A new generation of women entrepreneurs in Africa is transforming agribusiness with innovation, resilience and leadership. The Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) 2025, spearheaded by Value4Her and AGRA, celebrated its latest champions this week, spotlighting six extraordinary women whose ventures not only nourish communities but also redefine the future of African agriculture.
From affordable animal feeds to eco-friendly beauty products, their stories are stitched with resilience, ingenuity, and a relentless pursuit of impact. Each winner embodies the promise of agribusiness as both a wealth creator and a social equalizer across the continent.
Mathildah Amollo: The Visionary Champion of Greatlakes Feeds
At the summit of this year’s awards stood Mathildah Amollo of Kenya, crowned the Overall WAYA 2025 Winner. Her company, Greatlakes Feeds Ltd, is more than an animal feed producer; it is a lifeline for farmers, women and youth who often stand at the margins of opportunity. By creating affordable, sustainable feed solutions, Mathildah is rewriting the economics of livestock farming in East Africa.
Her journey from application to victory was nothing short of transformative. Judges lauded her for combining scalability with inclusivity, ensuring that prosperity ripples outward into communities. In a sector where margins are slim and challenges daunting, Mathildah has proved that vision backed by grit can convert enterprise into empowerment.
Julienne Agossadou: A Beacon of Resilience from Benin
The Resilient and Inspirational Leader Award was claimed by Julienne Agossadou, CEO at SEDAMI LA REINE DES CHAMPIGNONS, a Beninese entrepreneur whose story epitomizes courage under fire. Her leadership in transforming local communities demonstrates how tenacity can transcend adversity, turning resource scarcity into engines of innovation.
Olawole’s award is a recognition not only of her achievements but also of the symbolic role she plays: a reminder that Africa’s entrepreneurial DNA thrives most vividly in its moments of greatest test.
Onicca Sibanyoni: The Young Agripreneur Redefining Aquaponics
At just under 35, Onicca Sibanyoni from South Africa is already shaping the future. As founder of Jwale Corporations, she leverages aquaponics technology to design sustainable food systems that deliver both environmental and economic value.
Awarded the Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star) Award, Sibanyoni stands as a vivid portrait of Africa’s youthful dynamism: bold, experimental and unwilling to be constrained by convention. Her work represents the cutting edge of agritech, blending climate resilience with community development.
Juliet Kakwerre: Weaving Empowerment from Banana Stems
Few innovations capture the imagination quite like Cheveux Organique, the Ugandan enterprise founded by Juliet Kakwerre, this year’s Women Empowerment Champion. By transforming discarded banana stems into eco-friendly hair extensions, Juliet has built a business that intertwines sustainability with social change.
“Cheveux Organique, where beauty empowers and the planet heals. Because when we take charge of our hair care, we take charge of our future. We are decolonizing beauty, one strand at a time. Our hair, our heritage, our power. From Africa, for Africa, to the world,” she declares.
Her model equips women with skills, income and dignity, reminding us that empowerment is not an abstract concept but a tangible force that can be worn, sold and celebrated.
Joyce Waithira Rugano: Pioneering Ag-Tech with Ecorich Solutions
The Female Ag-Tech Innovator Award went to Joyce Waithira Rugano of Kenya, whose startup Ecorich Solutions is tackling one of Africa’s most pressing issues: food waste. Her technology converts organic waste into fertilizer for resilient farming, turning discarded produce into new cycles of productivity.
“This award is proof of the power of innovation, turning challenges into solutions that transform waste into resources and restore our soils,” she asserts.
In Joyce’s hands, agritech is not just digital dashboards and apps, it is a science of renewal proving that the future of African agriculture is circular, sustainable and led by women.
Roberta Oyedokun: Unlocking Wealth in Value Addition
From Nigeria came Roberta Oyedokun, whose venture Moppet Foods clinched the Outstanding Value-Adding Enterprise Award. Her work exemplifies the transformative power of value addition, where raw agricultural products are refined into high-value goods that create jobs and stimulate rural economies.
“We didn’t just build a brand. We built a movement. From the balcony to the continent. From one child’s need to a generation’s nourishment. Thank you for believing. Thank you for building. Thank you for becoming.” Roberta declares.
Roberta is proof that agriculture’s true wealth lies not in the soil alone but in the creativity to reimagine its outputs. Her success signals the dawn of a more industrialized, self-sufficient African food system.
Beyond Awards: A Movement of Transformation
The WAYA 2025 Awards are more than a celebration of individual brilliance; they are a clarion call for investment in women-led agribusiness. These six winners, along with regional finalists, illustrate the depth of Africa’s entrepreneurial pipeline. They remind us that agriculture is not merely about survival, it is about innovation, inclusion and prosperity.
As global investors turn their gaze toward Africa, the stories of Amollo, Agossadou, Sibanyoni, Kakwerre, Rugano and Edu-Oyedokun will serve as beacons of what is possible when women are given the tools to lead.
Africa’s agricultural renaissance is taking shape not in boardrooms alone, but in the hands of these women who are weaving growth from grit, prosperity from perseverance and futures from fields once thought barren.
