Across Africa, a new generation of agripreneurs is transforming agriculture from the soil up —harnessing technology, sustainability, and indigenous knowledge to feed growing populations and fuel economic growth. The annual GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition, a pan-African initiative empowering young agripreneurs, has been instrumental in spotlighting and supporting these changemakers. Among its standout alumni are Iddi Mohammed Faried of Kodu Technology and Fatima El Khou of Jafife — who are the 2024 Gogettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition Grand Prize Winners. They were awarded US$50 000 each to grow and scale their businesses. These two agripreneurs are visionaries who are redefining what it means to be farmers and food system leaders in Africa today.
Iddi Mohammed Faried: Revolutionizing Agri-processing with Kodu Technology (Ghana)
In Ghana, Iddi Mohammed Faried is tackling one of the most pressing challenges in Africa: period poverty. According to UNICEF, 1 in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their period due to lack of menstrual products and sanitation facilities. Furthermore, girls can miss up to five days of school each month – adding up to 20% of the academic year – due to inadequate menstrual support (UNICEF). Iddi Mohammed Faried’s company Kodu Technology, has introduced a scientific innovation in Ghana that transforms banana and plantain fibers into eco-friendly sanitary pads for women, addressing health and hygiene challenges.
Kodu Technology’s innovation not only creates a sustainable and affordable alternative to traditional menstrual products with a mission to eradicate “period poverty” in rural communities but also supports local agriculture and contributes to the circular economy by repurposing agricultural waste.
Fatima El Khou: Reviving Moroccan Heritage Through Jafife (Morocco)
Fatima El Khou’s company, Jafife, is revolutionizing the agri-food supply chain in Morocco with digitalized solar-powered technology that transforms crops and seafood into long-lasting dried food products maintaining nutritional value and quality. Utilizing renewable energy, Jafife’s food products and natural dyes provide eco-conscious solutions across industries, while empowering local producers.
Fatima’s business isn’t just about food—it’s about identity, empowerment, and sustainability. By linking modern markets to sustainable practices, Jafife fosters rural employment, especially among women, and promotes biodiversity-friendly farming.
Her work offers a compelling model for how agripreneurship can be a vehicle for social justice, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship.
As 2024 winners, Fatima El Khou and Iddi Mohammed Faried continue to inspire young African entrepreneurs to build businesses that honour communities and sustainability.
Recognizing Impact: 2024 US$15,000 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition Impact Award Winners
Beyond the grand prize winners, the GoGettaz also recognizes young agripreneurs creating outstanding impact in their communities by awarding each winner with US$15,000. The 2024 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition Impact Award Winners are
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Charles Oyamo (Rethread, Kenya) – Technology Impact Prize
Charles’s venture converts agricultural waste from smallholder farmers into sustainable bioplastics, providing eco-friendly materials for various industries. Rethread’s technology reduces the reliance on synthetic materials and increases farmers’ income without additional labour, promoting sustainable agriculture.
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Tisya Mukuna (La Boite, DRC) – Job Creation and Improving Rural Livelihoods Impact Prize
This inspiring founder of La Kinoise Coffee leads one of the few women-led coffee companies in the DRC, reviving abandoned coffee plantations to produce premium coffee while training and employing women farmers in rural areas.
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Salimata Toh (Agribanana, Côte d’Ivoire) – Resource Use and Climate Impact Prize.
Agribanana transforms banana plant waste into eco-friendly products like natural fibres, paper pulp, and biodegradable packaging. Agribanana’s patented process adds value to agricultural waste, promoting sustainable consumption and reducing environmental impact.
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Riantsoa Mialinarindra (Sakafo Madagascar) – Job Creation, Nutrition and Gender Impact Prize.
Riantsoa’s enterprise is pioneering the transformation of native crops into high-nutrition snacks and foods for local markets, promoting food security and reducing reliance on imports. It processes fruits and vegetables grown by small-scale farmers into traceable, nutritious food products. Sakafo’s holistic ecosystem supports sustainable farming practices, reduces post-harvest loss, and promotes a circular economy with composting and clean energy initiatives in Madagascar.
These emerging leaders prove that innovation doesn’t always require disruption; sometimes, it requires rethinking the value of what already exists — including rural communities, indigenous knowledge, underutilized crops — and giving them the tools to thrive.
A Future Cultivated by Africa’s Youth
All across Africa, the Gogettaz Agripreneur Prize Competition Grand Prize Winners and alumni are not only building businesses —they are transforming and reshaping Africa’s agricultural narrative.
They are proof that when young Africans are empowered with opportunity, mentorship, and visibility, they become unstoppable forces for change. These agripreneurs are planting seeds not just in soil, but in society — seeds that will grow into resilient, inclusive, and thriving food systems across the continent.
The future of African agriculture is young, it is bold, and it is already here!!
Visit https://gogettaz.africa/2024-gogettaz-agripreneur-prize-winners-announced-africas-top-young-agrifood-innovators-receive-us166000-in-prize-money/ to find out more about the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Winners 2024, and to find out how YOU can enter the 2025 Competition!
