2025 Summit Agenda
UAW 2025 is your platform to learn and share ideas on how to revolutionize agriculture and bring the industry into the technology-enabled future.
SESSION 1:
Opening Session
Official Welcome and Support Statements
SESSION 2:
Turning Ideas into Impact
Strengthening Intra-African Agri-Food Systems Thru the AfCFTA: From Policy to Practical Impact for Farmers and Agribusinesses
An Introduction to Nxazonke: Circles of Urban Agriculture Enterprise Development
Scaling Agri-Startups for Impact: Access to Finance, Partnerships and Market Growth (Virtual Presentation)
From ATLAS to Africa: Scaling Affordable Solar‑Enabled Aquaponics for Youth and Women Empowerment
SESSION 3:
Smart Growth - Local Food, Lasting Impact
Incorporating Cultural Heritage in Climate Smart Agriculture
Compact to Capable: How Singapore’s Urban Agritech Models Can Inform Africa’s Food Resilience
Scaling Aquaponics in Africa: Practical Insights from a Homegrown Circular System
SESSION 4:
Resilient Food Cities
A Framework for Integrating Local Food Systems into a Certified Sustainable Destination: Evidence-Based Decision Making for Rural and Urban Food Resilience
Urban Agriculture, Food Security in Nigeria: Innovation, Impact and Opportunities - Enugu State Farm Estate Model as a Reference
PANEL DISCUSSION: Small Plot, Big Impact - Scaling Community-Driven Urban Farming Models in Africa
SESSION 5:
Urban AgTech - Models That Work
Irrigation Management Principles for Substrate Production Systems
Oasis Irrigation System: Harnessing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus for Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Niger (Virtual Presentation)
Digitizing Africa’s Fresh Produce Markets: From Farmgate to Market Floor
Rooted in Resilience: Funding and Scaling a Women-led Agri Venture in the Gulf (Virtual Presentation)
SESSION 6:
Tech That Works Innovation for Smallholder Success
Empowering Smallholder Farmers Through AI: Building a Digital Ecosystem for Inclusive & Sustainable Agriculture
Urban Agroecology: Where Science Meets Tech (Virtual Presentation)
How to Leverage AI for Mental Health in the CEA Industry
Beyond the Hype: Making Digital Tools Work for Urban Farmers in Emerging Markets (Virtual Presentation)
SESSION 7:
Scaling Urban Agriculture Capital, Trade and Opportunity
FIRESIDE CHAT: Urban Ag for Women and Youth - Barriers, Enablers and Solutions
Accessing Finance and Investment for Urban/Small-Scale Farmers
Youth Leadership and Social Cohesion in Urban Agriculture for Africa’s Future
SESSION 8:
Optional Workshop
Co-branded Farmer Pest Management Workshop
PLUS:
Optional Farm Visit
Dokodweni Farming, Mandeni Local Municipality
Join the Conversations!
Engage with the International and Regional Experts.
Ignite New Projects!
Build New Partnerships and Collaboration.
UAW 2025 Panel of Speakers
The Summit will see the gathering of senior agriculture officials and top industry players from across the globe.
Nkosenhle Mngadi
Chairperson
Enterprise iLembe
South Africa
Siyabonga Mazibuko
CEO
Enterprise iLembe
South Africa
Komla Bissi
Senior Adviser on Agriculture & Value Chains
AfCFTA Secretariat
Ghana
Naude Malan
Associate Professor, Department of Business Management
University of Johannesburg
South Africa
Johnni Kjelsgaard
Founder & Executive Chairman
GrowthAfrica
Kenya
Denis Banuoku
Founder
GreenFresh Aquaponics
Netherlands (invited)
Michael Linus Mbeko Ouma
Founder & CEO
Mbeko Empire
Kenya
Gugulethu Mahlangu
Aquaponics Farmer
House Harvest
South Africa
Fiona McKenna
Sustainable Destination Development Officer & PHD Researcher
Clare Tourism DAC
Ireland
Agbaji Chinedu Learnder
Executive Director
Ezocha Farm Service
Nigeria
Samkelisiwe Chunda
Founder
Sibayeni Metro Farming
South Africa
Luvo Gugwana
Founder
Green Arch Innovations
South Africa
Daniel de Sousa
Founder
The Farm Nearby
South Africa
Thabani Ndumiso Ngubane
CEO & Founder
Ithuba Agri-Business
South Africa
Ma Joye
Founder
Umgibe Farming Organics & Training Institute
South Africa
Margaret Kimani
Author & Managing Director
Kabute Global Consulting
Kenya
Graeme Smith
Principal Consultant
Graeme Smith Consulting
Australia
Oumarou Yacoudima
Environmental Scientist
SE/CNEDD & CABES
Niger
Dr Justy Range
Business Development
AgriChain
South Africa
Natasja Van Der Linde
Founder & CEO
Al Basateen Al Amrah
Oman
Murod Khusanov
Founder & CEO
Growz
Uzbekistan
Rina Kamenetsky-Goldstein
Scientific Director, Research Center for Urban Agro-Ecology
Agricultural Research Organization
Israel
Daniel Motshwane
CEO
Afrique Rising
South Africa
Henry Gordon-Smith
Founder & CEO
Agritecture
USA
Theophilus van Rensburg Lindzter
Founder
Learning Academy Worldwide
South Africa / Sweden
Snethemba Ngoako
Ndunguleti Project
South Africa
Philani Benedict Ngcobo
Director
Ghetto Buddies Enterprise
South Africa
Sifiso Nkwanyane
Director
Dokodweni Farming
South Africa
Sithembile Ndlovu
Director
Uluthando Agricultural Project
South Africa
Siphelele Vumisa
Vumisa Farming
South Africa
Terry Wyer
Managing Director
ESI Capital
South Africa
Amb Dr Johaness Makouvia
Chairman, Governance Council
OPPASEC
Togo
URBAN AGRI SPEAKERS ALUMNI INCLUDE
N M Jomo Sibiya
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour (South Africa)
T P Shandu
Mayor, iLembe District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa)
Nkosenhle Mngadi
Henry Gordon-Smith
Founder & CEO, Agritecture (USA) Innovation Board Member, EFUA (Germany)
Theophilus van Rensburg Lindzter
Founder, Learning Academy Worldwide (South Africa, Sweden)
Christine Zimmermann-Loessl
Chairwoman, Association for Vertical Farming (Germany)
Denis Banuoku
Founder & Agripreneur, GreenFresh Aquaponics (The Netherlands)
Pfano Mashau
Professor, DUT Business School, Durban University of Technology (South Africa)
Josephine Favre
President, African Association for Vertical Farming (Switzerland, South Africa, Tanzania)
Michael Linus Ouma
Founder & CEO, Mbeko Empire (Kenya)
Graeme Smith
Founder & Principal Consultant, Graeme Smith Consulting (Australia)
Naudé Malan
Associate Professor, Business Management, University of Johannesburg (South Africa)
Veronica Shangali Aswani
Founder, Kijani Blue AgriBusiness CEO, WavuNow Stakeholder Relations Director, AWiA (South Africa)
Dr Richard Quansah Amissah
Neuroscientist Researcher, University of Western Ontario (Canada)
Gugulethu Mahlangu
Aquaponics Horticulturist, House Harvest (South Africa)
Bright Laaka
Group Executive Director, Klaus Engineering Group (South Africa)
Samson Ogbole
Founder & CEO, Eupepsia Place / Soilless Farmlab (Nigeria)
Andrew Pott
CEO, Smart Food Growing Technologies (South Africa)
Anton Gresse
Animal Scientist, Lecturer & Researcher, Nelson Mandela University (South Africa)
Leon Hanslo
Deputy Principal & Agriculture Project Leader, Soneike High School (South Africa)
Zandile Kumalo
Founder & CEO, HyHarvest (South Africa)
Louis-John Ferreira
Director, Eikos Risk Capital (South Africa)
Leon October
Agriculture Specialist, Learning Academy Worldwide (South Africa)
Lillian Masebenza
Founder, Mhani Gingi, and Ashoka Fellow (South Africa)
Mogale Maleka
Co-Founder & CEO, Agang Bokamoso Farms (South Africa)
Robert Janssens
Chief Client Officer, ECOSYSTEM.AI (South Africa)
Terrence Martin
Director & Founder, 5th Factor (South Africa)
Dalal AlGhawas
Founder & Agrifood-Agribusiness Consultant, SWAPAC (Kuwait, Hong Kong)
Daniel Motshwane
Founder & MD, Afrique Rising Trading (South Africa)
Karmini Pillay-Rangan
Director, Pulse Afrika, South Africa
Luvo Gugwana
Founder, Green Arch Innovations, South Africa
Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi
MEC, Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Nomusa Dube-Ncube
Premier, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Aliyu Abdulhameed
Managing Director & CEO, Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agriculture Lending (NIRSAL)
Prof Gert Venter
CEO, Ecogrow Kweekhuise, South Africa
Roger Tuckeldoe
Director of Smallholder Development, Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa
Dallas McMillan
CEO, Rhizo Sciences, Canada
Thaven Naidoo
Southern Africa Regional Coordinator, Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN)
Dr Michael Magondo
Chief Idea Surfer, Wouldn’t It Be Cool (WIBC), South Africa
Adeyinka John
Senior Manager for Research, Strategy, Innovation, Result Measurement & Impact, NIRSAL, Nigeria
Angel Adelaja
CEO, Fresh Direct, Nigeria
Prof Michael Rudolph
Director, Siyakhana Multipurpose Cooperative, South Africa
Jana Jordaan
Sustainable Agriculture Analyst, GreenCape, South Africa
Esther Ndumi Ngumbi
Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Mlibo Bantwini
Executive Officer, Dube TradePort, South Africa
Michael Koch
Marketing Agronomist, Haifa Group, Israel
Jeremy Rich
Founder, Aqua Vegetables & Co-Founder, Future Farms, South Africa
Theo Niezel
Director, Aqua Vegetables, South Africa
Paul Sheppard
Co-Founder, Halon Energy Partners & Co-Founder, Future Farms, South Africa
Peter Chege Gichuku
CEO, Hydroponics Africa, Kenya
Lynn Gunning
Managing Director, NFT Hydro, South Africa
Thato Moagi
Managing Director, Legae La Banareng Farms, South Africa
Peter Douglas
Managing Director, Carbon Negative Solutions
Inge Kuschke
Agriculture Analyst, Greencape, South Africa
Rikalize Reinecke
Owner, La Pieus Aqua, South Africa
Michelle Adelman
Managing Director, Go Fresh, Botswana
Alex Ho
Regional Director for Middle East, Africa & South Asia, Enterprise Singapore
Thato Mugonda
LED Coordinator, Centre for Supplier Development, and Director, Legae La Banareng Farms, South Africa
Kenneth Obayuwana
Principal Consultant, Agricelerate Global Consulting, UK
Agrotosh Mookerjee
Managing Director and Chief Actuary, Risk Shield Consultants, Zambia
Dr Zorodzai J T Maroveke
Founder and CEO, Zimbabwe Industrial Hemp Trust, Zimbabwe
Trenton Birch
CEO and Co-Founder, Cheeba Cannabis Academy, and Founding Member, Friends of Hemp South Africa
Veronica S. Aswani
Vice President, African Association for Vertical Farming, South Africa, Founding Partner , Kijani Blue Agribusiness, Stakeholder Relations Director, African Women in Agriculture (AWiA) CEO of Wavunow
Dr Tshililo Farisani
Entrepreneurship & Leadership Expert, UKZN, South Africa
Dr Peter C Gichuku
CEO & Founder, Hydroponics Africa, Kenya
Ma Joye
Founder, Umgibe Farming Organics & Training Institute, South Africa
Daniel de Sousa
Founder, The Farm Nearby, South Africa
Juan Fourie
Commercial Manager, Bosman Van Zaal, South Africa
Apply to Speak to the Industry
To join the Speakers Panel, drop us an email to cathy.lim@magenta-global.com.sg. We’d like to hear from you.