation (PSF), underscored the deep policy alignment of the agreement. "This demonstrates our commitment to the African Union's Agenda 2063, the EAC Vision 2050, and Rwanda's National Vision 2050. 

Utilizing PSF’s established specialized centers, the partnership will aggressively champion structural support for young entrepreneurs, women, and people with disabilities."Continuing to address regional challenges, leaders emphasized that the collaboration is driven by urgent demographic shifts. "

Acting CEO of the Private Sector Federation (PSF), Callixte Kanamugire, highlights the partnership's alignment with Rwanda's National Vision 2050 and the African Union's Agenda 2063 during the official MOU signing ceremony in Kigali.

Currently, almost 65% of the population are under the age of 35," said John Bosco Kalisa, East African Regional Coordinator for Accelerator Africa. "Ten million youth annually fall under NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). It is the right moment that we push younger entrepreneurs to become job creators in high-growth value chains like agribusiness, digital technology, and creative industries."

East African Regional Coordinator for Accelerator Africa, John Bosco Kalisa, addresses the critical 10 million youth unemployment gap and outlines the drive to transform young Africans into high-growth sector job creators.  

Moreover, this economic transformation heavily prioritizes female leadership across the continent. "As UN Women, an entity promoting gender equality, we are proud that young girls and women will gather here," said Jean de Dieu Ndacyayisenga, Programme Analyst at UN Women Rwanda. “This acts as a powerful pre-summit where the voice of women will be heard across the world, presenting innovative MSME initiatives.”

Programme Analyst for Women’s Economic Empowerment at UN Women Rwanda, Jean de Dieu Ndacyayisenga, welcomes the initiative as a global platform to elevate and amplify female-led MSME innovations.

"The ideas are there, but we need the support, the partnership, and the finance to help these SMEs develop," concluded Mildred Yamou, a Cameroonian journalist representing the Accelerate Africa communications team. “By coming together to mobilize resources and build bankable projects, this collaboration will ensure that African women and youth are no longer left out, but are instead empowered to engineer the economic growth of the continent.”

Cameroonian journalist Mildred Yamou, representing the Accelerate Africa communications team, issues a global call to mobilize resources, build bankable projects, and unlock the massive growth potential of African startups.

Delegates from the Private Sector Federation (PSF), UN Women, diplomatic missions, and institutional partners gather at the Margo Villa Hotel in Kigali to celebrate the historic June 25 partnership signing, anchoring the countdown to the Africa Startup Congress.