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Reimagining the future of
African agriculture

The AYuTe Africa Challenge awards cash grants to support promising young agritech innovators across Africa who are using technology to reimagine farming and food production across the continent.

Each year, Heifer International invests more than US$1.5 million to accelerate digital agriculture entrepreneurship in Africa — a transformative force we call AYuTe. 

In 2022, the AYuTe Africa Challenge expanded its role as an African agritech accelerator. New national competitions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda are offering young innovators a chance to secure the funding and visibility to scale their ideas and ambitions.

Why AYuTe?

The AYuTe Africa Challenge is offering something new for African agriculture.  

It combines features of cash awards, mentorship and business development to help translate the energy and ideas of young innovators into meaningful impact for smallholder farmers across the country. 

AG
Youth
Tech

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Meet the Regional AYuTe Africa Champions

West Africa 2022

ThriveAgric: Building Africa’s Largest Network of Productive, Profitable Farmers

Uka Eje and Ayodeji Arikawe are recognized for their work in developing a powerhouse agritech innovation, connecting African smallholder farmers to financing, education and premium markets on harvest. ThriveAgric already has assembled a network of over 500,000 farmers in Nigeria and beyond—40% of them women and about a third of them youth farmers, with plans to reach 10 million by 2027.

Southern Africa 2022

Brastorne: Circumventing the Internet to Connect the Unconnected in Rural Africa

Martin Stimela and Naledi Magowe are recognized for their work connecting the unconnected across rural Africa, creating information and market opportunities for farmers. The Botswana-based Brastorne Enterprises has connected 1.8 million Africans who lack meaningful internet access, through its multi-channel solutions that are compatible with feature phones, and is committed to connecting 760 million Africans.

East Africa 2022

The Digital Dairy Farm: DigiCow Delivers for Africa’s Smallholder Milk Producers

Peninah Wanja, Vincent Kimani and Jemimah Wanjiku are recognized for their work connecting dairy farmers to critical farm services by harnessing mobile phone technology. DigiCow’s innovative and practical support system for small-scale dairy farmers has reached 60,00 farmers to date, providing fast and easy access to skilled and approved veterinarians, artificial insemination providers and feed supply services.

Meet the Champions

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