BeGreen Africa
Supporting young people across Africa to build green businesses, create jobs, and contribute to greener, more sustainable local economies.
How it works | Impact | Our unique approach | Partners | Get involved
Across Africa, many communities are facing the growing impacts of environmental pollution, waste accumulation and the unsustainable use of natural resources. These challenges are affecting livelihoods, ecosystems and well-being, while deepening existing challenges such as poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.
At the same time, young entrepreneurs across the continent have the ideas, energy and determination to drive a greener future.
With the right support, they can turn local environmental challenges into opportunities, creating jobs, reducing waste and building more resilient communities.
BeGreen Africa invests in this potential by equipping young people with the skills, mentorship, networks and seed funding they need to develop and grow green enterprises.
Why green entrepreneurship now?
According to the International Labour Organisation, the green economy has the potential to create 24 million jobs globally by 2030.
For Africa, green entrepreneurship offers an opportunity to respond to two urgent challenges at once: high levels of youth unemployment and the escalating climate crisis.
By helping young entrepreneurs develop green businesses, BeGreen Africa seeks to contribute to:
- Job creation and economic inclusion
- Climate action and environmental protection
- Waste reduction and circular economy solutions
- Skills development for the future of work
- More inclusive local economies
How BeGreen Africa works
BeGreen Africa supports youth-led green entrepreneurship through a comprehensive package of training, business development support, mentorship and financing.
The first phase of the programme (BeGreen Africa 1.0) was implemented in four countries by UNICEF, Generation Unlimited and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, with support from the IKEA Foundation and the Government of the Netherlands.
The second phase is being implemented in partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, with support from the Governments of the Netherlands and Canada, and Umuzi.
The programme provides:
Skills development
Young entrepreneurs receive foundational entrepreneurship and 21st-century skills training through online and blended learning approaches.
Business development support
Participants receive tailored guidance on business design, growth, financial management and pitching.
Mentorship and coaching
Entrepreneurs are connected with mentors, peer reviewers and professional networks to strengthen their business models and access new opportunities.
Seed funding
Selected entrepreneurs receive initial seed capital of up to USD 5,000 to test, launch or scale their green business ideas.
Gender-responsive programming
The programme includes a gender-responsive training curriculum and emphasizes support for young women and disadvantaged young people, helping ensure that green entrepreneurship is inclusive and addresses gender, disability and social inequality.
What makes BeGreen Africa unique?
BeGreen Africa stands out through its combination of:
- Proven entrepreneurship models, building on initiatives such as Generation Unlimited’s imaGen Ventures and YOMA, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s entrepreneurship programme
- End-to-end support, from skills development and mentorship to seed funding and incubation
- Strong partnerships, bringing together youth networks, governments, the private sector and technical experts.
- Gender-sensitive programming, designed to support more inclusive participation
- Evidence-driven learning, including evaluation work with partners such as the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
- A scalable model, designed to inform policy engagement and support replication across Africa and beyond
How you can get involved
BeGreen Africa unites public-private-youth partners to support aspiring green entrepreneurs across the continent. You can help by:
- Contributing financially to scale programmes across Africa
- Providing mentorship and coaching on business design, growth management, and financial management
For more details, contact [email protected].
