Kenya has emerged as one of the top beneficiaries in the 2025 Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme (TEF), with 235 entrepreneurs selected to receive USD 5,000 in seed capital each. The country ranked second across the African continent in this year’s cohort.
Beyond the seed funding, the selected entrepreneurs will also gain access to world-class business training and be integrated into TEF’s expansive Pan-African support network—an ecosystem designed to nurture innovation, job creation, and inclusive economic development across Africa.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation, founded in 2010 by visionary African leaders Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, and Dr. Awele Elumelu, was established to champion African-led development through entrepreneurship. With a mission rooted in empowering the continent’s youth, the Foundation set out to dismantle structural barriers and unlock the potential of Africa’s most promising business minds.
The Foundation’s flagship initiative, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, was launched in 2015 with a US$100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor, and fund 10,000 African entrepreneurs over 10 years. A decade later, the programme celebrates its 11th cohort, supporting 3,000 entrepreneurs from 52 African countries in 2025 alone. Each entrepreneur will receive a non-refundable seed capital of USD 5,000, business training, mentorship, and lifetime access to the Tony Elumelu Foundation Alumni Network.
This latest cohort marks a significant milestone for Kenya. With the addition of 235 new beneficiaries, the total number of Kenyan entrepreneurs supported by TEF now exceeds 1,000—building on a strong foundation of 782 previous beneficiaries. This milestone further cements Kenya’s status as a thriving center of entrepreneurial activity on the continent.
Strategic partner United Bank for Africa (UBA) continues to play a crucial role in advancing TEF’s mission. With operations in 20 African countries and financial centers such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the UAE, UBA provides not only access to funding but also valuable global linkages for African enterprises.
Over the past decade, the impact of the Tony Elumelu Foundation has been profound:
- Over 24,000 African entrepreneurs empowered
- More than USD 100 million in seed capital disbursed
- 5 million jobs created across the continent
- USD 4.2 billion in revenue generated
- 2 million individuals economically empowered
- 4 million households positively impacted
- 45% of programme beneficiaries are women entrepreneurs
The Tony Elumelu Foundation remains the continent’s leading philanthropic organization dedicated to empowering African entrepreneurs, driving sustainable development, reducing poverty, and catalyzing job creation across all 54 African countries. Through its digital platform, TEFConnect, it has provided access to resources and opportunities for over 2 million young Africans.