Overview
From September 2025 to February 2026, Darena Ventures implemented a six‑month capacity‑building programme for women renewable energy entrepreneurs across the SADC region. As a regional enterprise development implementer, Darena Ventures delivered a structured blend of technical assistance, practical training, and expert‑led coaching designed to strengthen business, financial, and leadership capabilities.
Commissioned by SACREEE and GWNET, with support from the Austrian Development Cooperation, the programme aimed to build the skills, confidence, and collaborative capacity of women leading renewable energy enterprises. What emerged was a powerful story of growth, clarity, and impact‑driven business development.
What This Post Covers
- The programme’s design and technical assistance approach
- Key outcomes for women‑led renewable energy businesses
- Participant feedback and measurable results
- Lessons for enterprise development and founder support in Africa
- Darena Ventures’ role as the implementing partner
A Practical, Evidence‑Based Learning Journey
The programme was delivered as a structured technical assistance intervention, combining:
- 12 virtual technical and business training sessions
- 30 one‑on‑one coaching sessions
- 3 peer‑to‑peer learning engagements
- Hands‑on exercises including pitching, stakeholder analysis, and financial modelling
A baseline assessment conducted before the programme revealed moderate to low confidence in financial planning, pitching, strategic decision‑making, stakeholder engagement, and ESG‑related competencies. These insights shaped the curriculum and ensured every session addressed a real, identified need within the SADC entrepreneurship ecosystem.
What Changed for Participants
Through targeted technical assistance and applied learning, participants strengthened their business, financial, and leadership capabilities. Monitoring drew on attendance data, facilitator reports, assignments, coaching reflections, and participant feedback creating a rich picture of learning and early outcomes.
Stronger Business and Financial Foundations
Participants gained practical skills in:
- Business planning
- Financial modelling and cash flow management
- Investment readiness
- Market entry and scaling
- Impact measurement
One participant captured the shift after the branding session:
“I was seeing my business in the session… this has awakened my curiosity about my brand and positioning.”
Clearer Leadership and Professional Direction
Coaching sessions helped participants refine their leadership identity, strengthen investment readiness, and set structured growth goals. Many requested additional coaching time a strong indicator of perceived value and momentum.
A Supportive Peer Learning Community
Peer‑to‑peer sessions became a standout feature. Participants pitched, role‑played negotiations, and exchanged feedback in a safe, collaborative environment.
As one participant shared:
“We applied the collaborative win‑win and active listening… I have learnt so much.”
By the final sessions, participants were integrating tools from earlier modules into their pitches, strategies, and decision‑making evidence of real knowledge transfer.
What Participants Told Us
Feedback from participants showed:
- 83% rated session relevance as Excellent
- 82% rated clarity and usefulness as Excellent
- 98% rated engagement opportunities as Good or Excellent
Participants valued:
- Real‑world case discussions
- Structured frameworks
- Pitching simulations
- Role‑play
- Peer learning
These results highlight the importance of practical, context‑specific support for women entrepreneurs in the renewable energy sector.
Building Sustainable, Impact‑Driven Enterprises
Later sessions particularly those on leadership and monitoring & evaluation revealed a shift toward more strategic, impact‑driven thinking. Participants began exploring:
- Social return on investment
- Impact‑focused KPIs
- Relational leadership
- Sustainable growth models
These competencies position them for long‑term enterprise resilience and investment readiness.
A Strong Foundation for Women Leading the Energy Transition
The programme laid a strong foundation for sustainable business growth, enhanced investment readiness, and responsible, impact‑driven leadership. It also demonstrated the value of technical assistance in strengthening women‑led, climate‑aligned enterprises across the SADC region.
Darena Ventures is proud to have delivered this inaugural cohort. The outcomes reaffirm our commitment to practical, evidence‑based entrepreneurship support and to building a pipeline of women leaders shaping Africa’s clean energy future.
Darena Ventures as an Enterprise Development Implementer
The success of the programme demonstrates Darena Ventures’ capability as a trusted enterprise development implementer, delivering high‑quality technical assistance for women‑led and climate‑aligned entrepreneurship programmes across Africa.
About Darena Ventures
Darena Ventures is a regional enterprise development implementer providing technical assistance, programme delivery, coaching, and capacity‑building services for entrepreneurship, climate innovation, and SME growth across Africa.
About the Commissioning Organisations
The programme was commissioned by:
- Southern African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE)
- Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET)
- with support from the Austrian Development Cooperation.
Learn more:
SACREEE: https://sacreee.org
GWNET: https://globalwomennet.org
Austrian Development Cooperation: https://www.entwicklung.at/en
