The winners of Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) 2021 were named yesterday night during a virtual live Grand Finale, with the top 10 finalists receiving US$1.5 million in grant cash. The Top 10 finalists come from seven African countries, with 80 percent of the finalists operating in rural regions and half of the finalists being women.
The Jack Ma Foundation’s primary charitable program, Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH), aims to promote an inclusive and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa. The annual competition, now in its third year, highlights brilliant African entrepreneurs who are making a difference in their communities and contributing to the development of a more sustainable and inclusive future. The ABH competition is for people of all ages, genders, languages, and industries.
Over 12,000 applications were received this year from all 54 African countries. After numerous rounds of rigorous judging by over 230 judges, the finalists were picked. They were chosen for their visionary leadership, resilience, growth potential, and effect on Africa.
Hundreds of viewers from 49 countries registered to watch the live online grand finale and visit the virtual exhibition, which followed the finalists as they pitched their businesses to a final panel of distinguished judges, which included Ibukun Awosika, Founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group; Victor Williams, NBA Africa CEO; and Joe Tsai, Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba Group.
| The top three Africa’s Business Heroes for 2021 are: 1st – winning $300,000 – Khadija Mohamed Elbedweihy – Founder, PraxiLabs (www.praxilabs.com) (Egypt) 2nd – winning $250,000 – Ikenna Nzewi – Co-founder and CEO, Releaf (www.releaf.africa) (Nigeria) 3rd – winning $150,000 – Navalayo Osembo-Ombati – Co-founder and CEO, Enda Athletic (www.EndaSportswear.com) (Kenya) |
“I’m very humbled to be named Africa’s Business Hero. This competition has been an incredible journey. I have learnt important lessons from each judge and from my fellow talented entrepreneurs. I hope that this win inspires many young Africans to believe that we have what it takes to make an impact where we are. It has been a challenging year for many businesses, but challenges are key to build our resilience. PraxiLabs is solving pressing issues around education and training, and we will remain focused and determined to change how Africa learns and teaches science, one virtual lab at a time,” said the winner, Khadija Mohamed Elbedweihy, Founder at PraxiLabs.
| The other finalists will each receive $100,000 in prize funding, and additional $10,000 will be allocated to each finalist for a training program to be hosted in Alibaba Group’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China. Ghirmay Abraham – Founder, Aptech Africa (aptechafrica.com) (Uganda)Oghenetega Iortim – Founder, Gricd (Gricd.com) (Nigeria)Yvette Ishimwe – Founder and CEO, IRIBA Water Group (www.IRIBWaterGroup.com) (Rwanda)Charlot Magayi – Founder and CEO, Mukuru Clean Stoves (mukurustoves.org) (Kenya)Chidi Nwaogu – Co-founder and CEO, Publiseer (Publiseer.net) (Nigeria)Violet Amoabeng – Founder and CEO, Skin Gourmet (SkinGourmet.com) (Ghana)Ketshephaone Jacob – Founder and CEO, The Bulb World (https://bit.ly/3Fu2nU4) (Botswana) |
The finale judges were impressed with the caliber of the finalists and their businesses, commenting:
“This is the third time I have been a Grand Finale judge for the Africa’s Business Heroes competition, meeting many exceptional business women and men from across Africa. Each year, I’m struck by their sheer talent and the commitment to developing creative, innovative solutions to the challenges we face on the continent. It truly is “Africa’s time” and these outstanding entrepreneurs are the ones who embody its future of growth and relevant solution-based innovation,” said Ibukun Awosika, Founder and CEO of The Chair Centre Group.
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“I want to congratulate the winners of this year’s Africa’s Business Heroes competition. Entrepreneurship – like sport – is a transformative force for positive social change and economic growth. All of the Africa’s Business Heroes are inspiring leaders who are actively pursuing their passions and helping Africa take its rightful place on the world stage. I look forward to engaging with all of them as they continue their entrepreneurial journeys on the continent,” highlighted Victor Williams, NBA Africa CEO.
“This year’s Top 10 finalists came from inspiring personal stories that is invaluable not only to their teams and communities but to many would-be entrepreneurs across the continent who are thinking about pursuing this path. The kind of talent and passion I saw among this year’s Africa’s Business Heroes is unrivaled around the world. They are innovators and problem-solvers, but most importantly, they have a driving sense of mission and social impact. Congratulations to all of our winners and we look forward to seeing what you accomplish next,” said Joe Tsai, Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba Group.
Source: APO Group and Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH)