The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has opened applications for the AfCFTA Startup Acceleration Programme 2026, an initiative designed to help African startups expand into South Korea and other international markets.
The program is being implemented under a partnership between the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Korea-Africa Foundation and will support 30 high-potential startups across the continent.
According to program details, the accelerator will focus on startups operating in sectors including fintech, e-commerce, logistics, agri-tech, manufacturing and digital platforms, with priority given to companies seeking international expansion opportunities linked to the African Continental Free Trade Area. Applications for the program close on May 24, 2026.
The initiative comes as African governments and development institutions push to strengthen intra-African trade while positioning local startups to access global markets and investment networks.
The program cost structure outlines spending across recruitment, mentorship, webinar organization, startup management, overseas travel and demo-day activities tied to the accelerator initiative.
The budget framework includes mentorship support for 30 startups under an acceleration program as well as additional mentorship for 15 startups participating in a Korea startup ecosystem tour.
The operational plan also provides for webinar speaker honorariums, evaluation costs, promotional activities and international travel support for accelerator staff between local markets, Ghana and South Korea.
The accelerator forms part of broader efforts under the AfCFTA framework to deepen digital trade, entrepreneurship and cross-border business integration across African economies.
The AfCFTA, which seeks to create the world’s largest free trade area by participating countries, has increasingly focused on supporting small businesses and technology-driven enterprises viewed as critical to boosting industrialization, employment and regional value chains across the continent.
