Overview of your opportunity

The Home Grown Solutions (HGS) Accelerator Africa 2026 is a Pan-African acceleration programme designed to support high-potential, locally rooted ventures driving innovation in healthcare systems strengthening and climate resilience across the continent.

Led by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and supported by JICA, with implementation partners including Villgro Africa and BCG, the programme targets scalable African solutions addressing systemic challenges.

Programme Focus Areas

1. Healthcare Ventures

Closing date

FastPro Digital Marketing and Corporate Events is a premium events management and digital transformation company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. We offer corporate events solutions and digital solutions that helps organizations future-proof their workforces, build high-impact media brands, and execute flawless corporate events. We specialize in delivering high-impact, bespoke corporate events, conferences, and digital marketing that enhance collaboration, leadership, and organizational culture.


Our services cater to corporates, government departments, NGOs, and educational institutions

Overview of your opportunity

About the Fab City Awards

The Fab City Awards is an annual global recognition and funding programme that celebrates initiatives combining design, technology, and civic participation to drive real urban transformation. Now in its 2026 edition, the Awards focus on the theme of Collective Action for Regenerative Futures moving beyond experimentation to demonstrate how community-driven efforts can shape genuine transitions in cities and regions around the world.

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Biko Today is an ML and AI-driven workforce and business support platform that connects small and medium-sized businesses with trained, work-ready youth. We provide SMEs with access to affordable talent, digital tools, and operational support, while equipping young people with real-world work experience, mentorship, and income opportunities.

Our model combines technology, training, and service delivery into a single ecosystem, enabling businesses to scale without the cost of traditional hiring, and enabling youth to gain practical skills by working on real business projects. We operate across

Overview of your opportunity

About the Due Diligence Fund

The Due Diligence Fund (DDF) is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as part of the Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains Initiative (SASI). Now in its fifth round, the DDF has already supported 30 projects across four previous rounds since 2022.

Closing date
Overview of your opportunity

FCI4Africa — Fair food and trade systems for Africa through food convergence innovation is a Horizon Europe-funded project responding to the growing demand for sustainable, fair, and just food trade between Africa and Europe.

Closing date

CarbonSmart Solutions Africa is a climate technology and sustainability company focused on developing and enabling high-quality carbon credits through nature-based and technology-driven solutions.

What the Business Does

The company operates as a carbon credit development and verification platform, using internationally recognized methodologies supported by advanced Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems.

At the center of its ecosystem is the CarbonSmart App, a digital platform that:

  • Measures and verifies carbon credits
  • Facilitates carbon credit trading
  • Connects farmers, businesses

Industry Context 

The global market for natural and botanical personal care and wellness products is experiencing significant and sustained growth, driven by a consumer shift toward clean, plant-based ingredients and a growing awareness of the limitations and risks associated with synthetic formulations. The “clean beauty” movement has evolved from a niche trend to a global market imperative. In South Africa, this global trend meets a unique local advantage: a rich indigenous knowledge and botanical heritage. 12 Teaspoons capitalizes on this intersection, meeting the demands of a health

Overview of your opportunity

About the Grant

The Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer (JWO) Research Grant is a prestigious funding opportunity awarding one grant of USD 150,000 to a single successful applicant to support a biodiversity and conservation-focused research project or programme based in or focused on Africa. The grant supports research over a period of up to three years and is designed to advance scientific knowledge while generating real, scalable solutions to African conservation and biodiversity challenges.

Closing date

South African wine grape producers are regaining confidence as the 2026 harvest progresses, with the third crop estimate indicating a larger harvest and quality indicators showing strong potential across several cultivars.

With approximately three-quarters of the harvest already completed by early...