A new cohort of 20 high-growth African agribusiness startups has been selected for a continent-wide accelerator programme aimed at scaling local innovation, deepening intra-African trade and addressing structural weaknesses in the region’s food systems.
The companies, drawn from nine member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), will join the Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A), an initiative delivered by the E4Impact Africa Foundation and backed by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) with support from New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The selection signals a deliberate shift towards African-led solutions in a sector long constrained by fragmented markets, weak value chains and chronic underinvestment.
A cohort built for scale
The chosen startups span the agricultural value chain, from seed development and primary production to processing, export, and agri-tech, reflecting a growing emphasis on integrated, scalable business models.
In Zambia, Stewards Globe Limited/Afriseed is producing climate-resilient seeds for more than 150,000 smallholder farmers, while Kagezi Seed Company focuses on drought-tolerant varieties. Forest Africa Zambia Limited is building a zero-waste processing model for indigenous fruits, converting them into beverages and jams.
The Democratic Republic of Congo contributes four firms: Berakah, which deploys solar-powered processing for fruits, cereals and spices; Le Grenier du Kivu, strengthening horticulture value chains with a focus on women and youth; Majirane Coffee, exporting organic Arabica while advancing women’s economic participation; and AGRIMOD, which digitises the maize value chain.
Kenya’s representation reflects a blend of food processing and clean energy innovation. Nyota Limited processes indigenous foods into shelf-stable products, while BioAfriq Energy operates solar drying hubs to reduce post-harvest losses. Kirima Fresh Dairies produces dairy products, and Wedgehut Foods supplies processed potatoes to institutional buyers.
Uganda’s Equator Seeds integrates seed systems with export-oriented coffee production, while Drought Guard Africa deploys solar-powered irrigation, already impacting more than 120,000 smallholder farmers. In Somalia, Greenlife Agribusiness supports livestock producers through solar irrigation and fodder systems.
The wider cohort underscores geographic and product diversity. Malawi’s Mtengo Wakumunda Enterprise produces fortified porridge for school feeding programmes. Zimbabwe’s Hekhani Seeds supplies improved seed varieties to smallholders. Tunisia’s Tazart processes premium dates for export markets. Burundi’s CEAP produces porridge flour and animal feed, while Madagascar’s NATIORA GREEN converts bat guano into organic fertiliser.
Strategic intent: from local innovation to continental markets
Participants will receive tailored advisory services, investment readiness support and fundraising guidance, alongside access to strategic partners and expert mentorship. Crucially, the programme is structured to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), positioning startups to expand across borders in what is set to become the world’s largest free trade zone by number of participating countries.
AfCFTA, which connects a market of more than 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP exceeding $3.4 trillion, is expected by the World Bank to lift 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty by 2035 while boosting intra-African trade by over 50 per cent. Yet realising those gains depends heavily on the capacity of firms particularly SMEs, to scale, compete and integrate into regional value chains.
HGSA-A is designed to close that gap.
By equipping startups with the technical and financial tools needed to expand, the accelerator aims to convert localised innovations into commercially viable, cross-border enterprises. The inclusion of trade facilitation support reflects persistent barriers ranging from logistics inefficiencies to regulatory fragmentation that continue to limit Africa’s internal trade, which remains below 20 per cent of total exports, compared with roughly 60 per cent in Europe.
Agriculture at an inflection point
The programme arrives at a critical juncture for African agriculture. The sector employs more than 60 per cent of the continent’s workforce yet contributes disproportionately less to GDP, underscoring longstanding productivity challenges. Post-harvest losses alone are estimated to cost sub-Saharan Africa up to $4bn annually, while climate variability continues to erode yields.
Against this backdrop, the selected startups reflect a new generation of businesses targeting systemic inefficiencies. Many are deploying climate-smart technologies, from solar-powered processing and irrigation to drought-resistant seeds and organic fertilisers. Others are addressing value addition one of the sector’s most persistent weaknesses, by processing raw commodities into higher-margin products for domestic and export markets.
The cohort also highlights a deliberate push towards inclusion. Several companies explicitly focus on women and youth participation, aligning with broader continental priorities to expand economic opportunity and address demographic pressures.
From pilot to proof of concept
The HGSA-A pilot cohort is expected to generate measurable impact, particularly in job creation and smallholder farmer integration. By strengthening supply chains and expanding market access, the programme aims to increase incomes at the farm level while improving food system resilience.
For policymakers and investors, the initiative offers a test case for how targeted support can unlock the latent potential of African agribusiness. If successful, it could provide a scalable model for bridging the persistent gap between early-stage innovation and commercial growth.
More broadly, the accelerator underscores that Africa’s agricultural transformation is increasingly being driven not by external interventions, but by home-grown enterprises capable of competing on a regional and potentially global stage.
As AfCFTA moves from policy to implementation, the trajectory of these 20 startups may serve as an early indicator of whether Africa’s long-promised single market can translate into tangible economic gains.
