Visa’s Initiative to Boost Entrepreneurship Among Pakistani Women – Startup Pakistan

Following the successful launch of the first edition of She’s Next global advocacy program in Pakistan, Visa, a world leader in digital payments, will now initiate the She’s Next Club to further support women entrepreneurs.

She’s Next was launched earlier this year in partnership with HBL, Pakistan’s leading bank, to empower women-owned small businesses through funding, training, and mentorship. Five women-led businesses in Pakistan won grants worth USD 50,000 in the country’s inaugural She’s Next program. To initiate regular interaction and further support this important group, Visa will invite select alumni – including successful applicants to the program – to join She’s Next Club to provide hands-on training and networking opportunities.

According to Visa’s Women SMB Digitization Index survey, women entrepreneurs in Pakistan are eager to learn from their peers, with many women entrepreneurs requiring specific assistance on overcoming problems (61%), developing online sales (54%), and building a team of employees (43%). Nearly all (98%) women are keen on payment related training. A section of women (33%) seek advice on the types of payments accepted from customers and are interested in workshops on managing stress in crisis (46%), using social media for promotion (40%), and creating an online store (32%).

In recognition of these results, and in collaboration with Visa’s execution partners Katalyst Labs, She’s Next Club participants will receive extensive knowledge training on topics such as startup financials, team building and managing people, effective marketing and sales strategies and enabling digital payments for businesses from industry leaders, as well as experts from Visa and HBL. These sessions will be held over seven weeks in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad and Peshawar from 22^nd August to 27^th September 2024.

Umar S. Khan, Country Manager for Pakistan & Afghanistan for  Visa, commented: “The response to She’s Next in Pakistan was overwhelming, with more than 2,500 applications received in its first year. This reflects the strong demand and enthusiasm among Pakistani women entrepreneurs for learning and networking opportunities that can help them grow their businesses. The program has also provided a platform for showcasing the success stories and best practices of women-led SMBs across various sectors, such as fashion, education, health, and technology. We wanted to ensure we stay connected to these bright minds and we believe She’s Next Club will help to sustain growth and support for these women entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and connections they need. Such efforts will eventually contribute to Pakistan’s economic development and social progress.”

Since 2020, Visa has invested over $3.83M in over 380+ grants and coaching for women SMB owners through the She’s Next grant program globally including in US, Canada, India, Ireland, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Morocco.