South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and the DRC, the platform continues to expand opportunities for women shaping Africa’s digital future.(Image credit: Naspers and Prosus)

Five pioneering African female founders have been awarded more than US$100,000 in equity-free funding after emerging as winners of the Naspers–Prosus Tech FoundHER Africa Challenge, a competition created to spotlight women who are building technology solutions for real market needs across the continent.

The final event, held on 19 November 2025 in Johannesburg, brought together ten exceptional women founders representing a range of dynamic sectors including agritech, healthtech, climate technology, fintech, AI, and sustainable manufacturing. The timing of the finale aligned intentionally with Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, South Africa’s G20 Presidency, and the B20 Summit, amplifying the significance of the announcement on a global stage.

Interest in the Challenge was substantial, with 1,163 applications received from tech entrepreneurs across Africa during the one-month application window. This overwhelming response reflects not only the depth of innovation on the continent but also the growing momentum of Africa’s digital economy, projected to reach US$180bn by 2025. Despite this growth, women remain significantly underfunded, with female founders facing a US$42bn financing gap, a barrier the Challenge aims to help narrow.

Celebrating this year’s winners, Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, South Africa CEO and Executive Director of Naspers and Prosus, highlighted the exceptional calibre of talent on display. “I’m immensely proud of our overall winner, Esther Kimani, who brings agricultural innovation through AI-powered pest detection solutions, as well as all the finalists who demonstrated their phenomenal tech solutions today - congratulations!” she said. “The winners represent the next generation of technology leaders building viable businesses that solve real problems across Africa and I can’t wait to witness their growth going-forward.”

Her comments were echoed by Prajna Khanna, Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President at Prosus and Naspers, who emphasised the potential of women entrepreneurs on the continent. “We received 1,163 applications from across the African continent, and the depth of talent was remarkable,” she said. “These founders are building real businesses with proven models that address significant market opportunities.”

The Challenge, developed with Lionesses of Africa, a community of 1.8 million women entrepreneurs, provides not only financial support but mentorship from seasoned investors, access to institutional networks, and guidance on scaling businesses across African markets. With finalists from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and the DRC, the platform continues to expand opportunities for women shaping Africa’s digital future.

GEA’s new water-saving solution is a game-changer for dairy farmers looking to reduce their environmental footprint and operational costs.(Image credit: GEA)

GEA has introduced an innovative water-saving solution for its DairyRotor T8600 and T8900 milking systems, designed to reduce freshwater consumption by up to 30% while maintaining high standards of cleaning performance and hygiene.

This new feature is part of GEA’s commitment to sustainability and can be applied to both new installations and retrofitted to existing systems, helping farms of all sizes improve their resource efficiency.

Efficient Water Use with Recycled Post-Rinse Water

The core of this advanced water-saving solution lies in the reuse of post-rinse water for the subsequent pre-rinsing process. By integrating this function, GEA has developed a system that not only cuts down on freshwater use but also ensures that the milking equipment continues to be thoroughly cleaned. The system includes the installation of an additional collection tank that stores the post-rinse water, which can then be fed back into the pre-rinsing cycle.

GEA offers two versions of this solution to suit different farm setups:

Pump Solution: A pump actively transfers water into the rinse tank, ensuring efficient circulation of reused water.
Gravity Solution: A space-saving, passive system that uses an elevated container to collect and reuse water, without the need for moving components.

Both solutions are supported by advanced valve and pipe technologies, ensuring that water is directed into the reuse cycle safely and effectively. It’s important to note that only fresh water, free from cleaning agents or disinfectants, is suitable for reuse.

Sustainable Milking with TÜV Validation

As part of GEA's "Add Better" portfolio, this new feature is TÜV Rheinland-validated, ensuring it meets high standards of sustainability and resource conservation. TÜV is a leading global provider of independent testing and certification, adding credibility to the water-saving benefits of this system.
Ideal for a Wide Range of Farms

This water-saving solution is suitable for farms of all sizes, particularly those in areas where water is either scarce or expensive, or where stringent legal requirements for resource conservation are in place. Farms facing economic pressures can also benefit from the reduced operating costs, all without compromising cleaning quality.

Additionally, GEA offers the flexibility of retrofitting the system to existing group parlours and DairyRotors, such as the washer Sinetherm, Compass Plus, and RCU-Washer of the DairyRotor T8900 with Dematron control. For both new and existing systems, an optional heating element is available to provide an energy-efficient pre-rinse cycle with preheated water, further enhancing resource efficiency.

Integration with GEA DigiTron for Seamless Farm Management

The new water-saving solution is fully compatible with the GEA DigiTron control unit, introduced earlier this year with the DairyRotor T8600. DigiTron offers precise control over the milking process at the animal level, providing easy operation, robust hardware, and straightforward maintenance. When connected to GEA's central DairyNet software platform, the system allows for comprehensive analysis of milking, cleaning, and maintenance processes across the farm. DigiTron is highly scalable, making it suitable for a wide range of farm sizes and automation levels.

GEA’s new water-saving solution is a game-changer for dairy farmers looking to reduce their environmental footprint and operational costs. By making the most of available resources and ensuring effective, consistent cleaning, it offers a sustainable and efficient way to improve dairy operations.

NECO’s innovative drying technology offers a more effective, consistent, and efficient way to dry grain. (Image credit: ABC Africa Group)

When it comes to drying grain, maintaining the right kernel temperature is crucial to ensuring the final product meets high-quality standards.

Overheating the grain during the drying process can lead to irreversible damage, affecting the overall quality. Studies have shown that even kernel temperatures as low as 60°C (140°F) can significantly harm the grain’s quality. This is why many buyers of grain, especially those dealing with specialty crops, insist that their suppliers use lower drying temperatures to prevent heat damage.

Traditional dryers often struggle to maintain uniform drying conditions. In these systems, while some grains are exposed to temperatures that do not exceed the critical threshold, many others are subjected to temperatures far beyond what is ideal. This inconsistency can result in significant quality issues, including heat damage, stress cracks, and a decrease in test weight. Unfortunately, lowering the drying temperature to avoid this damage comes at a cost: it negatively impacts the dryer’s efficiency and capacity.

However, NECO dryers address these challenges by offering a solution that delivers consistent and even drying throughout the grain batch. With their innovative design, NECO dryers ensure that each kernel receives the same level of exposure to the heated air, preventing overheating and preserving the grain’s integrity. This process results in higher-quality grain with fewer stress cracks, no heat damage, and better test weight, all while maintaining optimal drying efficiency.

The Science Behind Grain Drying

Grain is typically dried by passing heated air through it, allowing the air to flow around each kernel. Because the air starts with low humidity, it has a strong capacity to absorb moisture. As the air flows through the grain, it absorbs moisture from within the kernels, and the evaporative cooling effect reduces the temperature of the wetter kernels. This process helps ensure that the grain doesn't heat up too quickly, preventing potential damage.

However, as the grain becomes drier, less moisture evaporates, and the temperature of the kernels rises closer to the temperature of the heated air. In traditional dryers, especially crossflow dryers (often called screen dryers), this process leads to uneven drying. Grain in the centre of the drying column is exposed to heated air for an extended period, resulting in over-drying and overheating. Meanwhile, the grain on the outer edges of the column remains under-dried due to inadequate exposure to the hottest air. This inconsistency not only compromises grain quality but also reduces the efficiency and capacity of the drying system.

How NECO Mixed-Flow Dryers Offer a Better Solution

NECO's mixed-flow dryers tackle these issues head-on by constantly moving the grain past a series of unique hot air ducts. This ensures that every kernel is exposed to the hottest air at different points throughout the drying process, promoting even drying across the entire batch. The continuous movement of the grain, combined with the gentle mixing, helps prevent overheating and ensures that no kernels are exposed to excessive heat for too long.

Additionally, the design of the NECO dryer improves airflow through the grain, enhancing both drying efficiency and capacity. The even exposure to hot air ensures that all grain is dried uniformly, with none of it being over-dried or under-dried. As a result, kernel temperatures remain consistently low, preserving grain quality, reducing stress cracks, and eliminating heat damage. The outcome is a higher-quality product with improved test weight, making NECO dryers an ideal choice for farmers and grain processors who value both efficiency and superior grain quality.

NECO’s innovative drying technology offers a more effective, consistent, and efficient way to dry grain. With uniform exposure to heat, these dryers eliminate the risks associated with traditional systems, ensuring that every batch of grain meets the highest quality standards.

Angonabeiro continues to support national farmers while promoting innovation, quality, and sustainability in the country’s coffee sector.

Twelve Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) producers from Amboim, in Angola’s Cuanza-Sul Province, recently received a payment of US$23mn thanks to sales of their coffee and a partnership with Portuguese coffee company Angonabeiro

The ceremonial handover, held in Luanda, was attended by the Portuguese Ambassador Francisco Duarte, Angonabeiro executives João and Rui Nabeiro, and Lucinda Mário de Castro Cunha, coordinator of the Amboim Women Farmers' Association.

Of the total amount, US$15mn were delivered immediately, with the remainder set to follow in a phased support process until December. The funds are earmarked for purchasing equipment to enhance coffee production, boosting productivity, sustainability, and autonomy among local women farmers. This partnership is designed to strengthen the coffee supply chain in Amboim while promoting innovation and long-term growth.

Rui Nabeiro highlighted Angola’s growing role in the company’s international revenue, now accounting for 15% of total earnings, with projections showing a 12% increase this year. Delta, part of the Nabeiro Group, is Angola’s largest buyer, processor, and exporter of green coffee, handling 1,200 tons last year and estimating around 1,000 tons this year. This trade directly supports 20,000 to 40,000 producing families per harvest, reflecting the sector’s vital socio-economic impact.

The initiative also aims to revitalize Angola’s green coffee supply chain by providing technical training, improving farming conditions, and mitigating logistical challenges, ensuring farmers continue producing high-quality coffee and maintain ownership of their land.

Portuguese Ambassador Francisco Duarte praised the strong Angola-Portugal economic relations, noting that over 5,000 Portuguese companies export to Angola, with Portugal being the country’s second-largest supplier after China. Many of these companies employ local staff, contribute taxes, and build human capital, creating thousands of jobs.

Lucinda Cunha of the Amboim Women Farmers’ Association emphasized the significance of the Angonabeiro partnership. Despite challenges such as vandalism and illegal purchasing of coffee, farmers managed to harvest up to 800,000 kilos, and the financial support will help maintain and expand coffee production, from cleaning plantations to preparing new planting sites.

Operating in Angola for almost 27 years, Angonabeiro continues to support national farmers while promoting innovation, quality, and sustainability in the country’s coffee sector.