DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 5 -- WHILE many students focus solely on passing exams, Dickson Mallya was already looking beyond the lecture hall, determined to turn academic knowledge into practical solutions for society.

As a second-year agricultural engineering student at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), he identified persistent challenges facing farmers and transformed them into business opportunities, laying the foundation for what is now Afriflux Limited.

Eng Mallyas entrepreneurial journey did not begin with capital or external funding, but with skills, innovation and a deep understanding of the everyday realities confronting farming communities.

During his university years, he observed a clear disconnect between academic theory and...