Scaling Agribusiness Skills Through Digital Learning and Mentoring  

From Left - ABF's Technical Advisors: Melanie Klein, Lou Lefort, Patricia Likongwe and Simon Striegel representing at the SNRD Conference, Lusaka.

The Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF) project has been training partners and entrepreneurs in agribusiness skills for years. What began with face-to-face training formats has now expanded into the digital sphere, reaching tens of thousands of learners through the Agribusiness e-Academy on Atingi learning management system.

The platform continues to grow as a hub of knowledge and opportunity, with over 64, 680 enrolments, including more than 23,540 women building their agribusiness skills.

At this year's SNRD Conference Marketplace Session interview, Simon Striegel, a Technical Advisor at ABF, explains the project combines online learning with mentoring and coaching to create a stronger impact.

One of the initiatives is a business idea competition for climate-resilient enterprises. Promising candidates will not only benefit from mentoring but also gain access to small grants and potential funding opportunities from commercial partners. The first call for application for viable business ideas is currently closed. The second will be open from February 1 to April 2026.

By combining e-learning, mentoring and competition, this initiative seeks to empower youth and entrepreneurs in OACPS to strengthen their agribusiness skills and drive sustainable innovation.

The approach underlines a key shift in development cooperation, moving from one-off training sessions to scalable, sustainable platforms that connect people, ideas, and opportunities.

By combining e-learning, mentoring and competition, this initiative seeks to empower youth and entrepreneurs in OACPS to strengthen their agribusiness skills and drive sustainable innovation.

Watch the full conversation with Simon Striegel to learn how agribusiness skills training is evolving and what it means for the next generation of African entrepreneurs.