Six African Entrepreneurs Take Part In Westerwelle Young Founders Conference

Six African entrepreneurs got opportunities to learn about German initiatives to foster entrepreneurship and also got perks for pitching their businesses in this year’s Westerwelle Young Founders Conference in Berlin, Germany.

The Westerwelle Young Founders Programme offers young entrepreneurs from developing and emerging countries a platform for mentoring programmes, scholarships and development programmes, conferences and workshops. It also offers opportunities to young entrepreneurs to display their potentials in contributing substantially to the economic and democratic development in their home countries as well as globally. Westerwelle Foundation supports these talents with the purpose to contribute to international understanding and economic cooperation and development.

This year alone, more than 2,000 applications were received from all over the world while a group of 21 young entrepreneurs from 15 countries was selected to take part.

The group included six entrepreneurs from Africa, namely Zilla Mary Arach, co-founder of Uganda’s Akorion; Louw Barnardt, co-founder of South Africa’s Outsourced CFO; Sabrine Ibrahim, co-Founder of Tunisia’s ENVAST; Peter Kariuki, co-founder of Rwanda’s SafeMotos; Elizabeth Nyeko, co-founder of Uganda’s Mandulis Energy; and Francis Obirikorang, co-founder of Ghana’s AgroCenta.

As part of the conference, participants met with German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Brigitte Zypries, with three startup selected to present their companies to the minister.

Among them was Arach, whose company Akorrion has developed the EzyAgric mobile app, which provides efficient services and products to farmers and agribusinesses in Uganda.

According to Arach, “Entrepreneurs who are bold and willing to take on the challenges they observe in their countries are essential to any economy’s growth . I am happy to be able to share my experiences as an African founder with people from all over the world.”

Also, as part of additional benefits, the Young Founders visited several co-working spaces in the German capital and attended workshops led by local specialists. They were also introduced to mentors, who will support them by acting as sparring partners for their ideas and challenges throughout the year.

“As a young founder, having the opportunity to establish a regular exchange with someone who has already successfully dealt with most of the challenges you are facing is incredibly helpful,” said Obirikorang.

For eligibility, candidates must have founded a company within the last few years that is based in a developing country or have a strong business relationship with developing and emerging countries through their company.