Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, the charitable initiative of the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy, recently launched its sixth annual quest to discover and support exceptional entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries dedicated to driving positive change in their local communities. Until May 19th, aspiring applicants can access the application form on ABH’s official website to apply for the free shareable grant totaling $1.5 million USD. Interested applicants are encouraged to create a free profile and start their application here: ABH Application Form.

Since its establishment in 2019, ABH has been a beacon for Africa’s brightest entrepreneurial talents. The ABH top 10 finalists, known as Heroes, over the past five years, have collectively achieved remarkable milestones, including:

• Created 123,000 direct and indirect jobs across Africa.
• Serving over 37.5 million customers within Africa and beyond.
• Raised a staggering US$153 million in funding, excluding debt raises.
• Operate in 52 African countries.

In 2023, ABH unveiled a comprehensive five-year impact report, showcasing the tangible contributions made by ABH Heroes. The full report is available for download on ABH’s official website: ABH Impact Report.

Now in its sixth year, ABH continues to extend a call to entrepreneurs from all corners of Africa to showcase their ventures on the continent’s largest entrepreneurial platform. ABH encourages applications from individuals of all ages, genders, and business sectors, from each of the 54 African countries. Applicants can submit their entries in either English or French. Alongside invaluable benefits such as training, exposure, and networking opportunities, the top 10 finalists will vie for a share of $1.5 million in grant money. Other benefits include free entrepreneurship training, pan-African publicity, mentorship, and networking with outstanding entrepreneurs from all over Africa.

Zahra Baitie, Managing Director, Africa, at Africa’s Business Heroes, expressed enthusiasm for the journey ahead: “Over the past five years, we’ve witnessed the remarkable growth of our Heroes. Many have utilized grant funds to expand their reach, recruit talent, enhance operations, and innovate new products and services. It’s inspiring to see our Heroes collaborate and tap into the ABH network of judges and experts. We are committed to continuing our support for the African entrepreneurial ecosystem, and we invite all eligible entrepreneurs creating positive impacts to join us on this journey!”

To date, nearly 100,000 entrepreneurs have engaged in the ABH Prize Competition. Last year’s winners emerged from a pool of 27,267 applicants representing diverse sectors, including agriculture, education, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. The competition culminated in a Grand Finale, where the top 10 finalists graced Africa’s largest augmented reality-powered stage to present their businesses to a panel of esteemed judges.

How to Apply: The ABH application deadline is set for May 19, 2024. Ethiopian and all African entrepreneurs, both founders and co-founders of any type of business that has been in existence for at least 3 years and is registered in any African country, are called upon to apply and participate in this prestigious pan-African prize competition. No matter the sector, age, or gender, interested applicants must be Africans and should submit their applications in either English or French before the deadline. More details about the prize, eligibility, and application criteria can be found on ABH’s official website: ABH Application Guidelines.

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