Entrepreneur is aged 35 or below on the date of submission to the competition, and is legally recognised as an adult in country of nationality.
Entrepreneur holds nationality (with an official ID) from a country which is a member of the African Union.
Entrepreneur is the founder/co-founder of the venture he/she represents in the competition and plays an active role in its operations and leadership.
Entrepreneur has no criminal record related to corruption, tax evasion, financial impropriety, felony or other offence, and will provide a signed declaration to that effect, if requested.
Applications are open for the GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize 2021. The GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize aims to find Africa’s brightest young agri-food entrepreneurs. They are searching for agribusinesses that bring technology, innovation and passion to the agriculture and food industries.
You could win one of two US$50,000 cash prizes that will help you change your world and transform the agri-food business in Africa. We need strong agriculture and food businesses to grow our communities and economies as we recover from the pandemic. They want to support your businesses, so you can lead the way.
GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize is a fantastic opportunity for young African agripreneurs to take their business venture to the next level. In addition to the US$50,000, the competition also offers these agripreneurs the chance to attend the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) virtual meeting and make their mark. The finalists will also receive mentorship, programming linkages and guidance to continue their entrepreneurial journey.
Benefits
Two entrepreneurs, one woman and one man, will each win $50,000 US Dollars for the most innovative and scalable business ventures.
The Venture
Venture is already legally registered in a country which is a member of the African Union or will have commenced with the registration of such a legal entity prior to July 18, 2021.
Venture is headquartered in a country which is a member of the African Union.
Venture is designed to be financially sustainable, either as a for-profit business or a non-profit generating some revenue and aiming not to be dependent on donor funding.
Venture plays a role in the agri-food sector and/or supports the development of the agri-food sector through an innovation or process improvement.
The agri-food sector may be defined as businesses including:
Agri-food research & development
Primary food production (farming)
Crop nutrition
Irrigation
Mechanisation, automation or robotics, including drones
Crop protection
Hydroponics or urban farming
Transport, distribution, storage or logistics
Food processing
Packaging or marketing
Food retail or service
Waste management or recycling
Digital or technology solutions/services to the agri-food sector
Innovative finance solutions/services to the agri-food sector
Renewable energy or environmental solutions/services to the agri-food sector
Other Requirements
They want to hear from businesses that show:
originality and innovation,
market potential and traction,
social and commercial impact,
environmental sustainability,
and an inspiring and investible team.
Application
The application includes questions such as:
“Give an example of your entrepreneurial mindset.”
“How does your venture make money?”
“Who are your main customers?”
“Who are your main competitors?”
“What are your biggest business challenges so far and how have you overcome them?”
Applicants must fill out each section of the application to be considered. Be sure to allow enough time to complete all sections.
Nominee must have a company/project/initiative you had been working on/working with the impact that can be verified.
Nominee company/project/initiative must be beneficiary to Africa people or the African continent.
The nominee will make a 60 seconds (one minute) video of themselves telling us the following in the video – Nominee Full Name, Country name, name of your company/project/initiative, impact it had in the community or across Africa, why nominee deserves the award and why you are Africa’s Changemaker.
Applications for the African ChangeMakers Initiative Awards 2021 are now open. The Awards identifies and celebrates excellence, leadership, entrepreneurial ingenuity of social entrepreneurs, businesses, technologist, and social innovators in individuals, programs, teams, groups, or organizations across Africa and the world.
The African ChangeMakers Initiative identifies people or organizations turning problems into solutions on a large scale, defender of humanity, peace & freedom, and planet protection. ACI Awards honors dedicated life works, careers, impacting businesses, philanthropic, educationist, social or civic servant, and other deserving causes in Africa. Awardees will be honored during African ChangeMakers Leadership Summit (#ACLeads2021) event.
Categories
Group A
African ChangeMakers Rising Star Award – Emerging Leader pursuing careers with a portfolio or doing extraordinary things related to tech innovation, social innovation, design thinking, and changemaking.
African ChangeMakers Courage Awards — Emerging Leader – that choose to make education a priority while facing life challenging events, such as homelessness, heartache, financial hardship, family turmoil, illness, substance abuse and physical disabilities.
Group B
African ChangeMakers Agricultural Award
African ChangeMakers Health & Wellness Award
African ChangeMakers Innovative Education Award – quality education, accessibility, affordability.
African ChangeMakers Environmental & Climate Award -climate, water, land
African ChangeMakers Industry & Infrastructure Award
African ChangeMakers Humanity, Peace & Civil Rights Defender Award
African ChangeMakers Women Advancement Award – reduce inequalities, domestic violence, education etc.
African ChangeMakers Clean & Renewable Energy Award- reduce, reuse, recycle, consumption and production – Innovative & Digital Cities
African ChangeMakers Partnership & Community Development Award – diaspora, friends of Africa, country for Africa, company for Africa
African ChangeMakers Governance Leadership – Strong Institution & Policymakers Award- public figures for their significant contributions to the country and its communities
African ChangeMakers Future of Work & Employment Award- workforce, employment
African ChangeMakers Creative Arts & Entertainment Award
African ChangeMakers Tech & Innovation Award
African ChangeMakers Diversity & Inclusiveness Award
Group
African ChangeMakers Men/Women of the Year Awards
African ChangeMakers Lifetime Leader Award
Award
Award Recipients outside Nigeria will be given e-plaques, e-Badge and e-certificates which can be printed out and framed for display.
Award Recipients in Nigeria will be given a plaque and e-Badge.
ACi will also recognize some high-level organizations/individuals in some categories for the well-known impact they are making.
Application
ACiAwards 2021 is an online application and e-voting system process thereby enabling all African nations to send in nominations across the world.
Applications for the Women in Africa 54 (WIA54) Programme 2021 are now open. The WIA 54 programme promotes women entrepreneurship in Africa since 2017. Each year, it endows 54 African women entrepreneurs from 54 African countries with a comprehensive support package consisting of training, communication, mentoring and networking.
In 2021, WIA rolls out its 2030 plan, which multiplies the number of beneficiaries of the programme by 10! This year, before appointing the 54 laureates, the jury will make an initial selection of 10 finalists per country. Thus, 540 women candidates will benefit from training and coaching. Through this newly introduced initiative, WIA aims at supporting more than 10,000 women entrepreneurs, indirectly contributing to the creation of 100,000 jobs, by 2030.
From this strengthened pool of entrepreneurs, the jurors will then select the 54 country laureates and 9 sectoral prize winners who will receive a comprehensive package of support to further boost their success!
Benefits
Training & Mentoring
Take part in an online training Bootcamp.
Receive an offered training by one of the 58 campuses of their partner Honoris united universities.
Be mentored and coached by an experienced leader.
Network
Integrate a network of more than 100,000 members worldwide.
Have access to privileged consulting sessions with their partners.
Have direct contact with pan-African and global experts.
International Exposure
Speak at international webinars.
Broadcast your projects on WIA platforms.
Eligibility
Open to business created or led by an African woman.
Startup created less than 5 years ago.
First traction on the market (sales, number of users, funds raised).
Be part of one of the 8 categories (primary business category):
Education
Health
Agriculture
Environment
FinTech
Digital & Technology
Creative Industries
Beauty Industries
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria for the projects:
Innovative product, service or technology
Proven business model scalability
Strong growth potential
Ambitious team with strong execution ability
Market traction (revenue, number of users, funds raised)
Potential impact in Africa
Application
For all your questions related to your application contact WIA at: WIA54@wia-initiative.com and for your questions related to WIA in general: contact@wia-initiative.com.
Getting a job can be exhilarating for you, especially when you love what you do. Going out to your workplace, solving problems from your work desk and meeting new people can be very exciting and can quickly become something you look forward to every day. While you may not be doing anything to attract any form of sexual harassment, it is important to understand that it can happen to just anybody. It is imperative that you handle the matter as soon as it occurs in order to ensure that your physical, mental and emotional health is not affected by it.
Dealing with sexual harassment as a man is totally different from dealing with it as a woman. This is because, while girls are afraid of such unwanted advances, society expects men to view it as a compliment to their manliness. Most guys who have been sexually harassed do not even recognize it as what it is. They just “go with the flow” and end up falling as victims because they don’t want to be called names for refusing sexual advances from a woman.
Let me break down what sexual harassment is in simple terms.
In opposition to the popular belief that sexual harassment occurs only when your body is touched inappropriately, sexual harassment actually encompasses any unwelcome sexual advances. It cuts across any requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical behaviors of a sexual nature.
When such conduct affects the employment status of the victim or interferes with their work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment it is described as sexual harassment at the work place.
Got it?
Any unwanted sexual advances or sexual statements that are severe enough to cause the victim to feel intimidated or consider the workplace hostile and uncomfortable or abusive is considered sexual harassment. If someone looks at you inappropriately for too long or makes a sexual statement involving your appearance, instigates unwanted suggestive phone calls, emails or text messages or uses inappropriate languages to address you, jokes about sex, rape or assault, these behaviors in the workplace are all considered as sexual harassment in the work place.
While we may be familiar with the incident of unwanted sexual relationships being demanded from females as a requirement fora job or a promotion, the idea of males being sexually harassed at the workplace may seem a little off to others. However, I want to bring to your notice that it happens to a lot of guys. The only difference however, is that they do not report the situation. They just take it in stride.
Here is a guide to help guys deal with sexual harassment in the work place.
1. Recognize it for what it is: If you do not know what it is, or are unable to identify what it is, then you cannot deal with the situation accordingly. It is sexual harassment! It is not right for someone to touch you inappropriately. Your boss has no right to demand sex in order for you to get a promotion. Sex is not part of your job description. From the explanation regarding what sexual harassment is, you should already know better.
2. Admit it: This is the step a lot of guys throw off. The fact that a guy identifies an inappropriate behaviour doesn’t mean he would admit it is inappropriate. Admitting has to do with telling yourself that this thing is not normal. Telling yourself that it is not a compliment of your masculinity. Once you are able to do this, then you are on the right track to dealing with it in the most mature and best way possible.
3. Let them know you do not like it: The key word in sexual harassment is “unwanted”. Let them know you don’t want such emails, let them know you do not want to be touched in such a manner. Let them know you do not like comments or jokes filled with sexual innuendos. There is nothing wrong with verbally declining the unwanted advances of a young lady. Whether or not she is pretty.
4. Saying no doesn’t make you weak: Saying no doesn’t make you weak. Saying you are uninterested doesn’t make you less of a man. Your mental, physical and emotional state at all times is more important than showing that you are a “real man”. If anything, declining the unwanted advances from an employer shows that you are self-aware.
5. Make a report: Once you have told the perpetrators that you are not interested in their advances and they still insist, make a report. If you work with a company that has processes to report sexual harassment, then follow due process. If the harasser is the person you are meant to report to, you can report to a far higher authority. Alternatively, you can report to a law enforcement agency or talk to your lawyer about it.
Sexual harassment is an uncomfortable thing to experience especially in the workplace. There are laws that protect you from being sexually harassed in a place you work. Do not ever think you are weak for saying no or reporting to a higher authority. Report such cases and let justice be served.
As a young person, you are taught to save; put those little chunks of extra money you have into your savings account. That’s supposed to be enough. No one ever pushes you to invest plus, the small profit margin in it is not always enticing but, do you know that starting your investment journey at a young age is one of the best things you can do for yourself?
Why you might ask?
It’s simple! When saving, you are simply putting the money away maybe for emergencies and other things but when investing, you are not just putting the money aside, you are also putting the money to work for you by putting it in ventures or using it to buy things that will increase its value.
Now you may be saying ‘I’ll get to that later, I’m still in college so I don’t have to worry about that now’, well you actually do. Ever heard the phrase ‘the earlier, the better’? It’s true!
But why? You may ask. Why start early on investments? What is the need you want to desperately meet that demands you put your money to work for you now?
Let’s look at a few.
Build Healthy Wealth: growing your money
Investing your money can allow you to grow it. Most investment vehicles, such as stocks, certificates of deposit, or bonds, offer returns on your money over the long term. This return allows your money to build, creating wealth over time.
Planing for the future: Save for retirement
As a student or part of the workforce, you should be saving money for retirement. Put your retirement savings into a portfolio of investments, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, businesses, or precious metals. Then, at retirement age, you can live off funds earned from these investments.
In order to grow your money, you need to put it in a place where it can earn a high rate of return. The higher the rate of return, the more money you will earn. Investment vehicles tend to offer the opportunity to earn higher rates of return than savings accounts. Therefore, if you want the chance to earn a higher return on your money, you will need to explore investing your money.
Based on your personal tolerance of risk, you may want to consider being riskier at a younger age with your investments. Greater risk increases your chances of earning greater wealth. Becoming more conservative with your investments as you grow older can be wise, especially as you near retirement age.
Reach financial goals faster
Investing can help you reach big financial goals. If your money is earning a higher rate of return than a savings account, you will be earning more money both over the long term and within a faster period. This return on your investments can be used toward major financial goals, such as buying a home, buying a car, starting your own business, or putting your children through college.
The Adventure; Be part of a new venture
New ventures need the backing of money, and they look to investors for that backing. Some investors may like the excitement of investing in a new, cutting-edge product or service or being part of something like a business or film that introduces them to a glamorous world.
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