Agriculture

Generation Africa announces two grand prize winners of the prestigious Africa Food Prize, Nigerians make the top 12 finalist

The two winners of the 2020 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize were announced this evening at the Africa Green Revolution Forum Virtual Summit in Rwanda: Moses Katala co-founder and CEO of Magofarm Limited (Tanzania) and Daniella Kwayu co-founder and CEO of Phema Agri (Tanzania). Each winner will receive US$50,000 to support and expand their agribusiness operations. Part of the Generation Africa youth initiative, the aim of this prize is to identify and inspire young people across Africa to seize the opportunities across the value chain of the $1Tn agrifood industry on the continent in the decades ahead.

Four entrepreneurs were also named to receive a  $2,500 Impact Award: Elizabeth Gikebe, founder and CEO of  Mhogo Foods (Kenya), Millicent Agidipo, co-founder and production manager of Achiever Foods (Ghana), Dysmus Kisulu, co-founder and CEO of Solar Freeze (Kenya) and Paul Matovu, founder and CEO of Vertical Farm and Micro-Gardening (Uganda). These entrepreneurs were selected by the judges for the notable environmental or social impact of their businesses, each striving to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and benefit their communities. All 12 top finalists will receive mentorship, program linkages and other guidance to continue their entrepreneurial journeys.

The second annual 2020 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize competition began in April and closed in June of this year. Over 3,000 applicants between the ages of 18 and 35, from 29 African countries, registered to compete. Although their diverse ventures spanned the entire agrifood value chain from primary production to innovative digital technologies, all six young men and six young women entrepreneurs from nine African countries who made it to the Top-12 shared at least one thing in common: they saw problems and made bold plans to solve them by launching new companies in the agrifood sector across Africa.

Top-12 finalist ventures and entrepreneurs this year hail from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.

At the finale pitch competition earlier this week, each finalist presented a live online three-minute pitch to eight judges who then had two minutes to ask questions. Here’s a link to view the pitch competition which was broadcast globally at the AGRF Summit and on social media on 8 September 2020. bit.ly/3izr9ae

This year the eight judges (see below) evaluated both the business founder and the venture based on five criteria:

  • Innovation
  • Business Model
  • Social & Environmental Impact
  • Market Potential and Traction
  • Management Team.

To make it through to the Top-12, each finalist first had to submit a comprehensive online application by the June deadline. The Top-24 selected to be semi-finalists then had to produce their own pitch videos and participate in 30-minute online interviews with a panel of judges.

“Throughout all the COVID challenges of 2020, the GoGettaz agripreneurs remained focused and driven, caring not only for their businesses and employees but their countries and fellow citizens as well. In the face of the global crisis, they adapted their business models to new demands and challenges,” said Dickson Naftali, Head of the Generation Africa initiative based in Nairobi. “Our Top 12 young finalists this year are already driving forces for growth and transformation in their own communities. Their agribusinesses are each so different, but they are all steering Africa to become a continental superpower in agriculture”.                 

2020 GOGETTAZ US$50,000 AGRIPRENEUR PRIZE WINNERS

Daniella Kwayu, co-founder and CEO of Phema Agri in Tanzania. Phemaagri.com

Phema Agri is a digital agriculture platform connecting investors looking to grow their money with smallholder farmers looking for working capital solutions. Via their crowdfunding platform (phemaagri.com) Phema Agri matches de-risked, vetted, trained and market-linked farmers looking for investors. In return, farmers share their profits with their investors. The platform is a B2B2C business model linked directly to bank payments and mobile network operators for ease of transactions.

“The Agricultural financing gap in Africa is US $150 billion as of 2019,” stated Daniella in her online application. “There aren’t any direct competitors for an agriculture crowdfunding platform in Tanzania. We are the first market entries in this sub-sector. investments in Agriculture. Our key unique differentiator is our ability to apply technology to provide safely structured market curated investment in a convenient way.”

Phema Agri aims to achieve its goal of financing 1m farmers and controlling 5 value chains in the East African market. They are currently operating in 2 value chains (pig and poultry value chains) with the aim of adding other value chains (maize, potatoes, wheat) and training more farmers in these value chains. The financial support from the 2020 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize will be utilized to secure market contracts and market analysis to structure and connect more farmers to markets.

Moses Katala, co-founder and CEO of Magofarm Limited in Rwanda. Magofarms.com

Magofarm Limited aims to solve the problem of rising costs of animal feeds and the increasing demand for sustainable, eco-friendly and nutrient rich protein ingredients. According to the UN Food and Agriculture organization (FAO), commercial poultry farmers in Africa have experienced a 20% increase in the price of animal feeds containing soybeans and fishmeal as protein ingredients. The current protein ingredients in the market are not only expensive to produce, but their production cycles can have a strong negative impact on the environment, noted Katala in his Stage 1 application.

“We are also on a mission to reduce food losses in the developing world,” Katala said. “Food losses represent a waste of resources in terms of land, energy, water and inputs, and leads to unnecessary CO2 emissions. According to the FAO, if food wastage were a country, it would be the third largest CO2 emitting country in the world after China and the USA. The world urgently needs a sustainable solution to tackle food waste. The yearly cost of global food waste is estimated to be $990 billion”.

Econet and Yara launch “Generation Africa” to inspire young Africans to  become Agri-Food entrepreneurs - Innovation Village

“By breeding black soldier fly larvae, Magofarm acquires tremendous waste reduction capabilities. For every 1 tonne of black soldier fly larvae we breed, we contribute to upcycling 3 tons of food waste from the environment, which we use as a raw material. For each ton of fishmeal or soymeal replaced by our insect-derived protein (magomeal), an environmental saving of between $2,500 and $3,200 per ton is achieved in the form of avoided fossil fuel consumption, land usage and carbon emission”.

$2,500 – IMPACT AWARD WINNERS

Elizabeth Gikebe, co-founder and CEO, Mhogo Foods Ltd in Kenya (Mhogofoods.com):  Mhogo Foods is a socially conscious cassava processor making gluten-free flour, crisps, starch and animal feeds while also training and supporting women smallholder farmers. Mhogofoods.com

Millicent Agidipo, co- founder and CEO of Achiever Foods Limited (AchieverFoods.net/en) in Ghana: Achiever Foods is on a mission to save lives through indigenous and organically grown Turkey Berries that help promote blood health and a strong immune system, especially amongst pregnant women. AchieverFoods.net/en

All 12 top finalists will receive mentorship, program linkages and other guidance to continue their entrepreneurial journeys

Paul Matovu of Vertical and Micro Gardening (VMG) in Uganda (bit.ly/2E2IGbI): VMG builds autonomous farm towers to make urban farming a viable micro-enterprise for low- and middle-income households. VerticalandMicroGardening.org

Dysmus Kisilu co-founder and CEO Solar Freeze (SolarFreeze.co.ke) in Kenya: Solar Freeze helps battles post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers of perishable goods through potable solar-powered cold storage units and “sharing economy” cold-chain logistics. SolarFreeze.co.ke

Other top-12 2020 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize finalists:

Fadja Dijou Barry, GoMarkit SL, Sierra Leone. GoMarkitSL.com

Dexter Tangocci, Integrated Aerial Systems, South Africa. www.IASystems.co.za

Kharbouch Barhoum, Lombrisol, Morocco. www.Lombrisol.ma

Brigitha Faustin, Obri Tanzaniawww.ObriTanzania.com

Ifeoluwa Olatayo, Soupah Farm-en-Market Ltd., Nigeria. www.Soupah.ng

Agnes Kanjala, The Farm, Malawi. www.TheFarmmw.com

GOGETTAZ AGRIPRENEUR PRIZE TOP-12 JUDGING PANEL

Eleni Gabre-Madhin

Founder & Chief Happiness Officer, bluMoon

Generation Africa Ambassador

Ada Osakwe

Founder & CEO, Agrolay Ventures Nigeria
Generation Africa Ambassador

Ishmael Sunga

CEO, Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions
Generation Africa Ambassador

Ellen Cathrine Rasmussen

EVP for Scalable Enterprises, Norfund

Edson Mpyisi

Chief Financial Economist & Coordinator of ENABLE Youth Program, African Development Bank

Ladé Araba

Managing Director for Africa, Convergence Finance

Co-founder/President, Visiola Foundation

George Apaka
Lead Agriculture Sector, Mastercard Foundation

Zvichapera Katiyo

Group CEO, Delta Philanthropies, Zimbabwe

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

You may also like

Business Economy Society Software Technology

The critical role of data in debt recovery amid surge in consumer debt

post-image

 

 

As South Africans and their pockets are impacted by rising inflation, cost-of-living increases, and a spate of interest rate hikes over the past two years, consumer debt has surged at an alarming rate. More people are turning to credit facilities to keep up with daily expenses, with worrying knock-on effects for businesses and the entire South African economy.

 

With a renewed focus on debt recovery processes and procedures, businesses need to ensure they have the most reliable, up-to-date information available to assist with recovering outstanding monies. “As the cost of borrowing escalates, and the average South African consumer finds themselves allocating approximately 62% of their take-home pay towards servicing debt, the need for efficient, effective debt recovery strategies is a crucial consideration for any business extending credit,” explains Chantelle Frier, National Sales Manager of SearchWorks, South Africa’s largest and most innovative data aggregation platform that allows users to conduct…

Read More
Announcements Business Culture Events

NITDA Celebrates Exceptional Women Staff Members in Commemoration of International Women’s Day 2024

post-image

In honor of International Women’s Day 2024, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) proudly recognized the invaluable contributions of its female staff members during the Quarterly Staff General Meeting.

Led by the esteemed Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, the event served as a platform to commend and honor female staff members whose remarkable efforts have significantly contributed to the agency’s accomplishments. In a gesture of appreciation and acknowledgment, Director-General Kashifu Inuwa CCIE presented letters of commendation to these outstanding women, underscoring NITDA’s unwavering commitment to fostering inclusivity and empowering women within the agency.

The Quarterly Staff General Meeting not only celebrated the achievements of these exceptional women but also reaffirmed NITDA’s dedication to recognizing and nurturing talent across all gender identities. As an agency at the forefront of technological innovation, NITDA remains steadfast in its mission to create an inclusive and equitable workplace where every…

Read More
Business Events Fintech

PAFON 1.0: Experts Harp on Stricter Data Privacy Measures in Payments Ecosystem in AI Era

post-image

·      Tasks Payments System Operators on the Need for Consumer Education

 

The Chairman of the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Financial Institutions (CCISONFI), Mr. Festus Amede, has identified Data Minimization Principles, User Consent and Control, as well as Compliance with Privacy Regulations as important elements in protecting privacy in payments.

 

Amede who was represented by an executive member of CCISONFI, Mr. Olusola Odediran (also, the Chief Information Security Officer) Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), spoke during his keynote presentation at the maiden edition of Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON 1.0) held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos on Thursday.

 

His presentation themed, ‘Payments: Trust, Security and Privacy in the AI Era,’ explored the critical…

Read More
Business Economy

Nigeria Seeks Joint West Africa Regional Protection of Undersea Cables

post-image

 

 

Following recent undersea cable cuts that challenged connectivities in many countries in the West African region, Nigeria has called for a coordinated and multilateral approach by the region to protect shared telecommunications infrastructure, and diversify connectivity to ensure uninterruptible connections.

 

Executive Vice Chairman of the  Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, made the submission in a statement delivered at the 21st West Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly (WATRA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) which held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from the 19th to 22nd March 2024.

 

Dr. Maida, whose message was delivered at the WATRA AGM by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Nnenna Ukoha, stated that the recent submarine cable cuts that resulted in nationwide outages on multiple networks in 12 African countries has raised the urgent need for the subregion to establish a mechanism to protect itself from damage to submarine infrastructure and its attendant impact on the…

Read More
Business Opinion Technology Technology Trends

WHY HYUNDAI AND KIA HAVE ONE OF THE BEST FUEL ECONOMY

post-image

 

 

I watched one video yesterday when one of my brother Uncle IB did some review on Hyundai Sonata so i decided to throw more light on it.

Hyundai and Kia are so much underated in Nigeria and the reason is lack of information. Hyundai and Kia are the most fuel efficient vehicles but most people are not aware.
They use more advanced engine technology on and that’s why they use smaller engines to push out much power with less fuel.

They make use of technology like:
▪︎CVVT (Continously variable valve timing)
▪︎DPFI (Dual port fuel injection)
▪︎ITMS (Integrated Thermal Management System)
▪︎HTCS (High Thermal Conversion system)
▪︎FOMS (Friction optimized moving system)
▪︎ High Ignition Energy EGR
▪︎Smartstream Transmission.
▪︎Wet 8 – Speed DCT.

Hyundai and Kia make use of smartstream engines. Engines like GDi produce high power and good for high driving speed conditions while engines like MPi are smoother with less power…

Read More
Business

NDPC to Partner Ondo to Upskill Youths, Create Jobs in Data Protection

post-image

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has expressed its readiness to work with the Ondo state government to promote a culture of Data Protection that would also help create employment opportunities for young people in the state.

The National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, revealed this when he received his excellency, the Ondo state Deputy Governor, Olayide Adelami, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

Dr Olayide said the purpose of his visit was to explore possible areas of collaboration between NDPC and the state in a way that fosters development for the people of the State.

According to him, “our government is passionate about youth development and one of the ways to ensure our youths are gainfully employed is to equip them with the right skills, needed for 21st century workplace. In view of this, we have identified ICT as one key area to upskill our youths…

Read More
Business Economy Technology Technology Trends

8 Reasons MacBooks Are Better Than Other Laptops

post-image

MacBooks have been around for a while now, and in that time, they’ve cemented themselves as some of the most popular laptops available. They’re well-designed, easy to use, and come with some great features. But why are they so popular? And more importantly, why are they better than Windows-based laptops?

Here, we’ll explore several reasons why we think Apple laptops are better than the competition, touching on everything from durability to ease of purchase and more.

8. The Apple Ecosystem

The Apple ecosystem is made up of all the hardware and software that Apple designs and puts out. Almost all Apple devices, apps, and operating systems are a part of the ecosystem: iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Mac, iCloud, Apple Music, and so on.

So, when people talk about the Apple ecosystem, they’re actually referring to how well all these products work together. It’s the ecosystem that makes it possible…

Read More
Announcements Business

Bimbo Abioye, Fintrak Software’s Group Managing Director, Recognized Among “Top 50 Most Valuable Personalities in Nigeria’s Digital Economy”

post-image

 

 

Fintrak Software, Nigeria’s leading indigenous software development firm specializing in financial software, proudly announces the recognition of its Group Managing Director, Bimbo Abioye, at the prestigious “Top 50 Most Valuable Personalities in Nigeria’s Digital Economy” event. The ceremony, held at Providence Hotel in Ikeja GRA, Lagos State, celebrates Abioye’s outstanding contributions to the nation’s digital landscape.

Bimbo Abioye FCA,MBA,ACTI,CISA,CISM,CISSP,FICA,MNCS,AFCPN,SRMA - FinTrak Software Company LLC | LinkedIn
Bimbo Abioye , GMD Fintrak Software

Despite his absence due to commitments in an Eastern African country, Mr. Bimbo Abioye was represented by Ladi Ipaye, who graciously accepted the award on his behalf. The accolade underscores Abioye’s remarkable achievements and relentless dedication to advancing Nigeria’s digital economy.

Reflecting on Abioye’s impact, Ladi Ipaye remarked, “Bimbo Abioye has spearheaded Fintrak’s transformation into a powerhouse within the fintech ecosystem, elevating the firm from a modest consultancy…

Read More