Benon Crowned Winner of YEFFA Agribusiness Competition
What began as a three-day business bootcamp culminated in a remarkable showcase of youth-driven innovation as Nyangenzi Benon of Nyangenzi Farms emerged as the overall winner of the Youth Agribusiness Plan Competition held in Kayonza.
Organized by Africa Development Consultant (ADC) under the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme—an AGRA initiative supported by the Mastercard Foundation—the bootcamp brought together 50 young agripreneurs from Rwanda’s Eastern Province, equipping them with practical skills in business planning, financial management, and investment readiness.
The final pitching session saw participants present refined agribusiness ideas before a panel of judges drawn from the agriculture sector, private enterprises, and financial institutions. Benon distinguished himself with a clear and scalable agribusiness model that demonstrated strong market potential and the capacity to create jobs, earning him the competition’s top prize.
In recognition of the most promising ventures, four outstanding enterprises received catalytic equity funding aimed at strengthening their businesses, improving investment readiness, and unlocking additional financing opportunities. As the overall winner, Benon was awarded RWF 2 million to support the growth of Nyangenzi Farms. Egide Tuyishime of Icofee Ltd secured second place and received RWF 1.5 million, while Cyuzuzo Anitha of Ruba Farm Ltd was granted RWF 1 million. Asiimwe Norah of KELLEN HAPUC Ltd completed the list of awardees with funding worth RWF 500,000.
Through the YEFFA programme, ADC continues to empower young agripreneurs to build competitive enterprises, foster employment opportunities, and contribute to the transformation of Rwanda’s agri-food systems.
