Phuka Ventures

Graduation isn't the finish line. It's the starting line.

Phuka Ventures is where Academy graduates stop learning about business and start building one. Seed capital, ongoing mentorship, and access to opportunities most young Malawians couldn't pursue alone.

The program

Not charity. Capability backed by capital.

After four years of Academy, our graduates don't just have knowledge — they have experience, relationships, and a clear sense of what they want to build. Phuka Ventures gives them the resources to actually do it.

We provide seed capital for ventures that would otherwise be impossible to start — real estate, capital-intensive agriculture, manufacturing, and more. Businesses that don't just sustain a single family, but create jobs and open doors for others in the community.

Phuka Foundation isn't chasing returns. We're a nonprofit that measures success differently — in families supported, communities strengthened, and a Malawian economy changed one business at a time.

What Ventures provides

Everything a graduate needs to launch.

Ventures isn't just funding. It's an ecosystem built around the entrepreneur.

Seed Capital

Access to startup funding for ventures that would be out of reach without it — real estate, equipment, livestock, and beyond. We back ideas that have teeth.

Ongoing Mentorship

Graduates stay connected to Phuka coaches and our network of local business partners — experienced entrepreneurs who know what it takes to build in Malawi.

Network & Access

Introductions to business contacts, government relationships, and community leaders that would take a young entrepreneur years to build alone — accelerated from day one.

Eligibility

Who gets into Ventures?

Ventures isn't for every Academy graduate — it's for the ones who are ready to build. Selection is based on demonstrated commitment, character, and a clear sense of what they want to create.

  • Completed all four years of Phuka Academy
  • Demonstrated strong character, accountability, and initiative throughout the program
  • Has a clear business concept and the drive to see it through
  • Endorsed by their Phuka coach
217k
young Malawians start high school each year1
113k
actually graduate (pass the MSCE)2
30k
formal jobs created each year — for 270,000 new job seekers3

This is the gap Phuka exists to close — not by waiting for the economy to change, but by building the entrepreneurs who will change it.

Every Ventures entrepreneur started in Academy — four years of experience that made them ready for this moment. Learn about Phuka Academy →

Invest in what Malawi is building.

If you'd like to support Phuka Ventures — through funding, partnerships, or expertise — we'd love to talk about what's possible.

Get involved →
  1. 217,708 students enrolled in Form 1 for the 2024 academic year. Nation Online — 2024 JCE/PSLCE Selection Results.
  2. 113,708 candidates passed the 2025 MSCE examination out of 194,584 who sat. MANEB — 2025 MSCE Examination Results.
  3. Malawi's formal economy creates approximately 30,000 jobs per year against 270,000 young people entering the labor market. AllAfrica — Malawi: 30,000 Jobs, 270,000 Job Seekers (January 2025).