Following a 7 month review process and an adoption of getting ta pure digital means of engagement, the 2020 Africa Business Heroes prize competition – the flagship philanthropic program of the Jack Ma Foundation’s Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) has now drawn 10 top finalists.
ANPI’s primary aim is identifying and offering a pedestal to African entrepreneur heroes who create impact within their communities and build an inclusive futurist economy.
This year’s edition and its contestant especially the finalists had to adjust to a new challenge which came specifically in the form of adopting to the new way of life following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 10 entrepreneurs are from 8 African countries namely Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Zimbabwe and were selected from over 22,000 applications garnered from across the entire continent.
Their business solutions span across key industries in Africa including agriculture, fashion, education, healthcare, renewable energy, financial services, and retail.
The 10 Africa Business Heroes include:
Abdulai A Dasana (Ghana)
Abdulai is the CEO & COO of Amaati Company Limited, a social enterprise engaged in building sustainable communities via the use of fonio, an extinct and neglected crop.
Abdulai is an agricultural technologist with a 10 year work experience in banking, finance and SMEs.
Abdulai’s vision includes changing the dynamics around the agriculture sector to benefit the most vulnerable.
Aboubakar Karim (Côte d’Ivoire)
Aboubakar is a 25 year old agro-economist and the Founder/CEO of INVESTIV, an Ivorian based company with a mission to help build African’s agriculture future through leveraging innovative technologies that can help smallholder farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and West Africa.
Axel Emmanuel Gbaou (Côte d’Ivoire)
Axel a degree in International Public Law and an MSc holder in Taxation. He founded and runs Le Chocolatier Ivorien, a company that produces African-made chocolate.
The firm also creates awareness on sustainable cultivation techniques and distribution of income in the cocoa chain to female growers through direct partnership.
Chebet Lesan (Kenya)
Chebet is the Founder & CEO of BrightGreen Renewable Energy. The company produces life-saving fuel bricks that reduces the cost of cooking for underserved communities across Africa.
Chebet holds a background in Product and business Design as well as Supply Chain Management.
Cyrille Nkontchou (Cameroon)
An Economist with experience in fund management, Cyrile Founded and also doubles as Chairman of Enko Education, a brand that operates the largest single network of private schools across the African continent.
Enko Education teaches the International Baccalaureate curriculum to democratize access to quality international education.
Ethel Mupambwa (Zimbabwe)
Ethel is based in Zimbabwe, and is one of the co-founders of Moneymart, a microfinance institution that provides specific business loans to individuals and MSMEs who depend on the power grid to access quality solar-lighting-kits.
He has a nine year experience in finance.
Dr. Emma Naluyima Mugerwa (Uganda)
Dr. Emma is the founder of MST Junior School. The school aims at empowering pupils with special skills to solve food security and malnutrition challenges.
Emma has a background in education, and the school has a desire to keep company training young people through a deliberate farming process.
Joan Rukundo Nalubega (Uganda)
Joan is the CEO & Founder of Uganics, a social enterprise that produces life-saving organic anti-malaria soap to counter the surge of malaria.
The company subsidizes its sales to vulnerable populations, and has a vision to someday rid Africa of malaria.
Mame Diarra Bousso Gueye (Senegal)
Diarra leads a Senegalese based fashion tech company that merges artisans of African traditions with technology to equip them, thereby creating a sustainable and ethical fashion future centered around the origins of Africa’s craftmanship.
Asides leading the company, Diarra has experience in mathematics and design.
Oluwasoga Oni (Nigeria)
Oni is the CEO & Co-Founder of Mdaas Global, a company that builds and executes modern diagnostic centers in clinically vulnerable communities in Nigeria.
The company aims to provide state of the art patient experience at the most suited prices.
Oluwasoga is also an MIT-trained system engineer
Featured Image: alizila
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