As Generation Africa marks its fifth anniversary, applications are now being accepted for the 5th annual $100,000 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition.

The Gogettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition’s 2023 edition, launched by Generation Africa, puts youth-run African agrifood firms back in the spotlight.

The application period is May 8 through June 19, 2023. At the AGRF Summit, which will take place this year in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in September, the tournament will climax in a thrilling final pitch contest performed live on stage. A game-changing US$50,000 will be given to each of two young African entrepreneurs—a male and a woman—to hasten their ascent to scale.

The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition has grown to become the largest annual agripreneurship competition in Africa as Generation Africa celebrates its fifth birthday.

Generation Africa seeks to encourage millions of young people to pursue careers in the rapidly developing agrifood industry by discovering and assisting innovative, high-potential agribusinesses. A customized Generation Africa Fellowship Programme (GAFP), carefully selected scholarship possibilities, advocacy platforms, and more are just a few of the organization’s assistance initiatives that are constantly expanding.

“The biggest and most significant opportunity in Africa is in agriculture. We encourage African youth to seize this chance with both hands, especially given the influence of developing technology in the field, said Dickson Naftali, Head of Generation Africa. “A strong, African-led agrifood sector is our best hope for a prosperous continent free from hunger and malnutrition,” he emphasized. However, we must expand our agrifood sector more effectively, sustainably, and ethically.

All African agripreneurs with innovative and scalable agrifood enterprises who are the founders or cofounders and are between the ages of 18 and 35 are eligible to enter. The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition aims to hasten the development of agribusinesses with the ability to guarantee food security and offer respectable employment through the use of top mentors, a network of international industry leaders, and a growing community. Both the applicants’ citizenship and the location of their corporate headquarters must be in Africa. Applicants can visit https://gogettaz.africa for additional details and to enter the competition.

Twelve finalists will be invited to present their enterprises to a panel of knowledgeable judges following the semi-final stage. The AGRF Agribusiness Deal Room will also be made accessible to finalists so they can expand their network of possible partners, investors, and collaborators. The AGRF Summit will also host the prize presentation. In addition to the two $50,000 grand prizes, four creative companies will receive Impact Awards worth US$2,500 each for their work in promoting climate entrepreneurship, food security, poverty reduction, and/or job creation in their local communities.

Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA, said, “In just five years, the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition has become a critical platform for identifying and supporting young African entrepreneurs who are boldly launching businesses in the agrifood sector. In the process they are creating wealth for themselves and their families and driving economic growth on the continent. We are excited to see the innovative and scalable solutions that the next generation of agripreneurs will bring to the table.”

Svein Tore Holsether, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yara International and Generation Africa Co-Founder and Ambassador, commented, “In order for Africa and the world to achieve a nature-positive food future, capacity-building and empowerment of farmers and agri-entrepreneurs – especially women and young people – is critical.  Generation Africa and the GoGettaz Competition play a vital role in helping to support this continent’s best and brightest who are contributing to regional and global, sustainable food security.”

Generation Africa Co-Founder, Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of Econet Group and Cassava Technologies, remarked, “When Svein Tore and I first talked about engaging youth in Africa’s agrifood sector, we hadn’t yet faced a global pandemic or huge disruptions in the food supply chain. As the fastest growing demographic on earth, our young African entrepreneurs are now imagining new agribusiness models, harnessing the power of agritech and innovative food science technologies to create new markets and prosperity. They’re remarkable. A long way to go but the aim is for Africa to be a net food exporter, not the other way around!”

“The agrifood sector is the key,” Dickson Naftali continued. “Jobs, food security, cutting-edge technology, professional development, resilient communities, even minimizing the consequences of climate change are all provided by one sector. Africa will change if our young people realize the opportunity this sector offers them. It moves along quickly.

In the African agrifood industry, the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition has established itself as a mainstay. Young entrepreneurs are encouraged to participate in this year’s campaign, which launches concurrently with the annual survey and requests entries on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The survey is a useful tool for coordinating and energizing stakeholder participation and program emphasis. Generation Africa is eager to help even more young people reach their potential in 2023 thanks to the assistance and knowledge of its founders and partners.

Applicants can visit https://gogettaz.africa to enter the competition.