They could have taken the easy way out. Stéphane Tia Gueu Rock, a young Ivorian entrepreneur, preferred to return to the land. Founder of the Mouvagri Holding group, he launched the Ridissi brand, a contraction of “Riz d’ici”, with a simple conviction. That of producing local, consuming local. Today, this audacious bet is taking shape on more than 600 hectares cultivated in Sinfra, in the Marahoué region, generating more than 150 direct and indirect jobs. What sets Ridissi apart goes beyond the grain. The brand relies on a network of women grouped within the “Femmes Glorieuses” association, supported with seeds, fertilizer and mechanization, and whose entire production is purchased to guarantee their income. In August 2025, the NGO Lame Afrique sponsored an event called “Ridissi Village” in Cocody, reinforcing this link between female entrepreneurship and the promotion of local rice. Ivory Coast remains the 2nd largest importer of rice in Africa, with 1.6 million tonnes purchased abroad in 2024. Faced with this observation, Ridissi embodies a concrete response, a product with an authentic taste, sought-after texture and verified traceability, capable of competing with imported brands on their own criteria.

With a strong digital presence on various social networks, as well as field actions, Ridissi illustrates that a new generation of Ivorian agripreneurs is ready to transform agriculture into a lever for sustainable development.