Client: MBC Africa

Programme Year: 2022

Participant Profile: Programme directors and mentoring programme managers supporting 200+ entrepreneurs across West Africa

Course: Running Effective Mentoring Programmes (REMP)

MBC Africa is a business development hub that provides African entrepreneurs with the tools, insights and financial knowledge they need to grow and scale. With a strong focus on agribusiness, the organisation has supported over 200 entrepreneurs across Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Mauritania.

Despite this reach, MBC Africa identified a critical gap. Entrepreneurs—especially women—needed more than technical skills. Many were navigating complex personal, business and family dynamics and required structured mentoring to complement traditional training. To bridge this gap, MBC Africa enrolled in the Running Effective Mentoring Programmes (REMP) course.

Challenges Before REMP

• No formal mentoring structure Coaching was common, but there wasn’t a mentoring model to provide long-term, reflective support.
• Difficulties in attracting mentors Recruiting skilled, committed mentors on a pro bono basis was a persistent challenge.
• Lack of impact tracking Without a structured framework, it was difficult to measure or communicate the value of mentoring.

What Changed After REMP

• Structured Mentoring Programme MBC Africa created a clear framework, with defined expectations and timelines.
• Improved Mentor Recruitment & Training The team refined their selection and onboarding of mentors, leading to stronger engagement and better matches.
• Monitoring and Evaluation Tools and processes were introduced to track mentee progress and programme effectiveness.

Impact

• Holistic Entrepreneur Support Entrepreneurs—particularly women—now receive mentoring that considers both business and personal development, increasing confidence and improving decision-making.
• Stronger Programme Management Managers now run mentoring initiatives with greater clarity, scalability and confidence.
• Ongoing Expansion The programme has grown beyond its initial pilot into multiple mentoring cohorts.

Key Lessons from REMP

• Develop a mentoring model that integrates technical and soft skills.
• Invest in thoughtful mentor recruitment and preparation.
• Build in monitoring systems from the start to support learning and accountability.

“The REMP course gave us the structure and clarity we needed to launch a successful mentoring programme. It allowed us to start quickly, avoid common mistakes and ensure our mentoring initiative provided real value to entrepreneurs.”

— Rodrigue Anani, Programme Director, MBC Africa