50 finalist have been chosen for the 2023 Africa’s Business Heroes competition.

50 finalists from 20 nations have been chosen as finalists for the fifth edition of Africa’s Business Heroes, a charity initiative to support African businesses.

The biennial Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy, searches the continent for 10 outstanding, mission-driven entrepreneurs who are seeking to make a difference in their local communities.

The top ten candidates will compete for a grant worth US$1.5 million. ABH will recognize 100 African entrepreneurs over a 10-year period.

Over 27,000 entrepreneurs from 54 African countries submitted for the 2023 edition, and the “Top 50 heroes” have now been chosen. They come from 20 nations, cover ten industries, and include 38% female entrepreneurs, showcasing some of the most significant enterprises operating across the continent. The complete list may be seen here.

These 50 finalists will be eventually narrowed down to a final 10 who will take the stage at the Grand Finale later this year to present their businesses to a panel of great business executives.

Access to a community of international business leaders and innovators, industry experts, investors, and accelerators, as well as multi-disciplinary bootcamps and training sessions to help participating entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level, will be part of the journey to the finale.

“At ABH, we have long recognized entrepreneurs’ potential as engines of economic and social growth.” “We are encouraged to see that ABH has grown into a truly pan-African initiative that is positively impacting the continent’s entrepreneurship landscape,” said Zahra Baitie-Boateng, ABH’s head of partnerships and programs.

“We are extremely impressed with the increasing diversity of our Heroes and how they’ve been taking tangible steps to solve some of Africa’s most challenging issues. We encourage entrepreneurs from all countries, especially those from smaller countries, to seize the opportunity of ABH 2023 to tell and inspire millions more with their unique stories.”