Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH), an initiative by the Jack Ma Foundation is back and aims to support and recognize African entrepreneurs who are making an impact in their local communities and building a better, more inclusive future.
The programme is open to entrepreneurs of all ages, from all sectors, and across all 54 African countries. ABH aims to recognize 100 African entrepreneurs and allocate, over a ten-year period [2019-2029], grant funds, alongside training, mentoring and learning programmes, as well as access to a community of like-minded African business leaders.
It will award a pool of $1.5 million in grant money to ten finalists who are working to solve critical issues in their local communities and who demonstrate core values such as resilience, innovation, and leadership.
As ABH’s Anchor Partner for 2022 in the Southern Africa region, the SA Innovation Summit (SAIS) will support the search for the next “Africa’s Business Heroes”. SAIS will also offer financial management training to ABH finalists and application support workshops.
“I was beyond proud to have been named the winner of the 2021 ABH competition. I hope that my win inspires many people across Africa to feel that they can make a difference and be impactful. I learned so much throughout the competition and will take those learnings to continue growing PraxiLabs. We will remain focused and determined to change how Africa learns and teaches science, one virtual lab at a time,” Khadija Mohamed Elbedweihy, Founder, PraxiLabs (www.PraxiLabs.com).
At the grand finale later this year, ten finalists will take the stage to present their businesses and share their visions to an esteemed panel of judges, to win a share of the US$1.5 million grant. The journey to the Finale will include several rounds of rigorous evaluation panels, as well as access to a community of international leaders and innovators, industry experts, investors, and accelerators, through a number of multi-disciplinary bootcamps and training sessions. The ten finalists will also have the opportunity to pitch their businesses and engage with iconic business legends in a competition show that will be broadcast online globally and across Africa via major television networks.
For more information and to apply, please see the Prize Overview by following this link: https://africabusinessheroes.org/en/the-prize/overview
Applications close on June 6th 2022!!
Below is a video highlighting the what Africa’s Business Heroes is about:
