Organization · Community
The Comesa Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB)
The COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) is a regional institution established to enhance the role of women in the economic and social transformation of Eastern and Southern Africa. It focuses on integrating women into trade and development activities across various sectors.
Overview
What The Comesa Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) does
What The Comesa Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) is
The COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) is a regional institution established to enhance the role of women in the economic and social transformation of Eastern and Southern Africa. It focuses on integrating women into trade and development activities across various sectors.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports community capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Community
- Founded
- Founded in 1993
- Approximate age
- About 33 years
- Structured capabilities
- Community
- Last reviewed
- April 25, 2026
Official channels
Find The Comesa Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
The Comesa Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) as a community
Community overview
The COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) was established in July 1993 in Zimbabwe. It operates under the mandate of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and is headquartered in Lilongwe, Malawi. COMFWB aims to promote the integration of women into trade and development activities across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Community focus
COMFWB focuses on promoting women entrepreneurs in various sectors, including industry, trade, agriculture, fishing, energy, transport, communications, and natural resources. The organization aims to improve the economic conditions of women in the region and increase awareness of women's issues in business at the policy level.
Member value
Members benefit from access to business incubators, development programs, and networking opportunities that enhance their entrepreneurial skills and market access.
Membership
- Pricing models
- free
Format and cadence
- Modality
- in-person
- Schedule
- rolling-admissions
- Commitment
- light
Availability
- Membership state
- Accepting
- Next recorded event
- October 28, 2024
Audience and fit
- Audience
- Founders · Builders
- Benefits
- network-access and mentorship
- Program types
- community, bootcamp, and incubator
- Selection criteria
- open
- Regions
- Africa
Community activity
Events and activity
COMFWB hosts several key events, including the 17th COMESA Business Forum on October 28, 2024, in Bujumbura, Burundi, focusing on regional integration and value chains; the Salon des Femmes Entrepreneurs from March 17-19, 2023, in Madagascar, promoting women's entrepreneurship; and the COMFWB Southern Sub-regional Summit held from April 28-30, 2022, in Eswatini, focusing on business linkages and regional commodity value chains.
Notable members
COMFWB collaborates with various partners, including COMESA, the European Development Fund, GIZ, and the International Trade Centre. Notable members include Ms. Ruth Negash (CEO), Mrs. Claudette Ngendandumwe (President), and Dr. Amany Asfour (President).
Common questions
What to know about The Comesa Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB)
Upseed classifies The Comesa Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB) under the Community organization type. Its current public profile includes community capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
April 25, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.