AcquaFarmsAfrica | Finalist in AfriTech XYZ Innovation Prize

AquaFarmsAfrica is an agri-tech company based in Conakry, Guinea, with plans to expand throughout West Africa. The company employs aquaponics farming techniques (a combination of fish farming and soilless agriculture) to locally and sustainably produce fish and niche vegetables and fruits that would normally be imported from outside of the continent.
​
The company’s tech-enabled social franchise model provides a “business-in-a-box” to young entrepreneurs. New entrepreneurs focus on production, while AquaFarmsAfrica manages other areas of the operational value chain such as procurement, quality control, marketing, sales and logistics. Their proprietary app allows franchisees to better manage their sites while enabling management of quality control and logistics at lower costs. Franchises also are easily scalable and offer a transparent investment model for diaspora, increasing local access to capital.

AquaFarmsAfrica not only addresses accessibility to food security and food sovereignty, but also the need to boost youth employment, both major issues when facing urbanization across the continent.
​
Co-founder Wiatta Thomas said: “AquaFarms is not just a novelty. It is what we consider simple tech with high impact. Aquaponics has been around for centuries but we’ve engineered something low cost and using an innovative business model. It’s structured such that Africans can own our food produce, stemming the billions of dollars lost every year through import. The food market is set to triple in the next 30 years and we want to turn cash in our economies, create jobs and empower Africans through agriculture. AquaFarmsAfrica believes in wealth building - real wealth that allows Africans to build and grow, not just subsist but to thrive. We want your help to continue facilitating growth in Africa.”