Young African Women Spark Africa’s Green Future

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O n International Women’s Day let’s celebrate Africa’s young female entrepreneurs, who are inspiring a whole generation to embrace resilience, sustainability and the green economy!
GCA, in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Climate Investment Funds, supports, mentors and promotes innovative young entrepreneurs through the YouthADAPT Solutions Flagship Program, which is on track to unlock $3 billion in financing; support 10,000 youth-led SMEs in climate resilience, and build capacity for one million youth on climate adaptation for job creation.
 
The YouthADAPT Solutions Challenge was launched in September 2021 as part of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). Winners of the challenge receive business grants of up to $100,000 each and the opportunity to participate in a 12-month business accelerator program to help them scale up their businesses.

“We want Africa’s youth to speak for Africa and develop solutions for the continent,” says GCA President and CEO Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen. “Young business leaders in Africa are bringing the innovation and action required to address the climate crisis.”

“Winning the YouthAdapt Award was a game-changer for me as an agripreneur,”says Lucy Wangari, founder of the Onion Doctor, one of the eight winners of the challenge in 2023. A dynamic young Kenyan, she saw the potential of agribusiness to create wealth and jobs while working in the Negev desert in Israel.

“The recognition not only validated our vision but also gave us the resources and network to scale our impact.

“Since then, our business has grown significantly—expanding our reach to more farmers in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions, improving our climate-smart farming techniques, and strengthening our agribusiness model. 

“Through Onion Doctor, we’ve been able to provide smallholder farmers—especially youth and women—with access to high-quality onion and garlic seeds, climate-smart agronomic training, and market linkages. This has boosted productivity, enhanced resilience to climate change, and increased household incomes in the communities we serve.

“Moreover, the mentorship and funding from the YouthAdapt program have empowered us to integrate more innovative solutions, such as precision farming and digital tools, to optimize yields and sustainability.

“Looking ahead, we remain committed to scaling our impact across Africa, ensuring that dryland farmers thrive despite climate challenges.

“As a woman in agribusiness, I’m incredibly proud to be part of a movement that is reshaping agriculture and inspiring more young people to see farming as a profitable and transformative career.”
Mmakwena Moesi is CEO and co-founder of Viva Organica, a pioneering start-up in Botswana which, under the motto”Nourish, Grow, Eat”, is tackling erratic weather patterns due to climate change by bringing green innovations to sub-Saharan Africa that reverse land degradation and restore soil fertility. Viva Organica was a YouthAdapt winner in 2022.

“Winning the YouthADAPT award has been a game-changer for Viva Organica,”said Mmakwena.
“As a youth-led, woman-founded company in the sustainable agriculture sector, this support has empowered us to scale operations, expand market reach, and provide climate-smart solutions to smallholder farmers. We’ve grown our revenue, strengthened key partnerships, and positioned ourselves as a leading voice in organic agriculture in Botswana.

“As a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, this journey has been both challenging and rewarding. The recognition and resources from GCA have not only fueled our business growth but have also reinforced the importance of women’s leadership in climate action and agriculture. I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity and excited to continue driving change for our communities and the environment.”

Soupah Farm-en-Market Limited is a women-founded and led tech-enabled food distribution company that connects smallholder farmers with urban retailers in Nigeria using technology to ensure fair prices and improve food mobility. It won the YouthAdapt award in 2021.

Ifeoluwa Olatayo, its founder and CEO, said: “Since winning the YouthAdapt Award, my business has gained significant momentum.

“The recognition has opened doors to new partnerships, and increased visibility in the agritech space. The award provided us with funding and increased visibility, allowing us to expand our hydroponic farming operations and increased our production capacity by 70%, while strengthening our workforce to 28 youths, 80% of whom are women.

“We have improved access to fresh, nutritious produce within the communities we serve, and our revenue has 3x from what our previous earnings were before the grant.

“The recognition has further opened investment opportunities for us, accelerating our mission to drive sustainable food systems. We’re excited about the future as we continue to innovate, grow, and transform Africa’s agricultural landscape”

Three extraordinary women – who are the tip of the iceberg of talent in Africa, giving an example to the world that creating thriving businesses in and around the Green Economy isn’t just an opportunity to make our planet more resilient and adaptable to climate change … it’s also a smart financial strategy which provides jobs, wealth and security for many.

GCA applauds this talented trio and all the YouthAdapt winners on this special day. We pledge to continue to support and promote their work, for the benefit of all of us.

The ideas presented in this article aim to inspire adaptation action – they are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Global Center on Adaptation.

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