The winners of the 2025 AWIEF Awards have been announced! Held in Cape Town, South Africa, the glittering awards gala celebrated outstanding women entrepreneurs and leaders driving innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth across the continent. Congratulations to the 2025 AWIEF Awards Winners: Young Entrepreneur Award: Norah Kimathi – Zerobionic, Kenya Empowerment Award: Mampho Sotshongaye – Golden Rewards 1981, South Africa Energy Entrepreneur Award: Nidal Tafah – MIRRIAH, Morocco Creative Industry Award: soraya da piedade – Soraya da Piedade LDA, Angola Social Entrepreneur Award: Farana Boodhram (PhD) – MiDesk Global, South Africa Agri Entrepreneur Award (Sponsored by OCP AFRICA): Linda Davis,…
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Sand to Green co-Founders – Benjamin Rombaut, Gautier de Carcouët, and Wissal Ben Moussa Moroccan AgriTech company, Sand to Green, was recently awarded the 1st Prize (€25,000) at the Orange Social Venture Prize Africa & Middle East 2025, for its pioneering work in regenerative agroforestry. Sand to Green’s model combines high-tech and ecology: the startup designs and implements agroforestry systems on degraded or arid lands, turning them into productive, carbon-sequestering, biodiversity-rich ecosystems. Their approach helps landowners and agricultural investors transition to sustainable, resilient systems that deliver returns and restore the environment. By winning, Sand to Green not only receives the…
Vanessa Kuhlor – Events & Experiential Growth Manager at Rilla This year, software development company Rilla made its debut appearance at the Dreamforce flagship annual conference in San Francisco – a gathering of Dreamforce’s global community of customers, partners and developers for learning, networking, innovation and fun. Without a doubt, Rilla made its presence unmissable, thanks to a simple but impactful Guerrilla Marketing campaign that painted the city yellow. Sebastian Jimenez (Founder & CEO, Rilla) explains: It started pouring at 3PM in San Francisco today. By 4PM, 700 people at Dreamforce were walking around with bright yellow Rilla umbrellas.Two days…
Kafilat Adedeji – Founder, Ufarmy Organics Serial entrepreneur and agripreneur Kafilat Adedeji continues to make her mark on Nigeria’s SME and agrifood landscape with the relaunch of Ufarmy Organics’ Umami Spice Blend Family — a reimagined line of all-natural seasonings crafted to transform everyday Nigerian cooking. Her latest innovation — six unique mushroom-infused Umami spice blends — eliminates the need for artificial cubes or MSG, offering Nigerians a nutrient-rich, flavourful alternative that’s 100% natural and proudly made in Nigeria. From the Umami Jollof Spice Mix to the Pepper Soup Spice Blend and Multipurpose Seasoning, each variant celebrates authentic Nigerian tastes…
Lumi Mustapha – General Counsel & Strategic Advisor at Pareto Mosca Elite Advisory Nigeria’s real market isn’t 200 million — and that’s its strength In a sharp, data-driven reflection, Lumi Mustapha challenges one of Nigeria’s most persistent economic assumptions — that the country’s population automatically translates into a 200-million-person consumer market. Drawing insights from NIN, BVN, GSM, and broadband penetration data, he argues that only about 30 million Nigerians are truly income-active and digitally connected. Far from being a crisis, this reality, he says, is an opportunity to build smarter, more resilient “Camel economies” — grounded in real revenue, sustainable…
Tayo Oviosu – Founder & CEO at Paga Paga, Nigeria’s pioneering mobile payments and financial services company, has officially launched operations in the United States—marking a bold step toward transforming how the African Diaspora moves and manages money. For many Africans living in the U.S., basic financial services such as opening a bank account or sending money home are often costly and inaccessible. Paga’s new platform allows diaspora users to open and manage U.S. bank accounts using only valid identification and a U.S. residential address. The rollout begins with the Nigerian community in the U.S., which has grown significantly over…
Ashim Egunjobi, Managing Partner at Octerra Capital From London to Lagos, Singapore to Saudi Arabia, a new wave of women investors is shaping Africa’s startup future. Armed with billions in assets under management and a sharp focus on impact, these trailblazers are writing cheques, building funds, and backing bold entrepreneurs across the continent. They range from early-stage venture capitalists to growth equity pioneers—and they are redefining what it means to invest in Africa’s best founders. Here they are: Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, Founding Partner at Aruwa Capital Management, a growth equity fund closing gender gaps across Africa. Amoye H., Managing Partner…
(L-R): Ibrahim Salami (co-Founder, Haut Hub) with Lagos State Governor, HE Babajide Sanwo-Olu The community of Epe has welcomed its first technology hub following the opening of Haut Hub, a facility designed to train young people in digital skills (Design, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and more) and provide workspaces for entrepreneurs. Abdulraheem Abdulsobur (co-Founder Haut Hub) Throwing open its doors in April 2025, the hub was co-founded by Ibrahim Salami and his business partner Abdulraheem Abdulsobur, a product designer who has worked with companies in Nigeria, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. Abdulsobur, who is originally from Epe, said he was…
The Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has announced the finalists for the prestigious AWIEF Awards for 2025. Held annually as part of the AWIEF Conference, the AWIEF Awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of women entrepreneurs and business leaders across the African continent. The aim is to shine a spotlight on women who are driving innovation, building impactful businesses, advancing gender equality, and contributing to Africa’s inclusive economic growth and sustainable development. The finalists are: Young Entrepreneur Award Norah Kimathi – Kenya Enyo Kossiwa Midjresso-Amouzou – Togo Chisom Victory Okorie – Nigeria Empowerment Award Mathildah Amollo – Kenya Naima Mohamed – Somalia Mampho…
🎥 Henry Kaestner Entrepreneur and investor, Henry Kaestner recently sat down to chat with Efosa KC Obano—a leader championing African entrepreneurship through the African Impact Initiative and the Black Founders Network in Canada. Their conversation highlighted a powerful vision: innovation rooted not only in capital, but in faith and stewardship. Obano believes God is actively shaping an Africa that is free from poverty—and he believes that entrepreneurs are key players in this redemptive story. Says Kaestner: Had the joy of spending time with my friend Efosa KC Obano at the Chick-fil-A at Dallas Baptist University – Graduate School of Business.…