LEAP AFRICA 2026 Social Innovators Programme (SIP) | WUIN

Deadline: 12th June 2026

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Citizenship/Residency:
  You must meet one of the criteria below:
  You are a citizen of an African nation OR
  You are a permanent resident of an African nation.
• Geographic Focus: Your current and future enterprise is geographically located in a local community in an African nation.
• Leadership Experience: You have founded or co-founded a social venture(s) with at least one (3) year of impact.
• Age: You will be between 18 and 35-years-old as of April, 2026.
• Language Proficiency: You are professionally proficient in English (spoken and written). Applications must be completed in English.
• Program Commitment: You can commit to fully participating in the entire duration of the program between April and October, 2026.
• Applicants must be the founder or co-founder of a venture that has not previously participated in the LEAP Africa Social Innovators programme, and only one co-founder per enterprise may apply.
  Participants should have no more than three absences in order to complete the program and graduate from the fellowship.

HOW TO APPLY

Fill out the application form

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Social Innovators Programme (SIP) is a 9-month fellowship that recognises the transformative potential of social innovation in Africa. The programme is designed to address systemic challenges and promote sustainable development by providing early-stage social entrepreneurs with the essential skills, resources, knowledge and support needed to overcome barriers to growth and development.

For the past 13 years, LEAP Africa, through the SIP, has empowered over 294 young social innovators, transforming the lives of over 4 million people across 14 African countries, with over $7.8 million in funding and revenue generated.

This programme is for young Africans between 18 and 35 years of age with Social Enterprises addressing challenges within Africa. Fellows are drawn from a variety of fields such as Agriculture, Technology, Climate Action, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Workforce Development. Fellows will participate in 4-6 weeks of intensive virtual sessions, 4 months of mentorship, and converge physically at the end of the programme for the Awards ceremony. Fellows will have the opportunity to present their social enterprises to potential investors, funders, and policymakers.

The ideal candidate is the founder or co-founder of a social enterprise or social innovation. One who has a clear idea of the problem being solved.

The ideal candidate is focused on providing a lasting and sustainable solution to the problem(s) being tackled. has come up with an INNOVATIVE solution and is willing to scale this innovation into an enterprise.

The ideal candidate has demonstrated that their work/enterprise has had a measurable impact in advancing progress on the problem being solved.

The Ideal candidates demonstrate respect and inclusion for other candidates irrespective of gender, nationality, education levels, race, or religion. They are eager to collaborate and share opportunities with others. Ideal candidates are open to learning from others, regardless of their experience level. They bring curiosity and an open mind and are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with their cohort.

The Social Innovators Programme is designed to build capacity, connections and credibility for social innovators. This is achieved through a 5-day physical enterprise sustainability workshop, virtual Coaching and networking calls, immersive one-on-one Mentoring session; Monthly virtual webinar sessions and site visits.

All sessions are mandatory; exemption from a session must be made with prior notice to the SIP team. Full participation in these sessions would determine graduation from the fellowship.

There may be occasional optional sessions that highlight special and or timely opportunities. In total, participants can expect to dedicate an average of 12–14 hours per month over the course of the fellowship.

About LEAP Africa's Social Innovators Programme

LEAP Africa’s Social Innovators Programme (SIP) is an accelerator fellowship that empowers young changemakers through a holistic approach to building their capacity, connections and credibility. It was borne out of the understanding of the challenges faced by most young social enterprises, faced with challenges such as early-stage funding, resource and connection deficit that hamper their growth and sustainability.

About Taskrika

Taskrika is a decentralised advertising platform designed to help businesses connect directly with real people, aiming to eliminate bot traffic and ad fraud in digital marketing. It functions as a platform where brands can have their stories seen, heard, and engaged with by actual users who are incentivised for their participation.

WUIN is Taskrika’s human capital development directory, where you can find information on funding opportunities in different sectors, from education, careers, entrepreneurship, technology, personal development, and more.