In collaboration with the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship South Africa, Nestlé East and Southern Africa (ESAR) has created the Nestlé Needs Youth (NNY) Agri Competition. It offers young agripreneurs the chance to win mentorship and coaching opportunities worth over US$30 000.
The IGNITE Investor Readiness and Go-To-Market Programme initiative aims to support agribusiness among young people in East and Southern Africa.
“There are several transformative prospects in agriculture that desperately need young people to step in and lead, and we believe that the IGNITE Programme placements that are up for grabs, will help facilitate those opportunities,” Nestlé East and Southern African Region’s head of learning and development, Desiree Zikalala, said. “Many of Africa’s economies have an agrarian foundation from community to national level and through this competition, we are looking to support and encourage young people to participate in this economic sector.”
Young people and agriculture
“Successful agribusiness ventures have a catalytic effect in communities as their development impact goes beyond the agripreneurs themselves to various verticals that deal directly and indirectly with the sector. We intend for the NNY Agri Competition to open further dialogue on young people in agriculture, and help build transformative networks that support agripreneurship, employment and employability.”
The continent’s young people, who drive innovation, are ideally positioned to take the lead and advance this change. Focusing on young people concentrates these prospects on them. Economic development, job creation, and skill development for greater employability are inherent to agripreneurship.
The Branson Centre’s IGNITE Investor Readiness and Go-To-Market Programme will accept three winning entries from the NNY Agri Competition. The IGNITE Investment for Scale Program, a comprehensive six-month mentorship and coaching program, is the first award. It will assist the winning agripreneur in getting their company investor-ready.
The program includes twice-weekly mentorship, access to business coaches and industry experts, as well as instruction in eight crucial areas of company: purpose, planning, product, brand, people, processes, finances, and partnerships.
The third award is the IGNITE Ideation into Action mentoring program, a one-month program that gives participants access to business coaches and professionals in the industry in three crucial areas: purpose, planning, and product.
How to enter
All East and Southern African residents, between the ages of 18 and 30, are eligible to enter the NNY Agri Competition. Entry periods begin on June 21, 2022, and end on July 31, 2022.
Five finalists will be chosen in August and will present their ideas for one of the three top awards, each worth US$30 000 and provided by the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship SA.
Entries are to be submitted online, on the NNY Agri Competition platform: https://forms.office.com/r/3U83rPBRaK
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