By Khalifa Hemed
Published September 5, 2023
Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition has shortlisted top 10 finalist entrepreneurs who will compete for their share of the final prize of US$1.5 million in grant funding at the competition’s Grand Finale scheduled for November 23 and 24, 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda.
The finalists are:
- Bola Bardet, CEO and Co-Founder of Susu (Benin)
- Ayman Bazaraa, CEO and Co-Founder of Sprints (Egypt)
- MAndrew Takyi-appiah, Founder of Zeepay Ghana Limited (Ghana)
- Christina Gyisun, CEO and Co-Founder of Sommalife Limited (Ghana)
- Thomas Njeru, CEO and Co-Founder of Pula Advisors Limited (Kenya)
- Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and Founder of Chari (Morocco)
- Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder of Wellahealth Technologies (Nigeria)
- Albert Munyabugingo, CEO and Co-Founder of Vuba Vuba Africa Ltd (Rwanda)
- Nthabiseng Mosia, CMO and Co-Founder of Easy Solar (South Africa), and
- Theo Baloyi, CEO and Founder of Bathu (South Africa)
RELATED: Egypt to Host 3rd Intra-African Trade Fair
The 2023 ABH top 10 entrepreneurs who hail from eight countries were selected through multiple stages of interviews and evaluation from 27 267 applications across all 54 African countries. Their start-ups have been drawn from a wide variety of industries, including agriculture, education & training, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and retail.
The finalists will present their businesses on stage to a panel of inspiring businesspeople at this year’s Grand Finale, which will take place in conjunction with a summit. Held offline and also partially livestreamed to reach audiences across Africa, the Summit and Grand Finale will be a gathering of a diverse group of African entrepreneurial ecosystem players.
RELATED: China Development Bank and African Export-Import Bank to Support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
“ABH remains committed to uncovering, championing and supporting trailblazing African entrepreneurs who are bringing positive change to their communities. As we reach the fifth anniversary of our 10-year commitment to this initiative, we’re excited by the expanding and diverse array of talent among our contenders,” says Jason Pau, Executive Director of International Programmes at the Jack Ma Foundation. “With November on the horizon, we wish every of the top 10 finalists the best of luck on their journey, and we encourage the public to join our Summit and Grand Finale, as it promises to be truly special.”
“The ABH competition has shown that African entrepreneurship can emerge as a potent force propelling both social upliftment and economic progress. It is a dynamic stage, spotlighting ingenious start-ups that steer toward solutions, tackling challenges with a resonance that’s impactful, competitive, sustainable and additive. I believe that entrepreneurs are carriers of HOPE as they can unlock possibilities that can change the world. I look forward to the Grand Finale, where the top 10 finalists will demonstrate their remarkable business acumen on stage,” says Rene Parker, Cofounder and CEO of RLabs, ABH semi-finale judge (2019 – 2023).
RELATED: Hotel Group to Establish 150 Properties in Africa
Originally launched in 2019, the ABH Prize Competition is Pan-African, inclusive, sector-agnostic and grassroots-oriented. It aims to identify, support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their local communities by working to solve the most pressing problems and building a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future.It is a philanthropic programme sponsored by Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy.