New Opportunities for Youth, Women & SMEs

emirates7 -  Africa Skills Hub (ASH), a Ghana-based enterprise support organisation focused on youth, women, and SME development, has officially transitioned to ASH Africa (www.ASH.Africa), marking a significant milestone in its 10-year journey of expanding opportunity pathways across the continent.
The rebrand reflects the organisation’s evolution from a skills development entity into a broader pan-African organisation driven by the mission: Transforming Lives. Building Communities. Building Africa.

Founded in 2016 as the Africa Internship Academy (AIA), the organisation initially focused on improving youth employability and access to internship opportunities in Ghana. In 2020, the organisation transitioned into Africa Skills Hub (ASH), expanding its work across enterprise development, financial inclusion, SME support, digital skills, and market systems strengthening.

Over the years, the organisation has extended its reach across all 16 regions of Ghana while implementing programmes and partnerships in multiple African countries.

The transition to ASH Africa reflects the organisation’s growing continental outlook and aligns with its newly launched 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, which outlines a vision to support more than 500,000 youth, women, and SMEs annually by 2030.

Speaking on the transition, Executive Director Daniel Amoako Antwi said:

“For ten years, we have focused on building the connective systems that link skills, capital, enterprise, and market opportunity across Africa. We have evolved from delivering standalone training programmes to building interconnected systems that link people to opportunity. The transition to ASH Africa reflects both the scale of the work we are already doing and the future we are committed to building.

Our goal of reaching 500,000 youth, women, and SMEs annually by 2030 is rooted in a decade of learning about what it takes to shift systems, not just programmes across Africa’s economies.”

According to the organisation, the rebrand does not represent a change in mission, but rather an expansion of scope, engagement, and strategic positioning.

ASH Africa will continue to focus on creating sustainable economic opportunities for youth, women, and SMEs by connecting them to skills development, enterprise support, finance, and market access.

Through its systems-driven model, the organisation aims to address what it describes as a systems challenge — the disconnect between skills acquisition, access to capital, enterprise growth, and market participation.

The new identity also reflects the organisation’s commitment to inclusive growth through partnerships, innovation, research-driven programming, and ecosystem development. Its strategic priorities include skills development, SME growth, market access, digital inclusion, and data-driven advocacy.

A Decade of Impact at a Glance (2016–2026)

Skills & Human Capital Development

40,192 youth trained in employability, digital, and enterprise skills
30,519 women supported through targeted training and enterprise development programmes
Economic Transition & Employment Outcomes

15,753 youth transitioned into employment
10,939 new jobs created across supported enterprises
Enterprise Growth & Financial Inclusion

9,238 MSMEs supported to adopt sustainable business practices
GHS 10,789,800 in micro-loans disbursed to improve access to finance and business growth
Geographic Reach & Ecosystem Expansion

Programmes implemented across all 16 regions of Ghana and multiple African countries
As part of its anniversary and rebranding activities, ASH Africa will roll out a series of engagements highlighting its decade-long journey, institutional evolution, impact stories, and future vision for Africa.