The Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, has announced the winners of the 2023 competition.
The announcement took place during an AR-enabled Grand Finale held in Kigali, Rwanda. The top three Africa’s Business Heroes for 2023 are:
1st – winning US$300,000 – Dr. Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder, Wellahealth Technologies (Nigeria).
2nd – winning US$250,000 – Mr. Thomas Njeru, CEO and Co-Founder, Pula Advisors Limited (Kenya).
3rd – winning US$150,000 – Mr. Ayman Bazaraa, CEO and Co-Founder, Sprints (Egypt).
Africa Business Heroes is a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy.
It strives to recognize and empower the upcoming generation of African entrepreneurs addressing local challenges for a sustainable economy.
They work towards solving pressing issues, fostering community impact, and creating a more inclusive economic future.
This year, there were 27,267 applications from entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries.
The top three winners were selected through multiple stages of interviews and evaluations.
They have demonstrated exceptional ingenuity and tenacity, substantially impacting their communities and beyond.
ABH will award each of the top 10 participants $100,000 in prize funding.
Additionally, each of the top 10 finalists will receive an extra $10,000 for post-competition training programs.
Dr.Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder, Wellahealth Technologies, ABH 2023 First Prize Winner stated,
“I feel deeply honored to receive the title of this year’s Africa’s Business Heroes winner.
“This award energizes my commitment to driving positive change through innovation.
“I also express sincere gratitude to ABH for empowering entrepreneurs like myself. Through entrepreneurship, I commit to shaping a brighter future for our continent.
“I am excited for the recognition of Wellahealth Technologies’ work, and grateful for my team, family and the ABH team for making this impact in healthcare across Africa possible.”
Reflections from Africa’s Business Heroes 2023
Jason Pau, Executive Director of International Programs, Jack Ma Foundation further added,
“The winners of this year’s ABH competition embody bold ambition and innovation.
“This exemplifies the true essence of entrepreneurial spirit and a deep commitment to addressing societal challenges.
“The judges recognized them for their remarkable ability to turn challenges into opportunities.
“They also received awards for their steadfast commitment to community betterment and innovative approaches to solving pressing issues.”
“Their resilience, passion and impactful contributions make them not just business leaders, but true champions of change.”
The 2023 edition marked the 5th anniversary of the Africa Business Heroes, signifying the midpoint of the prize competition program.
To commemorate this milestone, a two-day celebratory summit from November 23 to 24 coincided with the Grand Finale.