Young Innovators Reimagine Africa’s Future at the Third AfrInnovate Youth Challenge
December 3, 2025
Young entrepreneurs from across Africa came together in Abuja, Nigeria, today to share ideas, ingenuity, and hope. The third edition of the AfrInnovate Youth Challenge (AYC) spotlighted the energy and creativity of young people reshaping their communities with purpose-driven solutions. Co-hosted by JA Africa, the Z Zurich Foundation, and JA Worldwide, the event marked another milestone in a growing movement that places inclusion, sustainability, and youth leadership at the center of Africa’s economic future.
AYC celebrates youth-led enterprises emerging from the JA Social Equity Program (SEP), which equips underserved young people ages 16–25 with entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work-readiness skills. Through hands-on experience and guided mentoring, SEP participants learn how to design and manage social enterprises that respond directly to challenges in their communities. From mechanized agriculture tools to smart solar technology and waste-to-resource innovations, this year’s finalists demonstrated what happens when young people are given space to solve the problems they understand best.
Watch every pitch, moment of celebration, and story behind the winning ideas in the livestream recording:
The top honor went to SkyVerse Solutions from Tanzania, whose mechanized post-harvest groundnut processing system stood out for its potential to increase crop yields and boost farmer income. The innovation, designed for smallholder farmers, addresses one of the region’s persistent agricultural challenges and offers a scalable path forward for food productivity.
AgriCool Solar Chamber from Uganda won second place, recognized for developing affordable, solar-powered cold storage that reduces food spoilage and strengthens rural livelihoods. By extending crop shelf life, their model gives farmers more control over their earnings and the ability to grow their businesses sustainably.
A tie for third place highlighted two powerful solutions:
CaliFem from Côte d’Ivoire transforms marine waste into sustainable calcium powder while creating meaningful job opportunities for women
Ecobrick Togo turns plastic waste into low-cost, eco-friendly construction materials
SolAir from Burkina Faso received the Innovation Award for its smart, solar-powered irrigation system designed to support farmers facing climate- and water-related challenges. The Impact Award went to Ecobricks Liberia, which is using green construction manufacturing to empower rehabilitated youth through dignified employment.
Throughout the event, one message rose again and again: when young Africans have access to training, mentorship, and opportunity, they build solutions that strengthen entire communities.
“The AfrInnovate Youth Challenge is a powerful reminder that when marginalized young Africans are given access to knowledge, mentorship, and opportunity, they reinvent Africa’s economy,” said Simi Nwogugu, President and CEO of JA Africa. She highlighted how this year’s participants prove that inclusion is not just a value but a driver of sustainable growth.
Gregory Renand, Head of the Z Zurich Foundation, added that empowering youth is one of the most meaningful investments in community resilience. “Through our partnership with JA Africa, we are investing in young entrepreneurs whose ideas are creating tangible, lasting impact.”
To date, SEP has reached more than 150,000 youth across nine African countries, catalyzing over 7,000 youth-led social enterprises in areas such as climate resilience, gender equity, education access, and sustainable development.
These startups will continue to grow, test, iterate, and build. And across Africa, more young innovators are preparing to follow in their footsteps.