Entries Open for 2025 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize

Applications for the contest opened today, Thursday, April 3, and will close on Tuesday, June 10, a statement made available to Business Post said.

The competition, in its seventh edition, is for promising young co-founders and founders across Africa who have launched businesses across the continent’s agrifood value chain “from seed to fork”.

Judges will be looking for innovative, scalable, and impact-driven agripreneurs not more than 35 years who have built tech-savvy, sustainable businesses tackling food security, job creation, and equitable economic growth.

Participants must be a citizen of an African Union member country, and must serve as a founder or co-founder of a legally registered venture operating in Africa, which must be registered by June 10, 2025.

In September 2025, GoGettaz finalists will pitch their businesses live on stage in Dakar, Senegal during the annual Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) taking place from August 31, to September 5, 2025.

Two grand prizes of $50,000 each will be awarded to the most outstanding male and female-led agribusinesses. An additional US$60,000 in Impact Awards will recognize businesses excelling in key areas such as technology, innovation, nutrition, food security, improving rural livelihoods, climate resilience, gender equity, natural resource conservation, and job creation.

“I am continually amazed by the ingenuity and determination of the young entrepreneurs we meet through the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition each year.

“Their ability to leverage technology and innovative business models showcases the immense potential of the agrifood sector and the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in sustainable development.

“As we launch the 2025 campaign, we are inspired by the opportunity to empower and support young entrepreneurs who are enhancing job creation, uplifting communities, and nourishing Africa’s growing population,” the chief executive of Yara International and co-founder of GoGettaz, Svein Tore Holsether, stated.

Also, the another co-founder of GoGettaz and chairman of Econet Group, Mr Strive Masiyiwa, said, “Africa’s youth are brimming with creative energy and ideas to solve myriad problems with innovative solutions.

“They aren’t waiting around for the perfect conditions; they are seizing the moment and embracing technology to revolutionize the agrifood industry across the continent,” he noted. “They are launching remarkable ventures, but to ensure they can grow and scale, our youth need the right support, access to capital, skills, and enabling environments to grow their young businesses into multimillion-dollar pan-African and global agribusinesses.

“Our amazing young entrepreneurs deserve both recognition and support, which is why GoGettaz exists.”

The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition is an integral part of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF), the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical action and share lessons that will empower Africa’s young leaders for food systems transformation.

With the 2025 AFSF theme Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation and Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation, the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize competition is set to empower youth entrepreneurs from across West, Northern, Southern, Central, and Eastern Africa who looking to showcase, grow, and scale, their agrifood businesses.