Addis Ababa, September 3, 2026 (FMC) — AGRA has called for greater investment in women-led agribusinesses as five African entrepreneurs were recognized at the 2026 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) in Kigali, showcasing businesses creating jobs, strengthening smallholder markets, advancing climate resilience and driving innovation across Africa’s food systems.
Held on the sidelines of the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026, the awards brought together 17 finalists whose enterprises demonstrate the growing role of women not only as agricultural producers, but also as processors, employers, technology innovators and market builders.
Speaking on behalf of AGRA President Alice Ruhweza, AGRA Board Member Binta Touré Ndoye urged stakeholders to move beyond recognition and invest in women-led enterprises with the capital and partnerships needed to scale. Gates Foundation representative Ana Maria Loboguerrero similarly called for greater investment, market access and business partnerships, while FAO Deputy Director-General Maurizio Martina stressed the importance of ensuring support reaches women entrepreneurs and producers at the grassroots.
The five champions illustrate the range of solutions emerging from Africa’s agrifood sector. Zimbabwe’s Perseverance Muzeya, founder of Alzanel Ltd, won the Outstanding Value-Adding Enterprise award for a solar-powered business turning surplus produce into preservative-free foods while supporting more than 15,000 smallholder farmers, predominantly women.
Nigeria’s Ifeoma Mary Okonkwo of IFGREEN Industries received the Women Empowerment Champion award after building an enterprise that directly employs 77 people, creates more than 200 indirect jobs and works with about 2,060 smallholder farmers. Mali’s Sakalé Traoré, founder of Mamali Moringa, was named Young Female Agripreneur – Rising Star for her value-added moringa business, which works with more than 1,000 women producers and about 250 young people.
Rwanda’s Marina Kamanzi, founder of Kagezi Seed Company, received the Resilient & Inspirational Leader award for a climate-smart seed business supporting more than 4,500 smallholder farmers, while Kenya’s Cherotich Rutto of Tawi Fresh Kenya won the Female Ag-Tech Innovator award for a digital marketplace linking more than 2,000 farmers with institutional buyers and facilitating over US$4.5 million in agricultural trade.
The awards underscored a broader challenge facing Africa’s food systems: promising women-led enterprises need sustained access to finance, technology, markets, skills and networks if their local successes are to translate into larger-scale economic impact.
Through WAYA and its VALUE4HER initiative, AGRA is seeking to combine recognition with practical support, including prize capital, mentorship and investor and market linkages, positioning women entrepreneurs as key actors in building more productive, resilient and inclusive African food systems.