Young African agrifood entrepreneurs are developing businesses that can improve food production, reduce waste, expand access to finance and create new opportunities for farmers. The 2026 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize has recognised 12 entrepreneurs whose businesses are addressing these challenges across Africa.
The winners were announced in Kigali, Rwanda, during the closing ceremony of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF). Israel Smart Obidah, founder of Smartel Agri-tech, Nigeria, and Nabakka Sandra, co-founder of Sandi AI Technologies, Uganda, were named the 2026 Grand Prize winners. Each received a US$50,000 grant to grow and scale their businesses.
Israel Smart Obidah, Smartel Agri-tech, Nigeria: Smartel Agri-tech is helping smallholder farmers produce more food with fewer resources. Its Farm-in-a-Box combines hydroponics, IoT monitoring and AI-powered crop diagnostics. The system allows farmers to grow throughout the year while using up to 90 percent less water and reducing input costs by up to 70 percent. Since its commercial launch in 2024, Smartel has deployed more than 7,000 systems.
Nabakka Sandra, Sandi AI Technologies, Uganda: Sandi AI Technologies uses artificial intelligence and rural savings groups to help farmers access solar-powered irrigation without relying on traditional loans or collateral. The platform has reached 10,000 groups representing more than 301,000 people. It has also facilitated the acquisition of more than US$4 million worth of irrigation and agricultural technologies.
The Grand Prize winners were selected using five criteria: innovation, market potential and traction, social and environmental impact, business model, and founder and team.
Four entrepreneurs recognised for practical agrifood solutions
Four entrepreneurs also received Impact Awards for businesses addressing specific challenges within Africa’s food systems.
Jolis Nduwimana, Wege Company, Burundi: Wege Company converts banana and rice straw into affordable, reusable and recyclable packaging as an alternative to plastic. The company serves more than 10,000 customers each month and works with more than 15,200 farmers through its raw material supply chain.
Josiane Mujawayezu, Amazing Insect Ltd, Rwanda: Amazing Insect Ltd turns organic waste into organic fertilisers and insect-based animal feed. The company serves more than 5,000 customers and works with 96 agricultural cooperatives across Rwanda. Its circular economy approach is focused on improving soil fertility, livestock nutrition and livelihoods.
Baba Djibo, Djibo Services, Mali: Djibo Services has developed a biological compost activator that transforms organic waste into quality compost in approximately 10 days. Traditional methods can take between 45 and 90 days. The company also works with farmers, young people and women through training in sustainable agriculture and green entrepreneurship.
Olivia Okinyi, Econasi Limited, Kenya: Econasi Limited is turning pineapple agricultural waste into plant-based leather and sustainable packaging alternatives. The business works with 500 small-scale pineapple farmers and reports that its model can increase farmer incomes by close to 40 percent while diverting agricultural waste from landfills.
The competition also recognised six finalists with GoGettaz Catalytic Awards. The awards recognise promising young businesses contributing to the growth and transformation of Africa’s agrifood systems.
Nancy Githumbi, Sincy Group Holdings, Kenya: Sincy provides farmers with traceable agricultural inputs, input financing, training and market access. The company has served 549,000 farmers and provided more than US$720,000 in agro-input credit.
Chaimae Sqalli Adoui, Foodeals, Morocco: Foodeals helps food businesses reduce waste and recover value from surplus food through a digital platform. It supports expiry-date tracking, demand forecasting, redistribution, sales and food donations. During a pilot in Fez, the platform facilitated the sale of more than 1,720 surplus meals and the donation of more than 450 meals.
Zalalem Endalew, ZTN PLC, Ethiopia: ZTN PLC is developing agricultural technology for farmers operating in areas with limited internet connectivity and electricity. Its solar-powered system uses a private network and edge AI to support precision irrigation and agricultural decision-making. Pilot deployments in Ethiopia recorded a 48 percent reduction in water use and a 30 percent increase in yields.
Godfrey Noel, Kilimora, Kenya: Kilimora combines offline AI, soil monitoring and climate finance to connect smallholder farmers to sustainable markets and new sources of income. The business works with 1,500 cooperative farming operators across six counties. More than 60 percent of them are women.
Daouda Faye, B2C Agribusiness, Senegal: Through MBAY’MI CONNECT, B2C Agribusiness is helping smallholder farmers build financial profiles and access agricultural finance, information and digital services. The platform has reached more than 35,000 farmers across Senegal, Ghana and Togo.
Uche Kenneth, Smokeless Briqs Energy Solutions, Nigeria: Smokeless Briqs turns agricultural waste into affordable clean cooking fuel and smart cookstoves. The business has reached more than 25,000 users across 43 rural communities. Its technology has also enabled more than 15,000 households to generate electricity for lighting and mobile charging.
Across the 12 businesses, the solutions include artificial intelligence, digital finance, hydroponics, renewable energy, circular economy models, climate-smart agriculture and locally developed technologies.
More importantly, the businesses are already working with farmers and consumers. They are creating jobs, improving access to finance and markets, reducing waste and developing new approaches to agricultural production.
Alice Ruhweza, President of AGRA, said young entrepreneurs need to remain central to Africa’s food systems transformation.
“Africa’s food systems transformation will ultimately be driven by businesses that can solve real problems at scale. The entrepreneurs we are celebrating through GoGettaz are showing us what that looks like in practice.”
Ruhweza said the entrepreneurs are using technology, creating new markets and developing solutions based on the realities faced by African farmers and consumers.
“The opportunity now is to help businesses like these move from promising enterprises to companies that can operate on a scale. That requires capital, strong markets, the right partnerships and an enabling environment that allows young entrepreneurs to compete and grow.”
The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize is hosted under Generation Africa, AGRA’s youth community that supports young people as entrepreneurs, innovators and advocates.
The programme goes beyond financial awards. Through Generation Africa, entrepreneurs gain access to mentorship, networks, visibility and opportunities to engage with investors, policymakers and other leaders across Africa’s food systems.
The 2026 finalists represent Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda. Their businesses operate in different areas of the agrifood sector, but share a focus on solving practical challenges and creating economic opportunities.
The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize is co-founded by Yara International and Econet. Its partners include AGRA, the Africa Food Systems Forum, Mastercard Foundation, the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation.
