The Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition (ABH), now in its third year, offers a unique opportunity for African entrepreneurs to highlight their talent and develop their companies.
ABH, the Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic initiative in Africa, annually rewards 10 outstanding finalists with a share of a US$1.5 million grant.
Applications for “heroes” from all sectors and African countries are now open in English and French, with a special focus on those working to achieve the UN SDGs.
The competition’s core theme, “It’s African Time,” is a bold call to action for all young African entrepreneurs who are using their businesses to challenge perceptions associated with “African time” to use the ABH prize to scale their efforts and share their stories of how they’ve driven change and solutions.
The ten outstanding finalists for 2020 were chosen from over 22,000 applicants from 54 African countries. Half of the finalists were female.
They served eight African countries: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, as well as a wide range of industries such as agriculture, fashion, education, healthcare, renewable energy, and financial services.
“I am honoured to be named the recipient of the Africa’s Business Heroes award for 2020. It was an exciting journey to get to the finals of the competition. 2020 was a tough year that forced us to change our focus from profitability to survival. I hope that my victory encourages Africans to feel that we can make a difference no matter where we are. BrightGreen Renewable Energy’s Founder and CEO, Chebet Lesan, said, “The Prize is helping us scale our energy solution across East Africa, and we remain focused on improving how Africa cooks, one kitchen at a time.”
Entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, representing various industry, age group, and gender, can now apply in either French or English for a chance to be one of the Top 10 finalists.
Applications will be accepted online until June 7.
Semi-finalists will be revealed in August, and the top ten finalists for 2021 will be announced in September.
Please visit AfricaBusinessHeroes.org to apply and learn more.
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