AECF at The Africa Food Systems Summit Forum 2025

Dakar, Senegal – September 2025

AECF made its mark at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 (AFS Forum) in Dakar, joining other global and regional leaders to advance the agenda of resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems for Africa.

Throughout the week, AECF engaged in a series of high-level discussions and side events that reinforced its catalytic role in de-risking investments, bridging financing gaps, and driving innovation in agriculture.

One of the highlights was the side event, “Catalyzing Capital: Unlocking Investments for Women in Agri-Food Systems,” where women leaders explored practical solutions to move from promises to progress. The session spotlighted innovative financing models, the importance of guarantees to de-risk investments, and the critical role of capacity building to prepare women-led businesses for scale.

Speaking at the event, Victoria Sabula, CEO of AECF, emphasized AECF’s commitment to women in agri-finance:

“At AECF, we take pride in supporting women entrepreneurs across the Sub Saharan Africa. We recognize the unique challenges they face in accessing finance, and we design catalytic instruments that not only close the financing gap but also create opportunities for them to thrive and scale their innovations.”

AECF also participated in the Youth Roundtable, a vibrant conversation on how to better integrate and incentivize the private sector to adopt business models that scale youth-led agri-food innovations, particularly those contributing to climate resilience and food security. AECF highlighted how blended finance, guarantees, and technical assistance can de-risk youth-focused investments and crowd in private capital to unlock transformative opportunities for Africa’s next generation of agripreneurs.

On the sidelines of the Forum, AECF held bilateral meetings with key development partners, including the Global Environment Facility (GEF), KfW Senegal, Global Affairs Canada (Senegal Office), Sida Senegal, FCDO, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Gates Foundation, and the Platform for Food Systems Transformation. These discussions focused on deepening collaboration to scale blended finance solutions, unlock private sector investment, and accelerate the adoption of climate-smart innovations across Africa’s food systems.

About AECF

The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) is a leading development finance organization that supports innovative enterprises to build resilience and sustainable incomes for rural communities in Africa. Through catalytic funding and technical support, AECF works to de-risk investments, unlock private sector financing, and drive inclusive growth in agriculture and renewable energy.

Media Contact:
Francis Wachira, fwachira@aecfafrica.org.