Celebrating Women Shaping Africa’s Startup Ecosystem

📅 Issue #2 – Transforming Domestic Work with Tech & Innovation

Aisha Pandor – Revolutionizing Domestic Work with SweepSouth

Meet Aisha Pandor, the visionary entrepreneur behind SweepSouth, South Africa’s game-changing on-demand home cleaning service. As a scientist-turned-entrepreneur, Aisha saw a major gap in the domestic work industry—many workers faced unfair wages, lack of job security, and outdated hiring processes.

Inspired to create a tech-driven, dignified solution, she co-founded SweepSouth in 2014, making it easier for households to connect with professional cleaners while ensuring fair pay and better working conditions for domestic workers.

Major Milestones:
✅ First African startup accepted into Silicon Valley’s 500 Startups Accelerator
✅ Expanded services to multiple South African cities and beyond
✅ Raised funding from international investors, including Naspers Foundry
✅ Partnered with Fairwork Foundation to improve worker protections

Know a female founder making an impact? Hit reply and nominate them for our next feature!

Game-Changer of the Week: SweepSouth’s Digital Jobs Revolution

SweepSouth isn’t just a cleaning service—it’s a tech-driven movement empowering gig workers. By leveraging AI-driven matching and seamless digital payments, SweepSouth is revolutionizing how domestic work is structured, ensuring transparency, security, and fair wages for workers.

💡 Why it Matters:

• Over 30,000 domestic workers have found reliable jobs through the platform.

• Introduced SweepSouth Connect, expanding services beyond cleaning.

• Pioneering ethical gig work across Africa, setting a new industry standard.

Are you solving a big problem like SweepSouth? Tell us about your startup!

📖 The Playbook: Lessons from Aisha Pandor

🎯 Solve a Real Problem: Build something that changes lives—Aisha’s focus was people-first, tech-second.
💰 Secure Strategic Funding: Getting into 500 Startups was a game-changer; accelerators and VC backing help with scale.
🚀 Adapt & Grow: From cleaning services to on-demand home solutions, expansion requires listening to customers and pivoting.
💡 Stay Resilient: "Startups are tough. You have to be tougher." – Aisha Pandornered with hospitals, governments, and global health organizations to scale quickly.

Which of these lessons resonates with you? Reply and let us know!

📰 Hot Off the Press: What’s New in Female-Founded Startups?

🔥 Odunayo Eweniyi’s PiggyVest (Nigeria) crosses $1 billion in savings milestone!
🔥 Irene Kiwia’s Adanian Labs (Kenya) secures funding to scale AI-driven businesses.
🔥 Nneile Nkholise’s iMed Tech (South Africa) expands 3D prosthetics production for women.

Stay ahead—subscribe for your weekly dose of Africa’s most inspiring startup news!

Power Moves: Funding, Grants, & Opportunities

💸 She Wins Africa (IFC Program) – Supporting women entrepreneurs with funding & mentorship.
💰 The Cartier Women’s Initiative – Offering $100,000 grants to impact-driven female founders.
💰 Google for Startups Africa – Equity-free funding for African women-led tech startups.

Need funding? Check out these opportunities and apply!

Unfiltered: Founder Confessions

💬 "Building SweepSouth was never just about business—it was about creating impact, rewriting the rules, and proving that African startups can lead the future of work." – Aisha Pandor

What’s the hardest challenge you’ve faced as a founder? Share your story!

Affiliates Corner

📊 The Discipline of Leadership – This course will focus on outlining the factors that predict leader emergence (whether someone will emerge as a leader) and leader effectiveness [Click Here]

💡 Foundations of Management – This Specialization will give you a comprehensive introduction to the practice of management through the lens of four key disciplines: accounting, finance, marketing, and organizational behavior. [Click Here]

🚀 Scale Up Your Startup – This specialization is intended for anyone who owns a startup or who has an interest in learning how to scale up their business exponentially. [Click Here]

📢 Want to be featured as an affiliate partner in our next issue? Reply to this email, and let’s connect!

Community Corner: Let’s Talk!

📊 POLL: What’s the biggest challenge you face as an entrepreneur?
1️⃣ Access to Funding
2️⃣ Finding the Right Team
3️⃣ Scaling & Expansion
4️⃣ Work-Life Balance

💬 Join the Conversation! Reply with your biggest startup lesson, and we’ll feature top insights in our next issue.

📢 Final Words:

Aisha Pandor’s journey is proof that African entrepreneurs are not just solving local problems—they are redefining industries and setting global benchmarks. SweepSouth’s success story reminds us that with the right vision, resilience, and innovation, African startups can lead the way.

If Aisha’s story inspired you, imagine what your startup can achieve.

Until next time, keep building and keep winning!

💌 ANBS
Supporting Women Entrepreneurs Across Africa