By: Hee-Dee Walenga
The 2026 Agripreneurial Innovation Challenge held its finale and awards ceremony in Windhoek last Wednesday.
The Challenge was launched in April and invited local entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector to come up with and present innovative, climate-smart, and job-creating solutions to improve Namibia’s agriculture value chain, food systems, productivity and value addition.
The Challenge is a platform implemented by Basecamp Business Incubator in partnership with the Network for Global Innovation (NGIN), the Capricorn Foundation and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The challenge saw over 238 prospecting innovators register, of which 94 submitted applications. The 10 best ideas were then selected as finalists. 70% of the finalists consisted of women.
The ultimate winner of the Challenge and N$150,000 grand prize was 28-year-old Kakunandunda Katuuo, owner of Orevia Green Farms. The farm is a women-owned and led agri-business specialising in vegetables like cabbage, carrots, beetroot, and potatoes. The farm is located in the Omaheke region.
“Food shortage is among the top three crises that we face in Namibia. We solve that problem by producing climate-smart vegetables, thus creating sustainable food security and bridging the gap for imports within Namibia,” Katuuo stated.
Katuuo said that the winnings will be invested in the farm so that her operations can scale. “It is up to us as youths to take up space in this sector and to become job creators and not job seekers,” she concluded.
Second and third place received prizes as well. Abner Tomas, owner of Ndaka Mushrooms & Processing, picked up second place and a N$75,000 cheque. Ndaka Mushrooms & Processing is a mushroom farm and processing company focusing on sustainable cultivation, value addition, and entrepreneurship.
The third place and N$50,000 prize went to Elizabeth Kambode, owner of Lizwise Investment, a food manufacturing company focused on transforming indigenous crops, such as pearl millet (Mahangu), into nutritious, innovative products like pasta, porridge, crackers, and bread.
The Capricorn Foundation sponsored N$300,000 towards the cash prizes.
Speaking at the ceremony, Executive Director at the Capricorn Foundation, Marlize Horn, said that, “These awards are more than prizes. They are investments in potential, progress and lasting impact.”
“At the Capricorn Foundation, we believe that when local innovators are given the right support, networks and opportunities, they can turn practical ideas into sustainable solutions that strengthen communities, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to Namibia’s future,” she concluded.
