Join the Network

JOIN FOR FREE | BROWSE MEMBERS

Our diverse and influential member network includes innovative individuals, companies and organizations who take a proactive interest in Africa and value opportunities to connect, share ideas and develop viable partnerships.

To join for free please send an email that includes your first name, last name and city to sondlane@elisanetwork.com  You will then receive a confirmation email with your login credentials.

Portal profile
Manage your member profile and photo, update your biography, set communication preferences and more.

Bootstrap briefs
Access self-paced entrepreneurial and leadership content. A new topic is added to the ELISA portal every Tuesday.

Luminaries
Learn from and be inspired by luminary articles on successful Africa focused founders, entrepreneurs and leaders.

Send private chat messages
to any Insider, Affiliate or Corporate member on the ELISA portal

Network
When other members find your profile on the portal you gain new contacts, recognition and exposure for your business, projects or ideas

Find other members
Use search tools to find other members, add them as new connections and collaborate

Contribute content
Post public updates and comments for all members to see and publish additional resources on Bootstrap Briefs

Project pages
Design your own online pages. Publish, brand and promotes your business, products, projects or ideas.

Confabs
Build relationships and grow your network at virtual confab events, featuring inspirational speakers and small group breakout sessions. 

Networking
Connect with new contacts, attend events and gain recognition or exposure for your business, projects or ideas.

advance your business, projects or ideas

ELISA is an entrepreneurial ecosystem

With so many unmet needs in Africa, the potential for growth is limitless. Increasingly, business leaders view Africa as the next great growth market and the best place in the world to invest. Their large businesses create Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) which support supply chains and distribution networks.

Supporting SMEs drives innovation and fuels economic growth in Africa. SMEs create approximately 77% of all jobs in on the continent and produce as much as half of the GDP in some countries. Often due to job scarcity, SME founders defy economic hardships and start businesses. We exist to counter the perceived challenges of doing business on the continent by providing access to a business network, training and mentorship for the development of products, technologies or services that enable the continent to thrive.

In our view, the promotion of entrepreneurship will be central to Africa’s transformation - we believe entrepreneurial success in Africa requires:

A strong science and technology based entrepreneurial ecosystem bolstering development of suppliers and supply chain infrastructure.

A new kind of business leader nurtured by internships, training, mentoring and collaborations.

Local development of independent sources of power, water, waste management and other utilities.

frequently asked questions

IS THERE ANY COST TO JOIN ELISA GATEWAY?
No, there is no cost to join ELISA Gateway and there is no application.  Anyone can create a profile and start accessing ELISA Gateway.

CAN I JOIN GATEWAY IF I AM NOT AN AFRICAN ENTREPRENEUR?
ELISA Gateway members are from anywhere in the world. You don't have to have a business, but you should be intersted in supporting or learning about Africa focused entrepreneurs.

I HAVE NOT YET STARTED TO OPERATE MY BUSINESS, CAN I STILL JOIN ELISA GATEWAY?
Yes, operating a business is not a requirement for joining ELISA Gateway.

HOW LONG WILL I BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE BOOTSTRAP BRIEFS?
Once a Bootstrap Brief has been released it is saved permanently on the ELISA portal. All Gateway members continue to have access to Bootstrap Briefs for as long as you maintain your Gateway membership.

WILL I HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING EXTRA TO ACCESS BOOTSTRAP BRIEFS?
There is no extra cost to access any of the content on the ELISA portal for Gateway members. Gateway members are able to access Bootstrap Briefs but cannot contribute or comment on content.

CAN I SHARE THE BOOTSTRAP BRIEFS WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH OR GO TO SCHOOL WITH?
The ELISA portal is designed to be accessed by individual ELISA Gateway community members and ELISA portal users. You can invite your friends or colleagues to visit the ELISA portal and join the Gateway community.

DO THE BOOTSTRAP BRIEFS INCLUDE ANY DOWNLOADABLE MATERIALS?
Yes, some of the Bootstrap Briefs include downloadable documents and tools designed to enhance your ability to learn and retain the knowledge, as well as implement the training.

HOW MUCH CONTENT IS INCLUDED WITH EACH BOOTSTRAP BRIEF?
Bootstrap Briefs vary in length and the content differs, however they're designed to be concise and comprehensive. You should be able to review each topic in less than 15 minutes. 

CAN I REVIEW A BOOTSTRAP BRIEF MORE THAN ONCE?
You can search for and review any of the Bootstrap Briefs at any time. You can also save topics for future review or return to a topic to see if additional content has been contributed to the topic.