The Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) 2026 Afri GreenPitch Challenge for young Innovators and Entrepreneurs. – Opportunities For Africans

Application Deadline: 30 June 2026

Applications are actually open for the 2026 FNF Afri InexperiencedPitch Challenge. Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa and InexperiencedCape, in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), invite innovators and entrepreneurs with economically viable inexperienced economic system options to enter the 2026 FNF Afri InexperiencedPitch Challenge. This thrilling Afri version expands the unique InexperiencedPitch Challenge, working yearly since 2017 in South Africa, into Southern and East Africa.  

Enter your pre-growth (registered, buying and selling and sales-generating – wanting for funding) inexperienced enterprise answer to face an opportunity of pitching to a panel of esteemed judges and traders at « shark tank-style” networking occasions, to be hosted in Kenya (Nairobi) and South Africa (Cape Town) in September 2026. 

Eligibility Requirements

• Innovators and entrepreneurs with economically viable inexperienced economic system enterprise options within the following sectors: Circular economic system and waste, renewable vitality, sustainable agriculture, sustainable mobility, water and wastewater.
• The enterprise concept needs to be pre-growth (registered and buying and selling, with gross sales – wanting for collection A funding). 

Entry necessities 

Sectors

Your inexperienced economic system answer ought to be positioned in one of many following inexperienced economic system sectors: Circular economic system and waste, renewable vitality, sustainable agriculture, sustainable mobility, water and wastewater.

Business part

Your inexperienced economic system answer must be in not less than the pre-growth (registered, buying and selling and sales-generating – wanting for funding) part. 

Geographic location

Your enterprise will be based mostly throughout the following nations: 

• Botswana
• eSwatini
• Kenya
• Lesotho
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Tanzania

Benefits

•  The winner and finalists of the 2026 FNF Afri InexperiencedPitch Challenge might be awarded a variety of money and in-kind prizes to the worth of ~$20 000 (Southern Africa). 

Competition prizes 

The winner and finalists of the 2026 FNF Afri InexperiencedPitch Challenge might be awarded a variety of money and in-kind prizes to the worth of ~$20 000. These will embody however are usually not restricted to:

• Cash prize (Winner)
• A full-day workshop to all finalists on funding methods hosted by RMB Ventures (All finalists).
• Mentoring assist 
• Access to a community of potential funders to speed up your corporation concept. 

Timeline

• Entries open: 29 May 2026
• Entries shut: 30 June 2026
• Finalists introduced: 15 July 2026
• Pitch prep workshop: 5 August 2026 (Cape Town, hybrid)
• Pitching occasion (Southern Africa): 3 September 2026
• Pitching occasion (East Africa): 25 September 2026

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge