August 12, 2025
Africa’s youth are not just inheriting farms; they are reinventing them. In June 2025, more than 200 young innovators from across the continent gathered at the AYuTe NextGen 2025 Conference in Kampala, Uganda, to show how technology is reshaping agriculture and creating new opportunities for smallholder farmers.
AYuTe — short for Agriculture, Youth and Technology — is Heifer International’s key initiative supporting young African agripreneurs. Each year, the NextGen conference highlights youth innovations and connects them with investors, policymakers and development partners.
This year, finalists were selected from more than 100 applications spanning 10 countries — Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi and Zambia — demonstrating the initiative’s broad geographic reach and diverse innovation. From AI-driven livestock tools to drought-tolerant seedlings, the energy in Kampala was unmistakable as Africa’s next generation of changemakers combined hands-on farming knowledge with smart technology to raise farmer incomes and strengthen local food systems.
Since its 2021 launch, AYuTe NextGen has supported nearly 100 youth-led agribusinesses with over $10 million in catalytic funding, reaching 3.5 million smallholder households and creating over 23,000 jobs. Through its regional and national competitions, winners gain not only financial awards but also mentorship, business incubation and access to networks of investors and policymakers. This pipeline is turning promising ideas into scalable ventures, including the standout innovations honored at this year’s event.
Unlike theoretical tech conferences, AYuTe NextGen 2025 brought forward practical, ready-to-scale solutions. The conference showcased innovative tools designed by and for young Africans, specifically addressing the needs of smallholder farmers. These included:
Each innovation addressed persistent challenges in African agriculture, from limited market and financial access to growing climate change threats, all of which directly affect smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. United by a shared mission, these young innovators are working to make African farming more sustainable, profitable and future-proof.
Four ventures stood out for their innovation and impact at AYuTe NextGen 2025, taking home top honors. These youth-led enterprises are driving real change, from increasing productivity to building climate resilience for smallholder farmers, and are poised for significant growth with the right backing.
Finalists competed in two categories: climate-smart agriculture and access to finance and markets.
Despite the creativity on display, a consistent message echoed through panel sessions and pitch stages at the event: Without early-stage funding, even the most brilliant ideas remain prototypes. Young innovators also voiced a common frustration over the lack of risk-tolerant capital for youth-led ventures. Although many of these entrepreneurs have promising models and proven impact, they still struggle to secure the financing needed to expand and reach more smallholder farmers.
Participants emphasized the need for dedicated agri-tech innovation funds and risk-sharing models to reduce the burden on young founders while encouraging private-sector investment. While AYuTe offers catalytic grants and strategic mentorship, many ventures still find it difficult to attract commercial investment, underscoring the need for broader ecosystem involvement and new financing methods.
Government ministers at the event acknowledged that current policy frameworks lag behind the pace of innovation. Overall, young people should influence policy, not just navigate it. Key policy recommendations included:
Africa’s agricultural sector faces vast challenges, including an aging farming population, increasing climate threats and persistent food insecurity. Yet the energy and resilience at AYuTe NextGen 2025 proved that young Africans are already leading change. Now, they need the capital, policies and alliances to scale their impact. The question is no longer whether youth can transform agriculture, but whether the broader ecosystem is ready to support them.
As the world marks International Youth Day on Aug. 12, Heifer urges governments, funders, development and private-sector actors to co-create the next phase of AYuTe NextGen. Your partnership can unlock investment, ignite policy change and strengthen the systems these young leaders are building.
Africa’s youth are reinventing food systems now.
Special thanks to Muthoni Ngure, Nchimunya Kasongo, Toyosi Lana and Omotola Oyebanjo for their contributions.
By Dayo Aduroja | August 29, 2021
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