The Africa’s Business Heroes event brought together 40 entrepreneurs, including top 10 Heroes, finalists, and partners across Africa. Participants engaged in innovative activities at Alibaba’s headquarters during their visit, gaining insights to enhance their entrepreneurial endeavours on the continent.

The Heroes, spanning cohorts from 2019 to 2023, participated in various activities that explored facets of the digital economy, such as cloud computing, AI-driven logistics, and e-commerce villages. 

ABH Heroes participated in activities designed to enhance their businesses, including exploring cloud computing, AI logistics, and e-commerce strategies. The trip facilitated collaboration and knowledge exchange among participants and Alibaba leaders.

Workshops, site visits, and exchanges with business leaders from Alibaba and fellow participants provided new knowledge and perspectives to overcome challenges and scale their businesses.

Diarra Boussou, Founder & Creative Director of Diarrablu and ABH 2020 top 10 Hero, expressed gratitude for the experience, emphasizing the inspiration derived from meeting top African entrepreneurs and gaining insights into Alibaba’s visionary approach.

In response to growing interest, Africa’s Business Heroes has extended the deadline for 2024 entries to June 9, offering selected candidates access to training, mentorship, and networking opportunities. A total of $1.5 million in grant funding will be distributed among the top 10 finalists, with the first prize winner receiving $300,000.

To facilitate broader participation, ABH has hosted information sessions and community events across Africa, enabling an energetic entrepreneurial community. 

Events have been conducted in partnership with local organizations in countries like South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, with additional sessions planned for Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Senegal.

Eligibility 

Entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries are invited to apply, regardless of sector, age, or gender, through the ABH website. 

How to Apply

Additionally, individuals are encouraged to nominate entrepreneurs creating impactful solutions to challenging issues across the continent. Applications and nominations can be submitted in English or French via the website.

With less than three weeks before entries close on May 12, more than 21,000 entrepreneurs from all corners of the continent have already submitted their applications, reflecting a strong interest in the competition.

ABH is a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy. Every year since 2019, ABH conducts a continent-wide search with its partners for the most talented, business-driven entrepreneurs driving inclusive growth and creating a positive impact for their communities. 

ABH features 10 African entrepreneur finalists each year as they pitch their business to win a share of $1.5 million in grant money and gain access to unparalleled mentoring, networking and training opportunities. Over a 10-year period, ABH will recognize a total of 100 outstanding African entrepreneurs.

Now in its fifth year, ABH has grown into a truly Pan-African, inclusive, sector-agnostic and grassroots-oriented initiative, which has been positively impacting the continent’s entrepreneurial landscape.

A crucial part of ABH’s success is a group of esteemed judges who not only evaluate but also inspire entrepreneurs broadly. Hundreds of judges at all levels of the competition support and mentor African entrepreneurial talents taking part in the competition each year. Judges of past ABH editions include Omar Cisse, CEO of InTouch SA; Amal Enan, Partner of 500 Global and Founder of The Lotus Collective; Tomi Davies, Collaborator-in-Chief at TVC Labs and Advisor to Fathom; Fatoumata Ba, Founder of Janngo Capital; Fred Swaniker, Founder of African Leadership Academy, among others.

This year, as ABH expects a record-breaking number of applications, the competition is looking to expand its pool of judges to support the contestants further on their ABH journey. Seasoned entrepreneurs, venture capital firms, academics, and business professionals from all sectors are invited to join the ABH community of judges here.

“As an ABH judge, I have enjoyed supporting entrepreneurs over the last two years. I’ve learned as much as I have mentored, and I am inspired each time I connect with an ABH entrepreneur. In addition to supporting amazing participants, I have made so many new connections with passionate ABH judges that work all over the continent,” said Akua Nyame-Mensah, Executive Coach and Co-Founder of A.N.M. & Company and CoffeeChat.

Aside from providing guidance and evaluation for the contestants, judges can also connect with the ABH ecosystem of more than 100,000 stakeholders, including investors, entrepreneurs and ABH partners through judge networking sessions hosted by ABH. After completing the judging process, they will be awarded a certificate and featured on ABH’s official website.

ABH is also putting out a special call to entrepreneurs whose countries are still underrepresented – including Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya to apply for this year’s competition and inspire millions of others with their unique stories. The competition is still open for applications in either French or English until May 12, 2023.

Entrepreneurs who are interested in applying or who have registered as applicants now have less than three weeks until May 12, 2023 to complete their applications by submitting the required materials. 

In addition to the $1.5 million cash grant, applicants will also gain access to mentoring, networking, and publicity opportunities for their ventures. All applicants have access to training and scaling opportunities across a vast range of business disciplines through webinars, presentations and events, such as the Alibaba Netpreneur Training program.

The top 50 candidates will be announced in July, the top 20 semi-finalists in August, and the top 10 finalists in September. The return of a large-scale Grand Finale and Summit is slated for November 2023.

How to apply 

To become part of the judges for the Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition 2023, apply here.

The fifth annual edition of the competition seeks to support entrepreneurial talent who are creating positive impact in their communities and beyond.

ABH is part of the Jack Ma Foundation’s long-term commitment to building an inclusive and strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa. 

Every year since 2019, ABH conducts a continent-wide search with its partners for 10 outstanding, mission-driven entrepreneurs that are striving to make a difference in their local communities. Over a 10-year period, ABH will recognize a total of 100 African entrepreneurs.

Benefits

Top 10 finalists would compete for a share of $1.5 million in grant money.

At the Grand Finale to be held later this year, the 10 finalists will take the stage to present their businesses to a panel of legendary businesspeople. 

The journey to the finale will also include access to a community of international business leaders and innovators, industry experts, investors and accelerators, as well as multi-disciplinary bootcamps and training sessions to help the participating entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.

Eligibility

Entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, across every sector, gender and age group and all levels of society, are encouraged to submit their applications, in either English or French.

Speaking on the competition, Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Partnerships & Programs of Africa’s Business Heroes said:

“At ABH, we have long recognized the potential of entrepreneurs as engines of economic and social growth. Now in the fifth year of the competition, we are encouraged to see that ABH has grown into a truly Pan-African initiative that is positively impacting the continent’s entrepreneurship landscape. 

We are extremely impressed with the increasing diversity of our Heroes and how they’ve been taking tangible steps to solve some of Africa’s most challenging issues. We encourage entrepreneurs from all countries, especially those from smaller countries, to seize the opportunity of ABH 2023 to tell and inspire millions more with their unique stories.”

How to apply

Applications will be open online until May 12, 2023, with the top 50 candidates announced in July, semi-finalists announced in August, and the top 10 finalists unveiled in September. 

Elia Timotheo from Tanzania, Tesh Mbaabu from Kenya and Nadia Gamal El Din from Egypt were named first, second and third prize winners, respectively. The first prize winner received a $300,000 grant to accelerate his business growth further.

The top three Africa’s Business Heroes for 2022 are:

1st – winning $300,000 – Elia Timotheo, Founder and CEO of East Africa Fruits Co. (Tanzania)

2nd – winning $250,000 – Tesh Mbaabu, Co-Founder and CEO of Marketforce Technologies (Kenya)

3rd – winning $150,000 – Nadia Gamal El Din, Founder and CEO of Rahet Bally (Egypt)

“I’d like to thank the ABH team for working with us along the journey, and my fellow Heroes for being there for me. I especially want to bring this victory back to my team as I would not have been where I am now without them. More significantly, the award is meant to demonstrate to my fellow Tanzanians that entrepreneurship is the way forward and that food sustainability is attainable for all young Africans if we have the courage to make things happen,” says Elia Timotheo, Founder and CEO of East Africa Fruits Co., a food distributor that leverages data and technology to create efficiencies for farmers and consumers while reducing food waste.

Tesh Mbaabu was also chosen as the winner of the “People’s Choice” award, which was newly introduced this year to encourage audiences to support their favorite Hero among the top ten finalists through online voting.

“The winners of the 2022 Africa’s Business Heroes competition embody the incredible entrepreneurial spirit in the region. The judges recognized them for their leadership, passion, and ability to drive positive impact across Africa through their businesses. Despite the unprecedented challenges of the past two years, these entrepreneurs have inspired us all with their resilience and unwavering commitment to their businesses and communities,” said Jason Pau, Executive Director of International Programs, Jack Ma Foundation.

The finalists other than the top three will each receive $100,000 in prize funding, and an additional $10,000 will be allocated to each of the top ten finalists for immersive training program(s) and community gathering activities.

The ten finalists of this year’s competition were chosen from an initial pool of over 21,000 applications from all 54 African countries after six months’ rigorous evaluation by over 300 judges.

Over 7,000 viewers from across the globe watched the Grand Finale live online, following the finalists as they pitched their businesses to a final panel of esteemed judges: Ibukun Awosika, Founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group, Victor Williams, CEO of NBA Africa, and Joe Tsai, Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba Group.

The Grand Finale judges were impressed with the caliber of the finalists and their businesses, commenting:

“Congratulations to all the finalists and winners of this year’s ABH competition. Once again, I am privileged to take part in the judging panel and to be able to put a spotlight on the important work being done by trailblazing entrepreneurs on the African continent. We hope to see the businesses of these outstanding entrepreneurs flourish into bigger and better enterprises that will stimulate socio-economic development beyond their local markets,” said Ibukun Awosika, Founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group.

“Congratulations to all the finalists and the winners of this year’s ABH competition. Entrepreneurship is more than just building a successful business; it takes true grit and passion to create and seize opportunities where they don’t always exist. These exceptional entrepreneurs are all worthy winners and I’m excited to see how they will continue to drive progress in their respective markets, and across the African continent,” said Victor Williams, CEO of NBA Africa.

“The ABH competition is an incredible opportunity to see the vigorous entrepreneurship taking place on the African continent. This year’s winners are role models of entrepreneurship from the standpoint of changing people’s lives and creating opportunities for people to transform society with the use of technology. We believe their contribution will be huge if they can inspire more entrepreneurialism across the continent,” said Joe Tsai, Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba Group.

The Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition aims to help foster an inclusive and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa. The annual competition, now in its fourth year, shines a spotlight on talented African entrepreneurs working to make a difference in their communities and helping build a more sustainable, inclusive future. The ABH competition is grassroots oriented as well as age, gender and sector agnostic.

This year’s official competition slogan, “It’s African Time,” was a bold call to action for talented African entrepreneurs to redefine stereotypes associated with “African time” as creating local impact and building a better, more inclusive future through their businesses.

The latest edition of Africa’s Business Heroes TV show will air in 2023. The show will follow the finalists in their exciting journey to the 2022 ABH Grand Finale and features their on-stage pitches and behind-the-scenes moments from the Competition. The full video playback of the 2022 ABH Grand Finale is currently available on ABH’s official YouTube channel.

Pre-registration for the 2023 ABH prize will open in December 2022 and the 2023 ABH application will open in early 2023.

Now in its fourth edition, Africa’s Business Heroes is a Pan-African competition that recognizes and celebrates entrepreneurial talent across the continent. 

It offers entrants a chance to win a share of a US$1.5 million grant to fund their businesses as well as invaluable access to training, mentorship, networking opportunities and other benefits. The goal is to contribute to the growth of promising African start-ups, entrepreneurs and budding small businesses.

The 20 finalists have been selected from a pool of 21,000 applicants from a wide variety of industries including agriculture, education & training, healthcare, energy, information & communication technology (ICT), retail, consulting, manufacturing, financial services and environmental protection. 

They are evenly distributed geographically among west (30%), east (25%), south (25%) as well as north and central (20%), and businesses mainly operate in 11 African countries including Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa and Tanzania. Female entrants account for half of the top 20 finalists.

“The top 20 finalists of the ABH prize competition this year show what great potential and talent exist in Africa. We are looking forward to giving them the support they need to grow and generate a positive impact on both their businesses and the communities they serve,” said Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Partnerships & Programs, Africa’s Business Heroes. “We wish all of them the very best of luck for this October.”

Over the coming month, the top heroes will undergo a rigorous due diligence process which combine with their round two scores and determine the top 15 heroes. 

The top 15 finalists will proceed to the semi-final round of the competition, which will be held in Kigali, Rwanda on September 30, 2022 for the first in-person semi-final since 2019!

This year’s official competition slogan, “It’s African Time”, is a bold call to action to all talented African entrepreneurs who are challenging stereotypes associated with “African time” – creating local impact and building a better, more inclusive future through their businesses.

The Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition 2022 top 20 finalists are (by geographical order):

1. Melissa Tafila, Conexus Proprietary Limited, Botswana
2. Flavien Kouatcha Simo, Save Our Agriculture Sarl, Cameroon
3. Amena Elsaie, Helm, Egypt
4. Nadia Gamal El Din, Rahet Bally, Egypt
5. Ayman Bazaraa, Sprints, Egypt
6. Amadou Daffe, Gebeya Inc, Ethiopia
7. Prince Agbata, Coliba Waste Management Services Limited, Ghana
8. Tesh Mbaabu, MarketForce Technologies, Kenya
9. Oluwatomi Solanke, Trove Finance, Nigeria
10. Okey Esse, Powerstove Energy, Nigeria
11. Abimbola Adebakin, my-Medicines Pan African Limited, Nigeria
12. Rahmah Aderinoye,, Rashak Farms and Agro Allied Limited, Nigeria
13. Tunde Adeyemi, D-Olivette Global Enterprise, Nigeria
14. Francine Munyaneza, MUNYAX ECO, Rwanda
15. Dr Sadiyo Siad, Hano Academy, Somalia
16. Shona Mcdonald, Shonaquip Social Enterprise, South Africa
17. Elmarie Pereira, Memeza Shout (PTY) Ltd, South Africa
18. Matsotso Vuso, Nyamezela Metering, South Africa
19. Shaarad ‘Sha’ Maharaj, TradeBRICS Pty Ltd, South Africa
20. Elia Timotheo, East Africa Fruits Co., Tanzania

This year’s edition received interest from more than 21,000 applicants from across all 54 African countries.

There was a 20% increase in applications from Central Africa, accounting for 9% of the total applications received. Southern Africa accounted for 17%, while East Africa and West Africa accounted for 17% and 43% of all applications respectively. 

Additionally, there was a 26% increase in applications from North Africa compared to last year, accounting for 7% of the total applications received. This year, the number of applications from 34 countries rose by more than 50%. Countries such as Egypt, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Burundi especially saw a tremendous growth in applications, further strengthening ABH’s position as a truly Pan-African initiative.

Women entrepreneurs were well-represented amongst the pool of applicants, making up 31% of applications. The participants also ranged in age from 19 to 72, a demonstration that there is no age limit on being an entrepreneur. Entering its fourth edition, ABH has become a well-recognized philanthropic program in Africa. Most applicants learned about the competition through word of mouth.

A pool of over 60 judges will now interview the top 50 candidates who come from a wide variety of industries, including agriculture, energy, healthcare, retail and manufacturing. Among the top 50, 10% are Francophone, 42% are female and 60% operate in rural areas. For the first time, applicants from Burkina Faso, Somalia, Guinea, and Burundi are represented in the top 50.

“We are thrilled to see that all of the countries and regions of Africa are represented in this year’s competition and to have a more diverse pool of applicants than ever,” said Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Partnerships & Programs, Africa’s Business Heroes. “It is encouraging to see more than 21,000 entrepreneurs throw their hats into the ring from a wide spectrum of industries, regardless of their gender and age.”

“The top 50 finalists of the ABH 2022 competition show what great potential and talent exists in Africa. We are looking forward to spotlighting them and giving them the support they need to grow and generate a positive impact for both their businesses and the communities they serve,” she added.

The top 50 finalists of ABH 2022 recently participated in a virtual boot camp in preparation for their next round of interviews with judges. The boot camp featured sessions led by partners and judges alike.

Topics included using data to better understand markets, identifying opportunities to scale, running effective digital marketing campaigns and selling in the digital age.

In late August, the top 20 will be identified and announced. The top 10 will be announced in October, before they go on to the grand finale where they will pitch live to global business legends and secure their share of the US$1.5 million prize pool.

The official slogan of the competition this year, “It’s African Time,” is a bold call to action to all talented African entrepreneurs who are challenging stereotypes associated with “African time” – by creating local impact and building a better, more inclusive future through their businesses.