The Digital African Woman DAW has unveiled new platforms designed to help African women entrepreneurs scale their businesses across borders by improving access to markets, finance and digital tools.

The Belgium based social enterprise said the ecosystem is built around two major platforms, the DAW Cooperative and the DAW Digital Marketplace, complemented by a Masterclass Hub and Venture Studio.

The organisation said it has empowered over 20,000 women and granted more than 6,000 microloans across 15 countries in Africa and Europe.

Speaking on the initiative, the Founder of DAW, HRM Khadijat Abdulkadir said the project was driven by the need to bridge access gaps facing women in business. She said African women have the talent, ideas and ambition to build but need access to markets, technology, finance and the right people to succeed.

She explained that DAW launched its Cooperative in Abuja in 2025 at a workshop hosted by the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, and expanded to East Africa in 2026 with the launch of the DAW Marketplace in Kenya in partnership with LEAP Africa. She noted that while the past 10 years focused on training and empowerment, the next 10 years will focus on providing platforms that enable cross border trade.

According to her, the DAW Marketplace offers entrepreneurs a personal digital storefront with a branded subdomain, growth analytics to manage orders and track sales, integrated logistics for delivery, a secure digital wallet and continuous training through the Masterclass Hub.

The organisation also announced the Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning Dr Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite as Ambassador of the Digital African Woman.