The sixth annual Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition is currently seeking ten outstanding entrepreneurs across the continent who are working hard to improve their communities. The application form is available on the ABH website until May 19.
Ever since it started in 2019, ABH has been showcasing and supporting some of the most brilliant business minds from Africa. The Heroes who have finished in the top ten at the ABH in the past five years have raised more than US$153 million (not including debt raises), have served more than 37.5 million clients in Africa and beyond, have generated 123,000 direct and indirect jobs and span across 52 nations in Africa.
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Current update
In its upcoming sixth year, ABH is inviting African entrepreneurs to compete on the continent’s premier entrepreneurial stage. According to ABH, all 54 countries, all industries, all ages, and both sexes are welcome to apply in English or French. The top ten finalists will compete for a share of a $1.5 million grant, in addition to other valuable benefits like training, exposure, and networking opportunities.
The grant funds have allowed many of the Heroes to grow their operations, hire new talent, expand their geographic footprint, and invest in new products and services, according to Zahra Baitie, Head of Partnerships & Programmes, Africa’s Business Heroes.
This has happened over the last five years. Thanks to the ABH’s network of judges and specialists, they can work together and share information. The partners are motivated to keep supporting Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for these reasons.
Africa’s Business Heroes impacts
Nearly one hundred thousand business owners have taken part in the ABH Prize Competition so far. A total of 27,267 individuals from various fields (including agriculture, education and training, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail) competed for last year’s awards. The competition reached its climax in the Grand Finale, where the top ten finalists showcased their businesses to a panel of distinguished judges on Africa’s largest stage powered by augmented reality.
In order to assist the participating entrepreneurs in growing their businesses, ABH is always looking for new and improved ways to do things. The path to this year’s Grand Finale will continue to include multi-disciplinary boot camps and training sessions, as well as access to a community of investors, industry experts, innovators, and business leaders.
Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia are just a few of the countries that will be visited by ABH’s roadshows this year. The purpose of these events is to foster better engagement with entrepreneurs and to enable applications. Members of the ABH community and local entrepreneur groups will work together to host these events. In addition to improving their odds of winning the competition, participants will obtain important knowledge about the ABH initiative. The official social media channels and newsletters of ABH will disseminate further details about the roadshows and information sessions.
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You have until May 19, 2024, to submit an application to ABH 2024. In July, the top fifty finalists will be revealed, and in September, the top ten will be announced. At the November Grand Finale, the winners will be announced in their final form.
For more information about ABH 2024 and to apply, like and follow @africa_heroes on Twitter, https://apo-opa.info/3KZTXKa on Instagram, https://bit.ly/49L11mR on TikTok, and https://apo-opa.info/3YDG5bH on YouTube.
The Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy are supporting Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition. By providing grant funding, training programmes, and support for the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, it aspires to encourage, empower, and inspire the upcoming generation of African entrepreneurs from all walks of life to create a better future for the continent. The ABH Prize Competition has been running for a decade, and every year, ten entrepreneurs compete for a share of a grant of $1.5 million.
