Inviting green SMEs from Botswana, eSwatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania to enter!
GreenCape and Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa, in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), are inviting green Small, and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with economically viable solutions to enter the 2026 FNF Afri GreenPitch challenge. Entries close at noon on 30 June 2026. The digital entry form is online – click the button below to enter.
Click to enter
The 2026 FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge expands the original GreenPitch Challenge beyond South Africa to include innovators and entrepreneurs from Botswana, eSwatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania.
Enter your pre-growth (registered, trading and sales-generating – looking for funding) green business solution to stand a chance of pitching to a panel of esteemed judges and investors at “shark tank-style” networking events, to be hosted in Kenya (Nairobi) and South Africa (Cape Town) in September 2026.
Network with potential investors, business incubators, local government decision-makers and green economy experts. As part of the journey, GreenCape and Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa, supported by FNF Africa, offer their support to innovators and entrepreneurs in the green economy landscape. The winner and finalists of the 2026 FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge will be awarded a range of cash and in-kind prizes to the value of ~$20 000 (Southern Africa cash prize sponsored by RMB Ventures).
“The expansion of the FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge beyond South Africa marks an exciting new chapter for green innovation on the continent. From Table Mountain to Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, this partnership is helping to build a stronger cross-African ecosystem for entrepreneurs developing practical solutions to Africa’s sustainability challenges. This expanded partnership reflects the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, advancing regional collaboration and supporting market-driven solutions for Africa’s green future,” said Khwezi Sogoni, Programme Manager, FNF.
RMB Ventures’ Ewan Gray said: “We are proud to continue our sponsorship of the GreenPitch challenge, which plays an important role in driving innovation across Southern Africa’s green economy. Over the past three years, we have seen strong and sustained momentum, with a growing pipeline of high-quality entries that reflect increasing awareness of the opportunities within the sustainability ecosystem. Supporting initiatives like this remains central to our commitment to creating lasting, positive impact.”
“At Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa, we see every day the ingenuity of young entrepreneurs who are building real solutions to the challenges their communities face. The FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge gives those entrepreneurs a stage and more than that, it connects them to the capital, networks and expertise they need to grow. Bringing this challenge to East Africa is something we are excited to see what innovators from across the region will bring to the table,” said Mercy Mukulu, Country Director, Westerwelle Foundation Kenya.
“We are thrilled to contribute to building partnerships which showcase and elevate home-grown green economy solutions. SMEs are the engines of job creation and growth, and the more we can elevate, amplify and build a supportive ecosystem around them, the faster we can collectively generate green jobs and investment,” said Mike Mulcahy, CEO of GreenCape.
Entry requirements
Your green economy solution needs to be in at least the pre-growth (registered, trading and sales-generating – looking for funding) phase. Your green economy solution should be placed in one of the following green economy sectors: Circular economy and waste, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable mobility, water and wastewater.
Why enter?
GreenCape and Westerwelle Startup Haus Mombasa, supported by FNF Africa, offer their support to innovators and entrepreneurs in the green economy landscape. The winner and finalists of the 2026 FNF Afri GreenPitch Challenge will be awarded a range of cash and in-kind prizes to the value of ~$20 000 (Southern Africa). [Watch the 2025 highlight video here]
How to enter
Fill out the digital entry form available online here. The digital form allows you to submit a 500-word written motivation.
Key dates
- Entries open: 29 May 2026
- Entries close: 30 June 2026
- Finalists announced: 15 July 2026
- RMB Ventures pitch prep workshop: 5 August 2026 (Cape Town, hybrid)
- Pitching event (Southern Africa): 3 September 2026
- Pitching event (East Africa): 25 September 2026
The winners will be selected by a judging panel on the day of the events. Their decision is final.
