Auda-Nepad Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Support

27/08/2026

Meet the companies in this year’s HGS cohort!

First up is ZimSmart Villages, a Zimbabwean healthcare venture founded in 2024 that is reimagining how rural and underserved communities access affordable, quality care.

Across , where distance, cost and limited service availability can place essential healthcare out of reach, ZimSmart is bringing care closer to the people who need it. Through health kiosks, digital health promoters, WhatsApp screening and on-demand telehealth consultations, the company connects communities to low-cost consultations, testing, prescription delivery and other essential services.

But the story goes deeper than . It is about making technology useful, trusted and human. ZimSmart’s blended model combines physical access points, local support and remote care, and is already operating across 19 locations in 10 districts. To date, the company has delivered more than:
> 28,000 telemedicine consultations
> 25,000 point-of-care tests
> 22,000 eye screenings, and
> 56,542 prescriptions

ZimSmart Villages is participating in the AUDA NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator, launched with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2020 to help African-led ventures become more competitive, investable and positioned to scale their impact. Now in its sixth year, HGS has already supported five cohorts comprising 46 companies and expanded this year to support both health and climate ventures.

Each week, we will spotlight another company supported by HGS.
Stay tuned to meet the rest of the cohort!



Villgro | BCG in Africa

23/07/2026

Pitching bold ideas for financing SME growth!

On Day 2 of the AU MSME Forum 2026 in Abidjan, 22 high-potential African enterprises participating in the Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 completed an intensive coaching programme delivered by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Villgro Africa.

Through tailored coaching and mock pitching sessions, the founders refined their investment propositions in preparation for the Sovereignty Talk Sessions on 23 July, where shortlisted companies will pitch directly to African Ministers, senior African Union officials, investors, and development partners during the Joint STC.

For these enterprises, the opportunity extends beyond a pitch, it is a gateway to strategic partnerships, investment, policy visibility, and continental market opportunities that can accelerate the growth and scale of African-owned solutions addressing food and energy security.


BCG in Africa

On Day 2 of the African Union SME Forum 2026, 22 high-potential African enterprises participating in the Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 completed an intensive coaching programme delivered by BCG, and Villgro Africa.

Through tailored coaching and mock pitching sessions, the founders refined their investment propositions in preparation for the Sovereignty Talk Sessions on 23 July, where shortlisted companies will pitch directly to African Ministers, senior AU officials, investors, and development partners during the Joint STC.

For these enterprises, the opportunity extends beyond a pitch, it is a gateway to strategic partnerships, investment, policy visibility, and continental market opportunities that can accelerate the growth and scale of African-owned solutions addressing food and energy security.

23/07/2026

Africa's policy ambitions are becoming investable enterprise solutions.

In collaboration with the African Union Commission, we supported 30 high-potential African ventures through our Home-Grown Solutions Accelerator Programme, ahead of the Pitch and Investment side-event of the Joint 9th STC on Finance and 5th STC on Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals. This is part of the ongoing African Union Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026.

The ventures went through a structured season of preparation delivered with Villgro Africa and BCG in Africa, including diagnostics to assess readiness, masterclasses to sharpen business fundamentals, fireside chats with industry leaders and investors, and pitch readiness reviews to prepare founders for investor engagement.

The Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 is helping turn Africa's policy ambitions into investable enterprise solutions. It supports high-growth startups and deep-tech innovators, with a focus on breakthrough technologies for food and energy self-sufficiency.

Africa's policy ambitions are becoming investable enterprise solutions.

In collaboration with the African Union Commission, we supported 30 high-potential African ventures through our Home Grown Solutions Accelerator Programme, ahead of the Pitch and Investment side-event of the Joint 9th STC on Finance and 5th STC on Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals. This is part of the ongoing African Union Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026.

The ventures went through a structured season of preparation delivered with Villgro Africa and BCG, including diagnostics to assess readiness, masterclasses to sharpen business fundamentals, fireside chats with industry leaders and investors, and pitch readiness reviews to prepare founders for investor engagement.

The Food and Energy Sovereignty Challenge 2026 is helping turn Africa's policy ambitions into investable enterprise solutions. It supports high-growth startups and deep-tech innovators, with a focus on breakthrough technologies for food and energy self-sufficiency.

16/07/2026

Meet Cohort 6 – Healthcare and Climate Ventures

We are thrilled to announce the 2026 pan-African cohort of our Home-Grown Solutions (HGS) Accelerator, now in its 6th year!

This year, AUDA NEPAD Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Support is supporting 7 new HGS, with 3 ventures in health and 4 in climate.

This initiative is made possible with funding and collaboration from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and operational support from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Villgro Africa.

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months!

Get to know our cohort: https://www.nepad.org/news/auda-nepad-home-grown-solutions-accelerator-announces-its-6th-pan-african-cohort

Waspito | OneHealth | Noor Nation | Mr. Green Africa | Kabisa Electric | Kubik | ZimSmart Villages


BCG in Africa

16/07/2026

Découvrez cohorte 6 de startups santé et climat

Nous sommes ravis d’annoncer la cohorte panafricaine 2026 de notre accélérateur AUDA NEPAD Home-Grown Solutions (HGS), qui en est maintenant à sa 6e année !

Cette année, nous accompagnons 7 nouvelles HGS, dont 3 entreprises dans le secteur de la santé et 4 dans le domaine du climat.

Cette initiative est rendue possible grâce au financement et à la collaboration de Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ainsi qu’au soutien opérationnel de Boston Consulting Group (BCG) et Villgro Africa.

Restez connectés pour découvrir plus d’actualités dans les mois à venir !

Waspito | OneHealth | Noor Nation | Mr. Green Africa | Kabisa Electric | Kubik | ZimSmart Villages

BCG in Africa

15/07/2026

AUDA NEPAD's Homegrown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator brought together 17 agribusiness entrepreneurs from 10 COMESA member states for a four-day capacity building and stakeholder engagement programme in .

Speaking with TV 47 Kenya, the Principal Programme Officer and Head of the Industrialisation Unit, George Murumba, noted that the pilot cohort of the HGSA-A is generating important lessons for scaling the initiative across the continent. Rather than expanding everywhere at once, the approach is to identify the most scalable businesses and grow from there, bringing in more partners along the way.

The accelerator is designed to strengthen African agribusinesses through strategic partnerships, peer learning, and regional collaboration, with a focus on food security, job creation, and climate resilience across the continent.

Watch the full interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gIIlZ_QakI





DROUGHT GUARD AFRICA LTD | Forest Africa Zambia Limited | Mtengowakumunda | Kagezi Seeds

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08/07/2026

Connecting Agripreneurs to Sustainable Growth Opportunities 🌾

Seventeen African entrepreneurs from ten member states arrived at summit with innovative agribusiness solutions. They leave with stronger networks, valuable market insights, and strategic connections that will help transform innovation into scalable impact.

‎For two days, entrepreneurs from African Union Development Agency-NEPAD’s Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A) engaged with policymakers, investors, development partners, and agribusiness leaders.

They exhibited, pitched their businesses to investors, participated in roundtable discussions, and contributed to conversations on sustainable financing and the future of Africa's food systems. These engagements reinforced the importance of building an enabling ecosystem where innovative enterprises can access the partnerships, knowledge, and investment required to grow.

‎The journey continues at the African Union - Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in Nairobi, where the entrepreneurs will participate in the HGSA-A Capacity Building and Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Sessions.

This next phase will strengthen their investment readiness, sharpen their growth strategies, facilitate peer learning, enhance their strategic positioning, and foster partnerships that will enable them to scale sustainable, home-grown agribusiness solutions across Africa.




Drought Guard Africa, Uganda | Forest Africa Limited, Zambia | M’tengo Wakumunda Enterprise, Malawi | Kagezi Seeds, Zambia

06/07/2026

Accelerating Africa's Agribusiness Transformation Through Home-Grown Innovation 🌾

Addressing the beneficiaries of AUDA NEPAD’s Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A) at FINAS2026, Mr. George Murumba (AUDA-NEPAD), underscored the importance of African-led innovation in strengthening the continent's food systems and driving sustainable economic transformation.

| “The crises of recent years reminded us just how vulnerable Africa can be to external shocks, but they also revealed our greatest strength—our home-grown solutions. By identifying and accelerating scalable local innovations, we are building more resilient food systems, empowering entrepreneurs, and creating sustainable solutions that can withstand future challenges. This accelerator is about more than supporting businesses; it's about unlocking Africa's potential to drive its own transformation through innovation, collaboration, and tailored growth support.” |

~ Mr. George Murumba,
– Principal Programme Officer, Head of Industrialisation Unit (AUDA NEPAD)

By investing in home-grown solutions today, Africa is laying the foundation for a more food-secure, innovative, and prosperous future.

06/07/2026

Building on the momentum from Day 1 at , AUDA NEPAD's Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A) continues to showcase the power of Africa’s home-grown agribusiness .

Today, the spotlight is on ecosystem dialogue, product showcases, enterprise pitching, and strategic matchmaking, creating opportunities for growth-stage agribusinesses to connect with investors, strengthen partnerships, and accelerate their impact across .

HGSA-A is demonstrating that when innovative entrepreneurs are connected to the right ecosystem, they become catalysts for resilient food systems, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.



Financing Agri-food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) | David Cheboryot | Isabella Tenai | Ali Paquira | Mariah Muguku | Leonard Ekea | John Ngugi | Charles Olero | Wekesa Elijah | Sarah Machio | Justin Kasia | African Union

05/07/2026

Sustainable Financing for Africa's Agri-food Systems! 🌾

At , under the theme "Towards a Sustainable Financial Architecture for Africa's Food Systems", the Home-Grown Solutions Agribusiness Accelerator (HGSA-A) is showcasing how Africa's own innovators are building the future of resilient, inclusive, and commercially viable food systems.

As an AUDA NEPAD flagship programme funded by the Government of New Zealand through the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), and implemented by E4Impact Foundation and Fie-Consult, HGSA-A is accelerating high-potential agribusinesses that are delivering scalable, innovative, and impact-driven solutions across Africa's agricultural value chains.

The programme equips entrepreneurs with context-specific advisory services, investment readiness and fundraising support, strategic partnerships, market linkages, cross-border trade facilitation under the African Continental Free Trade Area ( ), and post-acceleration support to unlock sustainable growth.

HGSA-A's participation at reflects a shared commitment to transforming Africa's food systems by connecting promising agribusinesses with the financing, partnerships, and enabling ecosystems needed to scale their impact. By bringing together innovators, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders, the event provides an important platform to demonstrate that home-grown solutions are not only solving local agricultural challenges, but they are also creating investment-ready enterprises capable of driving regional trade, strengthening food security, creating jobs, and building climate-resilient economies across Africa.

Africa's sustainable food systems will be built by investing in African innovation. Through HGSA-A, locally led agribusinesses are being empowered to become the next generation of enterprises shaping a more prosperous, food-secure, and resilient continent.