The 2026 Agripreneurial Innovation Challenge Namibia has awarded N$280 000 to three innovators whose climate-smart agricultural solutions aim to strengthen the country’s food systems, improve productivity and promote value addition.
The winners were announced in a media statement last week by Basecamp Business Incubator events spokesperson Niita Shikongo, following the Agripreneurial Innovation Challenge awards ceremony in Windhoek.
The challenge, introduced by Basecamp Business Incubator in partnership with the Network for Global Innovation), the Capricorn Foundation and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, was established to identify and support practical, climate-smart and job-creating innovations capable of strengthening Namibia’s agricultural value chain and food systems.
Basecamp Business Incubator director Jesaya Hano-Oshike has congratulated the finalists and encouraged them to continue developing their innovations beyond the competition.
“To our finalists, congratulations once again today’s rankings are not the ceiling of your ambition. Leave with the conviction that your solution is worth continuing to build, and knowing that Basecamp remains committed to helping you as an entrepreneur move from an idea to a viable enterprise,” he says.
Capricorn Foundation executive director Marlize Horn says the challenge showcased the creativity and entrepreneurial potential that exists across Namibia.
“At the Capricorn Foundation, we believe that when local innovators are given the right support, networks and opportunities, they can turn practical ideas into solutions that strengthen communities, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to Namibia’s future,” she says.
Horn says the awards represent more than financial support, describing them as investments in innovation, progress and long-term impact.
Network for Global Innovation president and chief executive Fred Walti says innovation only becomes meaningful when it is translated into practical solutions that improve people’s lives.
“Innovation becomes meaningful when it moves beyond possibility. This challenge sought to do just that by identifying solutions that can strengthen Namibia’s agriculture and food systems,” he says.
Orevia Green Farms founder Kakunandunda Katuuo won the first prize of N$150 000 for her women-led agricultural business specialising in vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, beetroot and potatoes.
Abner Tomas of Ndaka Mushrooms & Processing received the second prize of N$75 000 for his sustainable mushroom cultivation and processing enterprise, while Elizabeth Kambode of Lizwise Investment won the third prize of N$50 000 for her mushroom farming and value-addition business.
Maria Kativa received the best women-led innovation award and N$5 000 for AutoSow, a solar-powered precision planting system designed to improve agricultural productivity and climate resilience for smallholder farmers.
The challenge attracted 238 registrations, with 94 completed submissions. Following technical evaluations, 76 applicants were shortlisted before the field was narrowed to the national top 10 finalists, 70% of whom were women.
Participants also received mentorship, proposal development support, pitch preparation and climate-impact guidance to strengthen their innovations and prepare them for future investment opportunities.
