Staff Writer
Green entrepreneurs in Namibia are being encouraged to enter the 2026 FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge, a continental competition designed to support and scale innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the green economy.
The challenge, which is open to participants from Botswana, eSwatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania, is aimed at businesses developing practical, market-ready solutions in areas such as circular economy and waste management, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable mobility, and water and wastewater management.
Organised by GreenCape and Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa, in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF Africa), the initiative seeks to identify pre-growth green businesses that are already registered, trading, generating sales, and in need of funding to scale.
Entries for the 2026 edition close at noon on 30 June 2026, with applications submitted via an online entry form on the programme’s website.
Successful applicants will be selected to pitch their business ideas in ‘shark tank-style’ sessions to panels of investors and judges at events scheduled for Nairobi, Kenya, and Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2026.
Participants will also gain access to networking opportunities with investors, incubators, government decision-makers and green economy experts.
The competition will award winners and finalists cash and in-kind prizes valued at approximately US$20,000, supported in part by RMB Ventures.
FNF Africa says the expanded programme marks a step in building a stronger pan-African innovation ecosystem.
“This expanded partnership reflects our commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, advancing regional collaboration and supporting market-driven solutions for Africa’s green future,” said programme manager Khwezi Sogoni.
RMB Ventures highlighted the growing momentum in the sector, noting a steady increase in high-quality entries over the past three years as awareness of sustainability opportunities rises.
From the startup ecosystem side, Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa said the competition provides a vital platform for entrepreneurs to access capital, expertise and networks beyond their local markets.
GreenCape added that SMEs remain central to job creation and sustainable economic growth, stressing the importance of strengthening ecosystems that support green innovation across the continent.
For Namibian entrepreneurs, the challenge presents an opportunity to showcase homegrown solutions to pressing environmental challenges while connecting to regional investors and partners shaping Africa’s green economy future.
