Visa announced the start of the third She’s Next competition in Egypt on 29 April 2026. This year the global payments company is working with CIB Business Banking and Shark Tank Egypt. The programme is designed to help women-led businesses grow through digital transformation and artificial intelligence. Applications for the initiative are currently open and will close on 9 May 2026.
Alongside the launch, Visa released its 2025 Women SMB Digitization Index. The report highlights that women entrepreneurs are quickly adopting new technologies. According to the data, 56% of women business owners in Egypt use virtual assistants or chatbots. Furthermore, 55% utilize data analytics to improve their operations. In the payments sector, 54% of respondents found that AI has improved transaction accuracy.
Despite this technological progress, the index shows that 58% of women entrepreneurs still experience gender bias. Challenges include perceptions that women struggle to lead teams or make tough decisions. However, the motivation for starting businesses remains strong. Around 29% of women cited the realisation of a dream as their top driver, while 27% seek financial independence.
Malak El Baba, Vice President & Country Manager in Egypt, Libya, and Sudan, commented: “She’s Next unlocks the boundless potential of women business owners, providing the essential stepping stone to scale and expand collectively. This year’s competition, held in collaboration with Shark Tank Egypt for the first time, gives women entrepreneurs a unique platform to showcase their innovations and gain strategic support. Our Women SMB Digitization Index survey of Egyptian women entrepreneurs highlighted the positive economic impact of women-led businesses. Despite facing personal hurdles and striving for personal growth, women business owners are motivated by financial independence and a deep desire to create supportive work environments that uplift societies — an ethos that is very close to Visa’s own mission of uplifting everyone, everywhere. Women entrepreneurs are embracing payment technologies and artificial intelligence to overcome obstacles and drive their businesses forward, truly demonstrating their progressive mindset.”
Financial support remains a key area of focus. The study found that 63% of women use personal savings to fund their startups, while 43% rely on family and friends. Hany El Dieb, Head of SMEs and Commercial Banking at CIB, commented: “CIB is proud to continue its role as the exclusive banking partner for the third consecutive round of the She’s Next initiative, reinforcing our longstanding commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs and advancing inclusive economic growth across Egypt. Our partnership with Visa and Shark Tank reflects our belief that fostering entrepreneurship is not only a business imperative, but a national priority for sustainable development. By providing women innovators with a platform to showcase their ideas, gain visibility, and access broader opportunities, we are helping unlock the full potential of one of the most powerful drivers of economic progress.”
