Africa Food Systems Forum 2025

AFSF 2025 took place at the CICAD & DIAMNIADIO Expo Center in Dakar, Senegal, August 31 to September 5, 2025. Attendees included government and business decision-makers, academic and technical experts, development partners, NGOs, young entrepreneurs, and more. The Mastercard Foundation was pleased to support young women’s participation in the event to help amplify their voices and share their entrepreneurial journeys. As we scale our work to accelerate impact, the Foundation supports AFSF 2025 in co-creating solutions for unlocking Africa’s demographic dividend, meeting the demands of marginalized urban areas, supporting innovation and digital solutions, especially in the areas of climate and sustainability.

Agriculture and Agrifood Systems are areas of great potential for young people in Africa, offering opportunities for innovation, job creation, and inclusive growth. Young people are at the forefront of reimagining agriculture as an aspirational business, building agrifood enterprises, adopting new technologies, developing climate-smart solutions, and transforming value chains.

Integrating entrepreneurship into Africa’s agrifood systems offers one of the strongest pathways to creating dignified and fulfilling work for young people, especially young women. A combined, intersectional and inclusive approach is required to succeed. As we scale our work to accelerate impact, the Foundation supports AFSF 2025 in co-creating solutions for unlocking Africa’s demographic dividend, meeting the demands of marginalized urban areas, supporting innovation and digital solutions, especially in the areas of climate and sustainability.

The Mastercard Foundation team participated in multiple sessions at the forum. These are a few of the events our team took part in:

• Atsuko Toda, Senior Director, Entrepreneurship Development - Pan African Programs - Agrifood Systems & Entrepreneurship Development, was a panellist at the panel session with Gain: Nourishing Youth Job Creation in Agrifood Systems on August 31.
• Lizz Ntonjira, Director, Program Communications - Pan African Programs, was the moderator for the panel session with Gain: Nourishing Youth Job Creation in Agrifood Systems on August 31.
• Adja Boudy Kante, agripreneur and founder of Cereal House, was a panellist at the Presidential Opening Ceremony on September 1.
• Wambui Chege, Director, Agriculture Pan African Programs - Agrifood Systems & Entrepreneurship Development, was a panellist at the African Food Systems Year in Review: Holding ourselves accountable, how much have we progressed? on September 1.
• Esther Dassanou, Director Gender, Pan African Programs - Gender, was a panellist at the Women in Food Systems on September 2.
• Atsuko Toda, Senior Director, Entrepreneurship Development - Pan African Programs - Agrifood Systems & Entrepreneurship Development, was a panellist at the Plenary, Closing Ceremony on September 4.

Visit the official AFSF 2025 website for more detail about the forum, and about our participation in the events.