Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy have announced the fifth edition of their annual Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition. The competition is a philanthropic initiative that aims to encourage, support, and foster a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa. The ABH Prize Competition is open to all African entrepreneurs across all sectors, genders, and ages and offers a chance to become one of 10 finalists who will compete for a share of $1.5 million in grant money. The top 10 finalists will also gain access to a community of international business leaders, industry experts, investors, and accelerators and will participate in training sessions to help take their businesses to the next level. The competition will also create a television show that follows the journey of the finalists, featuring their on-stage pitches as well as behind-the-scenes moments. The ABH Show will be launched on ABH’s official YouTube channel and ABH’s social media platforms from March 2023 onward. Applications for the ABH Prize Competition are now open online until May 12, 2023, with the top 50 candidates announced in July, the semi-finalists announced in August, and the top 10 finalists unveiled in September.
Apart from the grant money, mentorship, and networking opportunities, ABH creates a television show every year that follows the finalists of the previous year on their exciting journey to the Grand Finale, featuring their on-stage pitches as well as behind-the-scenes moments. The ABH Show aims to provide a masterclass in entrepreneurship, as audiences can see firsthand how Africa’s top entrepreneurs refined their final pitches and faced challenging questions from the judges. The upcoming edition of the ABH Show will be in shorter episodes and released on ABH’s official YouTube channel and ABH’s social media platforms from March 2023 onwards. A combined longer version will be launched at CNBC, StarTimes, and Vox Africa later this year.
To date, over 72,000 entrepreneurs across the continent have participated in the ABH Prize Competition. The 10 outstanding finalists for 2022 were chosen from over 21,000 applicants from 54 African countries, representing a broad spectrum of industries, including agriculture, consulting, energy, environmental protection, healthcare, information and communication technology (ICT), and retail.
Elia Timotheo, Founder and CEO of East Africa Fruits Co. and the 2022 ABH first prize winner, said, "My business represents my philosophy and my values, and I am thrilled that East Africa Fruits was recognized on the prestigious ABH platform. ABH has given homegrown African businesses like mine a tremendous opportunity to access learning and networking opportunities and benefit from media support. I hope that my story will inspire other entrepreneurs to feel that they too have the potential to make a difference and be part of ABH’s startup community."
Today, East Africa Fruits is the leading data- and tech-driven food distribution company in Tanzania. The company serves more than 7,000 customers daily and works with more than 10,000 farmers from around the country, with a commitment to bridging the tech gap for smallholder farmers.
This year, ABH will be hosting in-person information sessions across the continent during the application period to facilitate the application process for interested entrepreneurs. Sessions will be held in Ethiopia, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda in partnership with various local entrepreneur organizations and ABH local connect leads. Details will be shared via ABH’s social media accounts and newsletter.
A pivotal part of ABH’s success is its wide-ranging partnerships with key ecosystem partners. As with previous years, ABH will be partnering with several organizations to drive the call for applications, support African entrepreneurs, and spotlight their inspiring work. The 2023 anchor partners are Afrilabs, RiseUp, the SA Innovation Summit, The Room—an initiative of the African Leadership Group—and VC4A. Channel partners include African Management Institute (AMI), AfterSchool Africa, Anzisha Prize, Briter Bridges, Disrupt Africa, Haske Ventures, Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (MCISE), MEST Africa, Pariti, and Seedstars. For organizations interested in joining the ABH Partner network, sign up here.
Applications are now open online until May 12, 2023, with the top 50 candidates announced in July, the semi-finalists announced in August, and the top 10 finalists unveiled in September.
The ABH Prize Competition is an opportunity for Africa’s most innovative entrepreneurs to showcase their solutions and innovations to the world while receiving valuable support to scale their businesses. Apply now to become one of the 10 outstanding entrepreneurs recognized as an African Business Hero. For more information and to apply for ABH 2023, please visit https://apo-opa.info/41MUCo0.
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