Connect with us
Anglostratits

Business

Applications Open for the 7th Annual GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition – Africa’s Youth Agrifood Entrepreneurs Invited to Drive Food Systems Transformation with a US$160,000 Prize Pool

Published

1 year ago

on

GoGettaz

Africa’s high entrepreneurship rates further underscore the continent as a potential global leader in youth-driven enterprise, innovation, and job creation

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 3, 2025/APO Group/ –The 2025 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize launches its seventh annual competition today in search for Africa’s most promising young co-founders and founders across Africa who have launched businesses across Africa’s agrifood value chain “from seed to fork”. Judges will be looking for innovative, scalable, and impact-driven agripreneurs (aged 18 to 35) who have built tech-savvy, sustainable businesses tackling food security, job creation, and equitable economic growth. Applications are open from 3 April to 10 June 2025. https://GoGettaz.Africa

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 31 August to 5 September 2025. Two grand prizes of US$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.

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.

As Africa faces mounting challenges of lack of infrastructure, access to finance, job creation, and food insecurity, its youth are stepping up as powerful agents of transformation. From the bustling trade hubs of West Africa to the agricultural heartlands of Southern Africa, young innovators are developing solutions that not only tackle immediate crises but also pave the way for a sustainable future. The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition serves as a platform for these change-makers, offering mentorship, exposure, networking, and resources to enhance their impact across Africa’s diverse regions.

“I am continually amazed by the ingenuity and determination of the young entrepreneurs we meet through the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition each year,” said Svein Tore Holsether, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yara International and GoGettaz co-founder. “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.”

With Africa set to represent one-quarter of the global population and one-third of the world’s youth by 2050, according to United Nations projections, the continent’s youth, over 70% who are younger than 30 years of age, hold immense potential. Africa’s high entrepreneurship rates further underscore the continent as a potential global leader in youth-driven enterprise, innovation, and job creation.

“Africa’s youth are brimming with creative energy and ideas to solve myriad problems with innovative solutions,” remarked GoGettaz co-founder Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Chairman of Econet Group who also served as Chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa for several years.

“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.” he said.

Since its inception in 2019, the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition has spotlighted diverse young entrepreneurs building innovative agribusinesses from traditional farming operations to high-tech AI-driven ventures. The 2025 competition is open to all African agripreneur-led businesses with headquarters on the African continent. Applications will be accepted in English and French.

The 2025 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition is a rallying point for Africa’s brightest young minds to pioneer transformative solutions and drive meaningful change

“The 2025 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition is a rallying point for Africa’s brightest young minds to pioneer transformative solutions and drive meaningful change.” said Amath Pathe Sene, Managing Director of the Africa Food Systems Forum.

“As Africa leads the charge in innovating for resilience, I am eager to see the groundbreaking climate-smart solutions that emerge from the 2025 contestants. The 2024 winners set a high standard by using innovative techniques aimed at preserving nutritional value using renewable energy and natural fibers to produce eco-friendly sanitary pads, improving health and hygiene. With food security under threat, exacerbated by climate change, Africa’s agripreneurs are rising to the challenge, transforming agricultural practices, and spearheading sustainable technologies.” he said.

Beyond the prize money, top finalists will gain access to mentorship, training, introduction to investors, and other opportunities for collaboration.

How to Apply

GoGettaz invites young African agripreneurs across the continent to join the GoGettaz vibrant community and participate in the 2025 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition. Eligible applicants must :

  • Be 35 or younger at the time of submission.
  • Be a citizen of an African Union member country.
  • Serve as a founder or co-founder of a legally registered venture operating in Africa (ventures must be registered by 10 June 2025).

Application Process :

  1. Join the GoGettaz Community: Follow @ GoGettazAfrica on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube to connect with peers and industry leaders. Share your journey using hashtags #GrowEntrepreneurs and #TransformFood.
  2. Visit the GoGettaz Website: Access resources, eligibility details, terms and conditions, and updates at https://GoGettaz.Africa.
  3. Submit Your Entry: Complete the online competition application on the website. You can save and revisit your application to ensure quality. https://GoGettaz.Africa
  4. Meet the Deadline: Applications must be submitted by 10 June 2025 to be considered for the US$160,000 prize pool and a chance to pitch LIVE at the AFSF Summit in Dakar, Senegal in September.

For additional details, to apply, or to learn how you can contribute to driving sustainable food systems transformation in Africa, visit https://GoGettaz.Africa. Stay engaged by connecting with @ GoGettazAfrica on social media.

Application Deadline: 10 June 2025

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of 2025 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Energy

Building a Knowledge Hub for China-ASEAN Energy Cooperation

Published

21 minutes ago

on

September 22, 2026

By

ASEAN

NANNING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – During the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, China Southern Power Grid showcased a range of innovations designed to support energy cooperation between China and ASEAN. These included the DaWatt – Lao Language Large Language Model (LLM) for the Energy and Power Sector V2.0 and the Flexible Grayscale Intelligent Monitoring & Analysis Platform for power system cybersecurity, highlighting expanding opportunities for cooperation in digitalization, intelligent technologies and green energy.

The Lao-language LLM has been deployed at Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), where it can automatically analyze thousands of inspection images within a short period of time. After its algorithms were optimized for Laos’ mountainous and rainforest terrain, the model completed intelligent inspection analysis for four transmission lines, processing 26,000 drone inspection images and identifying more than 3,600 equipment defects.

 




 
 

Liu Ying, general manager of the Digitalization Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd., said the company has been building multilingual professional corpora for the power sector, covering ASEAN countries including Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia. Drawing on the capabilities of the DaWatt foundation model, the company is developing energy and power models tailored to ASEAN languages and real-world power industry applications.

Talent development is another focus of the cooperation. The China-ASEAN Institute of Energy, jointly established by Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Guangxi University, is exploring an industry-university training model with a strong emphasis on practical experience. So far, two cohorts totaling 53 students from ASEAN countries have enrolled.

Cooperation is also evolving from one-way training toward joint innovation. Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and the Royal Academy of Cambodia have jointly established a laboratory for artificial intelligence and safety equipment, while the company has also launched peer-to-peer exchanges with Electricité du Laos on improving power supply reliability.

To address language barriers in cross-border technical exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has developed an AI-powered translation platform backed by a specialized database containing terminology for more than 1,800 types of power equipment. The platform supports accurate translation between Chinese and English, Chinese and Lao, and Chinese and Vietnamese.

At a recent training program for Chinese and overseas engineers, the system supported one-click generation of bilingual course materials and real-time speech translation, helping participants navigate highly specialized power-sector terminology.

To support regular international exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has also established an international talent pool covering management, technical and skilled personnel. It has developed 24 hours of courses on international affairs as well as 20 short-form video courses.

“This year, we will also explore joint postgraduate programs with universities in ASEAN countries,” said Sun Xiaohua, deputy director of the Human Resources Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd.

Looking ahead, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. plans to further advance a development model featuring “R&D in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, integration in Guangxi, and application in ASEAN.” The company will continue expanding its multilingual power-sector corpora and explore a “Token Goes Global” model for power-sector AI, with computing resources and models based in Guangxi while knowledge services are delivered overseas. The effort is aimed at creating new forms of China-ASEAN energy cooperation and supporting the green development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0.
 




 

Continue Reading

Events

24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival to Showcase Asia’s Spectacular Autumn Colors

Published

38 minutes ago

on

September 22, 2026

By

Red Leaf Festival

BAZHONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – The 24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival will run from October 1 to November 18 at the Guangwu Mountain Tourism Area in Bazhong, Sichuan Province, China.

Located in southwest China, Guangwu Mountain boasts a forest coverage rate of 97%, earning its reputation as a “natural oxygen bar.” Each autumn, 680 square kilometers of mountain forests burst into a dazzling palette. Over 40 tree species, including Fagus pashanica, maples and lindens, weave the mountains into a stunning autumn landscape.

Known as “Asia’s longest natural red carpet,” the Mountain has become a top autumn destination for backpackers, photographers and travelers seeking immersive cultural and nature experiences, and is widely recognized as one of western China’s signature autumn attractions.

 




 
 

The tourism area caters to international visitors who prefer slower-paced, in-depth, off-the-beaten-path travel. The new Yanziling Loop Boardwalk, launched in May 2026, winds along mountain cliffs, with a sea of clouds rolling beneath visitors’ feet and brilliant foliage unfolding alongside the trail, creating the feeling of “stepping into a painting.”

Guangwu Mountain offers a wealth of outdoor attractions. Highlights include the 1,888-meter Red Leaf Coaster and a glass water slide certified by Guinness World Record, combining thrilling experiences with stunning natural scenery.

The large-scale immersive production “New Dream of Guangwu Mountain” integrates cutting-edge light and visual technology with Bashan folklore and traditions, transforming the forest into an atmospheric nighttime experience. Visitors can also enjoy welcome performances and interactive robot activities, which offer more ways to discover the mountain’s late-autumn charm.

A major highlight of this year’s festival is the newly completed Micang Avenue. Stretching 85 kilometers, the route connects seven core scenic spots, including Guangwu Mountain, Micang Mountain, and Nuoshui River, reducing a four-hour drive to just one hour. Lined with continuous stretches of colorful forest and layered peaks, the avenue brings brand-new travel experiences for autumn foliage enthusiasts.

The festival will also feature cultural, sports and international exchange activities, including the third season of the “Sending You a Red Leaf” campaign, the China Micang Avenue International Road Cycling Race, and the “World Red Leaf Landmark” global collection campaign.

In addition, 31 scenic attractions and 18 museums and cultural venues across Bazhong will provide special ticket offers and visitor benefits during the festival.

Across mountains and seas, Guangwu Mountain invites visitors from around the world to witness one of China’s most vibrant red-and-gold autumn displays.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
 
 




 

Continue Reading

Business

DHL Invests in Greater Middle East-Africa Connectivity with New Aviation Lane

Published

43 minutes ago

on

September 22, 2026

By

DHL Express

The investment also reflects shifting global supply chains, as companies diversify sourcing, manufacturing and customer markets beyond traditional corridors

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 21, 2026/APO Group/ —

  • New weekly B767/F Bahrain-Johannesburg service strengthens Sub-Saharan Africa connectivity and supports growing trade flows between Africa, the Gulf and global markets

DHL Express (www.DHL.com) has marked an important milestone in its regional aviation network with the successful operation of the first direct DHL flight between Bahrain and South Africa.

The inaugural flight arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, opening a new weekly aviation lane operated by a DHL Express B767/F freighter. The route reinforces DHL’s continued investment in strengthening Sub-Saharan Africa network connectivity, expanding heavier-weight capability, improving flexibility and supporting growing trade flows between the Middle East and Africa.

 




  

As trade between Africa and the Middle East develops, businesses need resilient, well-connected logistics networks. The new service provides greater inbound and outbound capacity for South Africa and neighbouring countries through the DHL Johannesburg Hub, one of the company’s key gateways on the continent.

 

The investment also reflects shifting global supply chains, as companies diversify sourcing, manufacturing and customer markets beyond traditional corridors. Bahrain’s position as a gateway between Africa, the Gulf and Asia make it an important link for businesses seeking faster access to international markets.

 

Every new connection we introduce is designed with our customers in mind

“Every new connection we introduce is designed with our customers in mind. As global trade routes diversify and economic ties between Africa and the Middle East continue to strengthen, we are seeing powerful geographical tailwinds creating new opportunities for businesses. Demand is growing across sectors such as healthcare, technology, manufacturing and cross-border e-commerce, all of which rely on fast, reliable international logistics,” said Anthony Beckley, Vice President of Operations and Aviation for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

“While this first direct DHL flight between Bahrain and South Africa is a significant network milestone, its real value lies in the opportunities it creates for customers.”

 

 

South Africa is one of DHL’s Geographic Tailwinds markets, reflecting its growing role in global trade flows and its potential to drive future trade growth. And Johannesburg remains a critical gateway in DHL’s SSA network, linking South Africa and neighbouring markets to global opportunities through Bahrain and the wider DHL aviation network. Through continued investment in routes, aircraft capacity and hub connectivity, DHL is supporting customers across this dynamic lane.

 

“DHL Express is the only logistics provider operating a dedicated intra-regional air fleet across the Middle East, connecting customers through Bahrain with major global gateways including Hong Kong, Leipzig and Cincinnati,” said Richard Gale, Vice President of Aviation, DHL Express MENA.

 

“Bahrain’s position at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East makes it an ideal hub for customers seeking faster, more reliable access across these growing trade corridors. We are pleased to add this direct Johannesburg connection as economic ties between Africa and the Gulf deepen.”

 

DHL remains committed to helping customers seize opportunities created by changing trade patterns and expanding economic relationships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of DHL Express.

 

 




 

Continue Reading

Trending