Jack Ma Foundation Opens Applications for Africa’s Business Heroes with $1.5M Prize Pool
The Jack Ma Foundation has launched the eighth edition of Africa’s Business Heroes, its annual entrepreneurship competition that will distribute $1.5 million in grants to ten African founders.
Applications opened this month under the theme “Defining Africa’s Future Today.” The programme targets entrepreneurs building businesses across sectors including climate-smart agriculture, digital finance, healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing.
The competition distributes prizes ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 among the top ten finalists. Winners also receive mentorship access, business training, and exposure to a pan-African network of investors and ecosystem partners.
Programme Background
Africa’s Business Heroes represents the flagship philanthropic initiative of the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy. The foundation established the programme following Jack Ma’s 2017 visit to Africa, where he observed the continent’s entrepreneurial energy.
Previous winners have come from sectors addressing critical development challenges. Diana Orembe of Tanzania won the seventh edition in December 2025 with NovFeed, a biotech venture that converts organic waste into animal feed protein.
Finalists gain access to training programmes at Alibaba’s Hangzhou campus, where entrepreneurs engage with the company’s ecosystem and learn scaling strategies for technology-enabled businesses. The latest cohort will travel to China in September 2026.
The programme runs for a decade with plans to support 100 African entrepreneurs through grant funding and ecosystem development initiatives.
Eligible applicants must be founders or co-founders of businesses registered and operating primarily in African countries. The competition accepts entries from all 54 African nations across industries.
Applications close April 28th 2026, with finalists expected to pitch at the Grand Finale later this year.
You can get more details from the ABH website or go here to apply.
