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. 

The post APPLY – ABH Now Accepting Applications for $1.5 Million Grant Prize appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

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

The post Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition 2022 Unveils Top 20 Finalists appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

African entrepreneurs running a business in Africa will have until 20th June to enter the 2022 competition for their chance to access training, mentorship, and a share of a $1.5 million grant.

The extension has been made in recognition of the strong level of interest from across the continent. The new deadline will give a chance to potential applicants who are yet to apply and also allow current entrants to complete their applications.

To date, ABH has already received applications from all 54 countries in Africa, and has also seen a rise in entrants from Central African nations. Women are also well-represented amongst the current pool of applicants and currently make up more than 30% of applications. ABH is also putting out a special call to entrepreneurs whose countries are still underrepresented – including Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Senegal – to apply to this year’s competition.

“ABH is committed to being a fully inclusive and pan-African initiative and it is heartening to have seen a tremendous response from entrepreneurs across Africa this year. We aim to have all of the countries and regions of Africa well-represented in this year’s edition and to have a truly diverse set of finalists. We encourage all talented and mission-driven entrepreneurs from underrepresented countries to seize this opportunity to tell their stories and grow their businesses,” says Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Partnerships & Programs, ABH.

ABH is also calling on venture capitalists, investors, corporations and NGOs from around the world to join the 2022 competition as judges. ABH judges are in a unique position to positively contribute to the growth of talented African start-ups, entrepreneurs and small businesses. Judges will gain recognition for both themselves and the entities they represent as well as access to the ABH community of more than 75,000 investors, partners, and entrepreneurs.

“Being part of the ABH experience as a judge is phenomenal. I got to meet companies of many shapes, sizes, industries, verticals, tech and non-tech. I also got to engage with companies of tremendous impact solving grass-roots issues across the continent. It’s a very enriching experience and that’s why I’m keen to participate for the third year in a row,” said Rafeh Saleh, Founding Partner of Cubit Ventures – an early-stage venture fund backing digital startups in Egypt; ABH Round 1 & 2 Judge (2020 – 2022).

The post Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Application Deadline Extended to June 20, 2022 appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.