In a major step toward building scalable agrifood enterprises across the continent, African Food Changemakers (AFC) today announced a strategic evolution in its operating model, repositioning the organization as a continent-wide agribusiness accelerator dedicated to developing investment-ready, high-growth agrifood businesses across Africa.

This strategic repositioning reflects African Food Changemakers’ expanding role in strengthening Africa’s food systems by moving beyond participation-based programming to deliver structured, outcome-driven enterprise growth pathways that connect agribusinesses to markets, capital, visibility, and trade.

With a footprint spanning 49 African countries and multiple value chains, AFC has long convened stakeholders, equipped entrepreneurs, and designed programs that unlock business growth. It is now formalising its identity as a platform that systematically accelerates agribusinesses from potential to scale.

“Africa does not lack agricultural potential — it lacks scalable agribusiness platforms. For too long, the narrative around Africa’s food systems has focused on challenges rather than solutions. Through AFC’s evolution into an agribusiness accelerator, we are empowering agri-prenuers to build globally competitive businesses that demonstrate Africa’s food future.”
— Ony Mgbeahurike, Board Chair, African Food Changemakers

Through its flagship programs such as Building Resilience Against Climate and Environmental Shocks (BRACE), Leading African Women in Food Fellowship (LAWFF), and the Scaling Export Program (SEP), African Food Changemakers has delivered measurable enterprise growth across Africa. BRACE has supported over 3,500 agribusinesses to integrate climate resilience into their operations, strengthen efficiency, and improve long-term sustainability, resulting in the creation of more than 5,000 direct and 8,000 indirect jobs across the continent. Through LAWFF, AFC has awarded fellowships to eighty-four (84) outstanding African women in food systems, strengthening their leadership capacity while amplifying their voices and visibility on regional and global platforms. The SEP has prepared 279 agribusinesses for export readiness, equipping them with the technical capacity, compliance knowledge, and market intelligence required to compete in regional and international trade, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Collectively, these interventions are enabling African agripreneurs to scale operations, access new markets, build resilient and competitive brands, create quality jobs, and integrate more effectively into regional and global value chains.

For its community of agrifood entrepreneurs, this repositioning provides a clearer pathway from participation to scale, stronger access to markets and investment, and deeper outcome-driven support. For partners and funders, AFC now offers a continental platform for scalable SME pipelines, job creation, women and youth economic inclusion, and trade-enabled agrifood systems, strengthening its role as a high-impact implementation partner.

Looking ahead, AFC is driving a bold 2030 vision to transform Africa’s agrifood sector through enterprise development, climate resilience, and expanded market access. Anchored in its commitment to building successful and sustainable African agribusinesses that are transforming the food ecosystem and recognized globally, the organization aims to enable one million agrifood businesses to access finance, market intelligence, partnerships, and industry resources through the AFC Hub. AFC will support 5,000 women and youth-led agriSMEs to participate competitively in cross-regional and international trade; advance climate-smart practices for 5,000 agriSMEs; catalyze 20,000 new jobs; increase business output by an average of 60 percent; spotlight 5,000 community champions driving grassroots transformation; and nurture five hundred globally recognized food champions.

“Our vision is to see African agrifood businesses not just survive, but scale, creating jobs, driving trade, and feeding the continent,” said Temitope Adegoroye, AFC Board Member. “This is how we transform food systems: by building enterprises that last.”

African Food Changemakers is inviting funders, development partners, corporations, and governments to collaborate to expand this accelerator model and unlock new opportunities for Africa’s agrifood sector.