Scaling Agribusiness Skills
The Agribusiness Facility for Africa, a regional GIZ project, has been training partners and entrepreneurs in agribusiness skills for years. What began with face-to-face training formats has now expanded into the digital sphere, reaching tens of thousands of learners through the atingi learning platform.
In this interview, Simon Striegel explains how ABF combines online learning with mentoring and coaching to create a stronger impact. With more than 50,000 participants already enrolled, the platform addresses both technical tools and entrepreneurial mindsets needed for success in the agribusiness sector.
One of the upcoming initiatives is a business idea competition for climate-resilient enterprises. Promising candidates will not only benefit from mentoring but also gain access to small grants and potential funding opportunities from commercial partners.
The approach underlines a key shift in development cooperation: moving from one-off training sessions to scalable, sustainable platforms that connect people, ideas, and opportunities.
👉 Watch the full conversation with Simon Striegel to learn how agribusiness skills training is evolving and what it means for the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
The video is available with subtitles in English and French by choosing under CC in the YouTube player.
🎥 Filmed at the marketplace session of the 2025 SNRD Africa Conference in Lusaka, Zambia.
Hyperlinked chapters in the video for your quick access:
00:00 Introduction & focus on agribusiness skills training
00:44 What is an agribusiness skill?
01:41 Mindset and opportunity in agribusiness
02:56 From training towards coaching and mentoring
04:39 Scaling up: e-learning, mentoring, and competitions
06:15 Innovation – new ideas or proven tools?
07:38 Why professionalisation is essential for small-scale producers and agripreneurs
