The Sahara Group Foundation (SGF), the social impact arm of Sahara Group, has awarded over USD 130,000 to 20 outstanding African EXTRApreneurs under its Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) Cohort 4 and Making A Difference Around Africa (MADAA) initiatives. For nearly two decades, the Foundation has driven entrepreneurship, innovation, environmental action, and community development across the continent.
The 2025 editions of SIF and MADAA were redesigned after insights from earlier cycles showed a growing gap between early-stage innovation and market entry in Africa. By aligning both programmes, SGF created a structured pipeline that removes barriers for young entrepreneurs, strengthens capacity, and supports long-term sustainability.
“Our focus goes beyond disbursing grants,” said David Ayinde, Program Supervisor, Sahara Group Foundation, at the Awards and Gala Night. He added that the Foundation has created systems that equip young innovators with business intelligence, financial strategy, governance discipline, and commercial readiness needed to scale their solutions across African markets.
Director of the Foundation, Chidilim Menakaya, noted the organisation’s shift in strategy and impact goals. “By reinventing the Sahara Impact Fund and elevating the MADAA programme, we are closing the loop between discovery, support, and scale,” Menakaya said. According to him, these changes show a commitment to identifying high-potential innovators, providing them with skills, and giving them pathways to deliver measurable impact.
The Sahara Impact Fund drew over 2,000 applications across Africa, reflecting growing interest among young innovators. From this pool, about 300 were shortlisted for intensive capacity-building workshops, before the final 20 EXTRApreneurs emerged. The process highlighted how selective the programme has become and the depth of support provided.
In November, Sahara Group Foundation expanded its environmental footprint by commissioning its 16th Sahara Go-Recycling Hub. The new hub is the first in Lagos to include a solar-powered reverse vending machine, strengthening the group’s sustainability and community empowerment goals.
Through the refreshed MADAA initiative, the Foundation focused on connecting entrepreneurs to markets, advisory services, and technology solutions. This marks a strategic shift from simply offering grants to actively building scalable enterprises that can thrive beyond initial funding and contribute to Africa’s growth story.
