A group of young women in Senegal is redefining rural entrepreneurship by merging agribusiness with digital media, using YouTube to market their produce and build a sustainable future in farming.
Among them is Anta, who, alongside four friends in Ngoundiane, has found success cultivating vegetables and selling them online. Previously, like many young Senegalese women, they were forced to migrate to cities for low-paid jobs, as unemployment among women in the country remains high—especially for the youth.
Their journey began in 2022 when they joined Agrijeune, a project funded by the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the African Development Bank, and the Senegalese government. The initiative provides training and loans to rural youth, aiming to create over 8,000 jobs, with half designated for young women.
However, their participation was initially met with skepticism. “Even before Agrijeune, people laughed at us and made fun of us when we were doing the training,” recalls Anta. “They said young girls doing agriculture would remain poor.”
According to Loise Waruguru Maina, a technical expert at IFAD, young rural women in Senegal face multiple barriers, including limited access to land and finances, higher illiteracy rates in some regions, and exclusion from rural institutions.
Despite these obstacles, Anta and her friends now successfully grow crops like peppers and tomatoes. Thanks to IT training, startup loans, and their YouTube channel, Zenith TV, they have not only boosted their sales but also inspired other young women.
“The idea for our YouTube channel was to publicize our activity and market our produce,” says Anta. “If we just do agriculture, we will remain poor.”
Their success has changed their outlook—rather than migrating back to the city or seeking opportunities abroad, they plan to expand their agribusiness.
Maina highlights the project’s success, noting that these women are not only increasing their incomes but also reinvesting to scale their businesses, proving that with the right support, rural youth can drive economic transformation.
