steven maseka 
- AGRA Launches 2025 Edition of The $300,000 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA)
- AGRA has officially launched the call for applications for the 2025 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA).
WAYA is a prestigious award scheme that recognizes female agripreneurs demonstrating remarkable Innovation and business excellence in agricultural value chains. The awards not only celebrate their remarkable achievements but also reward them with grants of up to $300,000.
Since 2021, the awards have been distributed across 3 categories; Young Female Agripreneur (for those under the age of 35 years and have demonstrated innovation and leadership in business), Female Agriculture Tech Innovator (those championing technological advancement in agribusiness) and, Outstanding Value Adding Enterprise (for female-owned agribusinesses that are increasing the economic value and/or consumer appeal to agricultural products), with the coveted Grand Prize Winner being the overall winner of the competition.
However, beginning 2024, AGRA introduced regional winners in the Young Female Agripreneurs category, and also added two exciting new categories: Women Empowerment Champion (recognizing female agripreneurs who exhibit a deliberate commitment to creating opportunities for other women to grow their own agribusinesses) and a Resilient & Inspirational Leader (recognizing female agripreneurs from marginalized communities or vulnerable and hard-to-reach areas who, despite facing significant challenges demonstrate unwavering determination, strength, and perseverance to excel in agribusiness).
Applications will close on 31 May 2025, with the winning agripreneurs being unveiled during the Africa Food Systems Forum to be held in Dakar Senegal this September 2025.
To be eligible, businesses must operate within an agricultural or agribusiness value chain, be legally registered in an African Union country, and be at least 51% owned and managed by women who are citizens of one of the 55 African countries.
Registrations are done through the link below: https://waya.awardsplatform.com/
Speaking at the launch, AGRA’s Director for Gender, Youth, and Inclusiveness, Ms. Nana Amoah said, “We received over 1,500 applications from women across 42 African countries in 2024. As we open the awards again this year, we expect to receive at least 500 applications in each category and continue our efforts to honor the unrelentless efforts, creative ideas, and outstanding leadership by women in the agri-food sector”.
WAYA is an initiative of AGRA’s VALUE4HER, a continental program that is aimed at strengthening women’s agribusiness enterprises and enhancing their voice and advocacy across Africa.
The launch was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Senior representatives from the institutions, including the FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Mr Haile Gabriel Abebe, recognized the significance of the occasion in bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors, including government, civil society, and the private sector, to address gender equality and women’s economic empowerment concerns.
They called on collaborative and strategic action from all stakeholders to harness women’s economic potential, drive inclusive growth, and embed sustainability across Africa’s evolving agri-food landscape.
During the launch, participants engaged in interactive masterclasses, panel discussions, and networking sessions that facilitated meaningful exchanges of best practices.
They highlighted the importance of creating an enabling environment for women to fully participate in economic, social, and political spheres and emphasized the need for evidence-based interventions to address gender disparities.
