Some moments deserve a special mention.
They came, they experienced and they want to share their thoughts about it with you.
"I won the Award last year and managed to develop my business. This year I am back because I want to find investors and meet with people representing financial institutions. I want to go even further with my business."
"The AgriBusiness Forum provides a great opportunity for businesses, governments and foundations like ours to network as there are very few opportunities to have stakeholders across the continent actuallly assembled in one place."
"For us AFIF is a very important conference and with its focus on SMEs it is an event we do not want to miss!"
"EMRC assisted us in developing affordable finance model for our farmers, we had farmers present as well as experts from EMRC and we have been introduced to many valuable partners."
"As there is a growing potential in this [Africa] continent it is very interesting to learn more, to meet people and to learn more about the opportunities this continent has to offer. It is very interesting to bring the two sides together."
""We decided to partner with AFIF 2015 and EMRC in order to be in a position to take advantage of the many small and medium enteprises. We felt as UNDP that we could put forward the message about impact investment and set up the networks we would like to see in Africa."
"I can say that we have learnt a lot during the Forum. From the business side, I have received already two loan applications."
“Just a note to thank you for an exceptional productive conference. As a result of the opportunities to meet potential partners and customers at the EMRC conference in Johannesburg GrainPro was able to arrange follow up meetings with two ministers of agriculture and several potential partner organization. For us this was clearly the most valuable conference in Africa this year and we look forward to next year’s. We would love to have an opportunity at next year’s meeting to report on the progress in the use of hermetic storage to protect grains and crops that is taking place in Africa.”
"In our view the agriculture and food sectors will play as important a role, if not a more important role, in ensuring the economic viability of the Congo as is the case in other African countries. For that reason it is very encouraging to see the attention been given by the Congolese government, and other key stakeholders, to this very important subject."
We put the emphasis on entrepreneurship. I want to support young companies with innovative ideas so I thought it would be a great opportunity to come and meet other investors who are active in this market and look for other opportunities for us to make direct investments in.
"AGCO is aware of the important role young people and job creation play in agriculture. Government and the Private Sector need to come together to make agriculture more attractive to young people. Mechanizing agriculture combined with training is a great way to increase agricultural productivity and incomes and will engage more young people in the industry as they can move away from the physical labour to technological thinking and can increase their productivity."
“The issue of finance is key and a core element in promoting inclusive and sustainable agribusinesses. There is a need for innovative financing mechanisms to serve the missing middle SMEs by providing equity investments and loans. There are a number of interesting examples, but now is the time to bring these emerging solutions to scale.”
"Since 2012 IFC has stepped up efforts to support Africa’s agribusiness sector. We are developing new products, such as local currency financing, risk sharing facilities, and comprehensive support to farmers through intermediaries. IFC also aims to further integrate its advisory services with investments, to provide more comprehensive support."
"The AgriBusiness Forum is very interesting for us as we work in agriculture and we are looking for finance so this is the place to meet potential partners."
"For four days I was surrounded by people from across the world either working in the same field or looking to invest. I learnt so much, made important contacts and most of all it gave me enormous self confidence."
"It's great to participate in such international events as it allows us to establish contacts with institutions and entrepreneurs. Since my participation in the last AgriBusiness Forum in Johannesburg I have been in contact with an English importer and now I am waiting for him to visit Guinea Bissau."
"We came to meeting strategic development partners with whom we can partner in access to finance for this sector. We also learnt about best practice from others so as to introduce area based tailored models from those that have been successful elsewhere to Rwanda's agribusiness value chain."
"I established global contacts thanks to the AgriBusiness Forum. I even was able to creat partnerships; with one company from Uganda and an association from Argentina."
"The AgriBusiness Forum is a stepping stone for the country. It creates that pool of knowledge that is essential to get the private sector moving forward."
"For the first time ever I received funding for my project and this is thanks to the fact that I attended the AgriBusiness Forum 2012. When I was there I met the head of Rabobank Foundation who put me in contact with people in Mozambique which led to me accessing funding. It was exceptional."
Information is the ‘food’ which feeds economic growth. Read the latest news impacting Africa’s Private Sector.
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Ensuring food security, reducing poverty by increasing the integration and regional synergies of Central Africa (Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea) is the challenge of CEMAC (Economic Community of Central African States).
Rwanda assembly begins, at the rate of 1,000 a year, with Polo and Passat. Capacity for 5,000 units is planned
Rwanda assembly begins, at the rate of 1,000 a year, with Polo and Passat. Capacity for 5,000 units is planned
Volkswagen has launched integrated mobility in Rwanda which includes local vehicle assembly, mobility services and a sales and service retail outlet called CFAO Volkswagen Rwanda.
Kenya has positioned itself as one of the most prominent startup destinations in Africa.
With the rise of innovation hubs and accelerator programs in Kenya, there has been great growth for entrepreneurs with over 600 hundred start-ups in the country.
Access to internet and a great education system are also some contributors to the increase in startups and innovation.
The World Bank said sub-Saharan Africa’s economy growth was projected to reach 3.1 percent in 2018, and an average of 3.6 percent between 2019 and 2020.
Addis Ababa — Information technology is being utilised more than ever to improve agriculture in East Africa.
The world talks a lot about the digital revolution, but few connect it to the coming agriculture revolution, especially in Africa. Digital solutions have huge potential for helping farmers boost productivity and connect to financial tools and markets around the world.