Rinchi
TechInAfrica – A week ago, pan-African telecommunications, media, and technology group, Econet, and a global crop nutrition leader, Yara International ASA, launched ‘Generation Africa’, a project initiative to attract African youth entrepreneurs in joining Agri-food sector.
Through GoGettaz competition, Generation Africa will award US$100,000 for two business ventures in the agri-tech sector. It will support a cohort of 12 budding young agri-food entrepreneurs to expand and grow their businesses.
Svein Tore Holsether, President and CEO of Yara, said: “Africa’s agri-food sector presents a US$ 1-trillion business opportunity by 2030, especially when connected with the current technology revolution. Across Africa’s agri-food chain, innovations can be found in how we grow, harvest, process, store, transport, package, sell and consume food. Together with the pioneers of Africa’s next generation, we want to seize these opportunities. Generation Africa will help youth entrepreneurs launch, grow and mature agri-food businesses that will drive job creation, inclusive growth, and better food supply.”
There are more than 60% of unemployed youths across Africa. Therefore, in order to address this, innovative entrepreneurship could help to reduce the number while at the same time help to counterbalance rural-urban migration, professionalize farming, generate employment, and provide affordable and healthy food to Africa’s growing population.
Econet’s Founder and Group Chairman, Strive Masiyiwa stated: “Africa is full of entrepreneurs. We have more entrepreneurs than any other continent. But where the average age of an entrepreneur is 19, the average age of a farmer is 60! The time is now for Africa’s entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and embrace the incredible opportunities that agri-food businesses offer. If we do not, someone else will.”
Through its GoGettaz competition, Generation Africa is inviting young agri-food entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 35 across Africa to showcase their solutions. You can submit your ventures to the competition through GenAfrica.org by July 15, 2019. Experts will select twelve finalists to then pitch their solutions at the African Green Revolution Forum held in Accra, Ghana on September 3 – 6, 2019. Two winners—one male and one female—will be awarded US$50,000 to finance their businesses and guidance from Generation Africa.
Source: Africa.com
