Following a competitive round of semi-finale business pitches and judging held on September 1 and 2 at Norrsken House in Kigali, Rwanda, the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy-sponsored Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, now in its fifth year, has announced this year’s top 10 finalists.
The ABH Prize Competition was launched for the first time in 2019 and is Pan-African, inclusive, sector-neutral, and grassroots-focused. I
t aspires to recognize, assist, and motivate the upcoming generation of African entrepreneurs who are improving the lives of people in their communities by tackling the most pressing issues and constructing a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
At the competition’s Grand Finale on November 23 and 24, these 10 entrepreneurs will compete for their share of the overall prize of US$1.5 million in grant cash.
The top 10 finalists are (in alphabetical order, by country):
Ms. Bola Bardet, CEO and Co-Founder, Susu (Benin)
Mr. Ayman Bazaraa, CEO and Co-Founder, Sprints (Egypt)
Mr. Andrew Takyi-appiah, Founder, Zeepay Ghana Limited (Ghana)
Ms. Christina Gyisun, CEO and Co-Founder, Sommalife Limited (Ghana)
Mr. Thomas Njeru, CEO and Co-Founder, Pula Advisors Limited (Kenya)
Mr. Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and Founder, Chari (Morocco)
Mr. Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder, Wellahealth Technologies (Nigeria)
Mr. Albert Munyabugingo, CEO and Co-Founder, Vuba Vuba Africa LTD (Rwanda)
Ms. Nthabiseng Mosia, CMO and Co-Founder, Easy Solar (South Africa)
Mr. Theo Baloyi, CEO and Founder, Bathu (South Africa)
The 2023 ABH top 10 entrepreneurs were chosen from 27,267 applicants from all 54 African countries after going through several rounds of interviews and assessments.
A total of eight different African countries are represented: Benin, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa.
At this year’s Grand Finale, which will coincide with a summit and be the largest in ABH’s history to commemorate the competition’s fifth anniversary, the 10 finalists will present their businesses live on stage before a panel of influential executives.
The Summit and Grand Finale will bring together a variety of African entrepreneurial ecosystem participants and will be held offline in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 23 and 24, as well as partially live-streamed to viewers around Africa.
Visit the website for additional details.
Read more on Tech Gist Africa:
The MEST Africa Challenge 2023 is now accepting applications
IFC’s “She Wins Africa” program is currently accepting applications from African Women Entrepreneurs
Google has opened applications for its AI-focused accelerator program in Africa
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