Last Friday, the Standard Chartered Bank Headquarters hosted a remarkable gathering as the Women in Tech Zambia community celebrated five years of innovation, leadership, and inclusive economic growth. The milestone event drew significant attendance — past winners, mentors, partners, bank leadership, and members of Zambia’s innovation ecosystem — underscoring the programme’s expanding influence and the strength of its alumni network.

The evening opened with warm remarks from Standard Chartered Bank Zambia CEO, Sonny Zulu, who welcomed the guests and reaffirmed the Bank’s long-standing commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs. In his message, he highlighted that the Women in Tech Programme reflects Standard Chartered’s belief in unlocking opportunities for women to lead, innovate, and build globally competitive ventures. He celebrated the alumnae for their resilience and ingenuity, emphasizing that their success stories strengthen the nation’s economy and inspire the next generation of women leaders in technology.

Held in partnership with BongoHive and led on the evening by Simunza Muyangana, Director of Entrepreneurship and Co-founder of BongoHive, the celebration recognised not just an accelerator, but what Simunza described as “a movement”. A movement powered by collaboration, rigorous support, and a shared mission to advance women-led innovation in Zambia.

Over the past five years, the Standard Chartered Women in Tech Programme — a key pillar of the Bank’s global Futuremakers strategy — has become one of the country’s most impactful platforms for women entrepreneurs. Since 2019, it has trained 50+ entrepreneurs, catalysed over ZMW 18 million in funding, and supported startups transforming sectors such as healthcare, logistics, agriculture, and ICT. Its design — a rigorous selection process, a structured incubation–acceleration model, and hands-on mentorship — continues to set a benchmark for excellence in entrepreneurial support.

The event also celebrated tangible alumni outcomes:

• Mighty Finance Solutions has provided responsible credit to over 5,000 thin-file borrowers.

• Kiddies Commute earned a prestigious global fellowship at the University of South Carolina.

• Wila Wane Store successfully expanded into both physical and digital retail.

These are powerful examples of what Simunza described as turning “hustles into corporations.”

In one of the evening’s most memorable moments, attendees celebrated a bold new commitment from Standard Chartered Bank: an additional $500,000 to extend the Women in Tech Programme for another three years. This renewed investment ensures continued growth, capacity building, and support for women-led tech ventures across Zambia.

As Sonny Zulu noted, this is not the end — it is the beginning of a stronger, more inclusive innovation future. And for aspiring women entrepreneurs across the country:
👉 Stay tuned — another call for applications will be announced next year.

The Women in Tech Zambia alumni community stands ready for the next chapter, united in creating meaningful impact and shaping Zambia’s digital economy for generations to come.