GoGettaz 2026 Crowns Africa’s Top Young Agrifood Entrepreneurs 

After progressing through a competitive selection process, Israel Smart Obidah, founder of Smartel Agri-tech (Nigeria), and Nabakka Sandra, co-founder of Sandi AI Technologies (Uganda), were named the 2026 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize Grand Prize winners. Each received a US$50,000 grant award to grow and scale their businesses. 

The platform has reached 10,000 groups, representing more than 301,000 people,and has facilitated the acquisition of more than US$4 million worth of irrigation and agricultural technologies.

The winners were selected based on five judging criteria: innovation, market potential and traction,social and environmental impact, business model, and founder and team.

Four Impact Awards were also presented to entrepreneurs whose businesses address challenges across Africa’s agrifood systems:

The company serves more than 10,000 customers each month and works with more than 15,200 farmers through its raw material supply chain.

Using a circular economy approach to improve soil fertility, livestock nutrition,and livelihoods, the company serves more than 5,000 customers and works with 96 agricultural cooperatives across Rwanda.

Olivia Okinyi,founder of Econasi Limited (Kenya), turns pineapple agricultural waste into plant-based leather and sustainable packaging alternatives.

The business works with 500 small-scale pineapple farmers and reports that its model can increase farmer incomes by close to 40 percent while diverting agricultural waste from landfills.

During a pilot in Fez, Foodeals facilitated the sale of more than 1,720 surplus meals and the donation of more than 450 meals.

Pilot deployments in Ethiopia recorded a 48 percent reduction in water use and a 30 percent increase in yields.

The business works with 1,500 cooperative farming operators across six counties, more than 60 percent of whom are women.

Daouda Faye,founder of B2C Agribusiness (Senegal), helps smallholder farmers build financial profiles and access agricultural finance, information, and digital services through MBAY’MI CONNECT.

The platform has reached more than 35,000 farmers across Senegal, Ghana, and Togo.

The business has reached more than 25,000 users across 43 rural communities, and its technology has enabled more than 15,000 households to generate electricity for lighting and mobile charging.

The 2026 finalists reflect a generation of African entrepreneurs addressing agrifood system challenges through different lenses. Across the 12 businesses are applications of artificial intelligence,digital finance,hydroponics,renewable energy,circular economy models, climate-smart agriculture,and locally developed technologies.

Alice Ruhweza,President of AGRA,noted that the finalists demonstrate why Africa’s young entrepreneurs must be at the center of investment in the continent’s food systems: 

The Prize goes beyond financial awards.Through Generation Africa,these young entrepreneurs gain access to mentorship, networks, visibility, and opportunities to engage with investors, policymakers, and other leaders across Africa’s food systems.

This year’s finalists also demonstrate the growing geographic reach of youth-led agrifood innovation.The 12 entrepreneurs represent Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya,Mali,Morocco,Nigeria,Rwanda,Senegal and Uganda,bringing together businesses at different stages and from different parts of the continent.