The AfCFTA Secretariat and its partners on the 4D, ProPer and Caravan Initiatives, AfroChampions and the Arab Bank for Economic Development (BADEA) have announced the winners of the AfCFTA Caravan Prize.

A key criterion for the selection of the finalists and semi-finalists is for an organisation and its founders to conceive and implement models, concepts, plans, products, or services that, at scale, can contribute to the objectives of AfCFTA and the broader Agenda 2063 of the African Union, of which AfCFTA is a flagship.

The winners – emerging victorious from a pool of more than 1,500 eligible candidate enterprises, were selected by jurors with a rich background in the development and economic transformation sectors.

Their selection further reflects their institutions’ strong commitment to AfCFTA, SMEs, startup innovation and inclusive growth.  

Those winners are listed here, and below.

Founder, Bernie Akporiaye – MaTontine (Senegal /West Africa)

MaTontine is a comprehensive Digital Financial Services (DFS) platform for the entire financial inclusion industry: Banks, MFIs, Digital Money Providers, agricultural associations etc.

They enable access to a range of financial services like savings, loans and insurance to financially excluded, mostly women, in Africa via mobile phones. MaTontine innovation promises a new Africa where trade is borderless.

Founder, Purity Gakuo – Tekizo Africa (Kenya/East Africa)

Tekizo Africa Limited manufactures and distributes solar-powered freezers to small-scale fishermen, offering them with sustainable cooling services in the fishing sector. Kuza Freezer innovation promises a new Africa where food is secured.

Founder, Dr. John Afolayan – Medics2You (Nigeria /West Africa)

Medics2You incorporates AI, analytics, high-definition video and video calls and machine learning to provide options for preventative healthcare, personal health management as well as specialist health services. Medics2You incorporates AI, analytics, high-definition video and video calls and machine learning to provide options for preventative healthcare, personal health management as well as specialist health services.

Founder, Mildreight Muzendu – Africa Free Trade Area (AFTA) Cargo (Zimbabwe/Southern Africa) 

AFTA Cargo is utilizing its strategic units, responds to the multi-layers issues that have for years marginalized Africa from securing a growing stake in the global cargo market. Disrupt Africa’s cargo market and join us to expedite AfCFTA implementation.

Founder, Matthieu  Gaudemar – Kudoti (South Africa /Southern Africa)

Kudoti seeks to improve waste management infrastructure and grow the circular economy in Africa through digitization and tech-enabled waste value maximization. Disrupt Africa’s waste management system and improve the efficiency of waste and recycling markets on the continent.

About the AfCFTA Caravan Prize

The AfCFTA Caravan Prize celebrates Africa’s SMEs, startups, social enterprises and innovator entities keen on harnessing the benefits that will be created by AfCFTA to expand continentally and flourish at the grassroots. 

Growing out of the earlier AfCFTA Vision and Caravan Africa competitive grants programs, the Prize seeks to discover transformative ideas to expedite AfCFTA implementation.

The Prize is a component of the broader Caravan Initiative, which itself is a flagship of the AU-led 4D Initiative.

The Caravan platform aims to provide extensive soft infrastructure to boost the capacity of SMEs and startups in Africa to expand beyond their home country. It is at the base of the ProPer Network, a supply chain quality assurance program created to ensure that the “Rules of Origin” system at the heart of AfCFTA works for both governments and businesses.

Caravan also powers the “jobs in green tech” program, the Digital Green Corridor, designed to promote a trade & investment corridor for Africa’s cleantech entrepreneurs to benefit from AfCFTA and the ongoing global green shift simultaneously.