The two main inputs cover experiences in the MENA region, but the conclusions are transferable to other parts of the world. The webinar recording is designed to inform project staff, decision makers and partner organisations.

Shifting perceptions — From unemployed youth to young agripreneur

The World Bank estimates that by 2030 440 million young people will have entered Africa’s rural labour market. Until then agriculture is likely to remain the single most important source of income and employment for people in rural Africa.

The current situation with low income, bad working conditions, difficult access to capital and lack of innovative technology make African agriculture an unappealing career choice to young people on the continent. The promotion of agricultural entrepreneurship through start-up and MSME support, especially with a focus on services and ICT-related opportunities, helps to improve the attractiveness of the agricultural value chains with the youth in Africa.

The presenters

Frank heads the new sector project on Rural Employment with Focus on Youth. Christoph is Senior Advisor for Rural Development at GIZ head office. Matthias works as an advisor in GIZ’s Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Programme in Tunisia and Ahmed leads the eco-industrial department at the engineering and management consultancy Chemonics Egypt. The firm has vast experience in promoting entrepreneurs thanks to their track record in consulting start-ups and applying MSMEs tools and approaches in sectors such as waste management, water systems, sustainable energy and sustainable agriculture and food production.

What will be your takeaway?

Firstly, Frank and Christoph introduce the new webinar series and the new sector project. Then Ahmed — based on his extensive experience with tracking firms for more than five years of operations — draws a detailed picture of how entrepreneurship can develop markets. Matthias reflects on the initial practical implementation of these findings by GIZ in Tunisia, stressing the importance of inspiration, orientation and market testing of ideas with young agripreneurs, long before starting to support the process of setting up a business.

The Powerpoints

About the webinar series

The new series is guided by the question of how projects can promote both employment opportunities as well a spirit of agripreneurship with young Africans in remote areas. Agripreneurs are highly motivated young entrepreneurs who combine a specific know-how in or with agriculture to launch their own business model along agricultural or food value chains.

Upcoming webinars will be published in the events calendar. You can contact Julia.Bayer@giz.de for details.