Unlocking Africa's Food Potential: How PFS is Revolutionizing the Continent's Food SystemFor 16 years, Partners in Food Solutions (PFS), a Minnesota-based nonprofit founded by General Mills, has been pairing volunteers from U.S. companies with African businesses to improve the continent's food system. Now, with the appointment of Mandla Nkomo as the new CEO, the organization is poised to amplify its impact and broaden its reach across Africa.

Empowering African Entrepreneurs to Feed the Continent and the World

Bridging the Gap Between Rural and Urban Food Needs

Africa's rapidly changing demographics are driving the need for a more robust and efficient food system. With the continent's population set to become the largest in the world, the challenge of providing food to large urban populations is more pressing than ever before. Nkomo, a seasoned professional with experience in food, agriculture, and economic development, recognizes the importance of building strong connections between the countryside, where food is produced, and the growing urban centers that require a steady supply."Providing food to large urban populations is a challenge Africa has not had to do at a large scale, as will be required in the near future," Nkomo explains. "But secondly, you've got this mass pool of talent, the demographic dividend, as they call it, so how do you unlock the potential of that? Especially when many in Africa have long survived on subsistence farming?"

Transforming Conservation Efforts into Thriving Businesses

PFS has a proven track record of helping African entrepreneurs and companies add value to their crops and grow local economies. One of their early clients, Comaco in Zambia, is a prime example of this success. Comaco started as a conservation project, creating incentives for rural people to preserve the local flora and fauna. However, as the project grew, Comaco found itself with an abundance of honey and other products that needed to be commercialized."When PFS started working with them, it was to help them turn the different products that they were getting from their conservation work into food products that could sit on supermarket shelves, meeting all the required standards," Nkomo says. "So we've contributed over the last 15 years to what started off as a tiny development project to become probably one of the largest consumer goods companies in Zambia."

Leveraging Corporate Expertise to Drive Sustainable Change

PFS's unique approach of pairing volunteers from global food companies with African entrepreneurs and businesses is the organization's "secret sauce." By tapping into the expertise and resources of these corporate partners, PFS is able to provide invaluable support to its clients, helping them navigate the complexities of food processing, business operations, and supply chain management."Our job is to start by acknowledging this great asset that these companies have and pointing it out to them that — without deviating from their core business mandate, which they have to their shareholders — there's an opportunity here," Nkomo explains. "We need to deepen that impact, to grow our base of corporate partners, and to really reach more countries on the African continent with the services and offerings that we can provide."

Expanding PFS's Reach and Impact Across Africa

As the new CEO, Nkomo is eager to build on PFS's impressive track record and unlock the organization's full potential. With a mandate to "create more opportunities," Nkomo is focused on expanding the philanthropic side of the organization, deepening its impact, and reaching more countries across the African continent."I think I joined the organization at the right time to start asking the question around what is possible and how can we organize ourselves around that?" Nkomo says. "We've worked with over 2,000 African entrepreneurs and impacted millions of smallholders. And yet, truth be told, that's just a small subset of what is possible."Nkomo's appointment as CEO also highlights the importance of PFS's Minnesota connection. The organization's strong ties to the state's giving tradition and the enthusiasm of its local supporters are crucial to its continued success."Probably the most important message we want to send out, especially to the residents of Minneapolis, is that the giving tradition that Minnesota is known for continues at PFS," Nkomo says. "And my job as the incoming CEO is to create more opportunities for the residents of Minnesota to contribute, whether it's with their time, with their giving or through the entities they work for."With Nkomo's leadership and the continued support of its corporate partners and local community, PFS is poised to unlock even greater opportunities for African entrepreneurs and communities, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and sustainable food system across the continent.