ABH Prize Competition Calls for Participation of Business Professionals as Judges to Help Shape the Future of Entrepreneurship in Africa

The 2023 edition of the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) (AfricaBusinessHeroes.org) Prize Competition is looking for business professionals from all around Africa to serve as judges, since it is expected to grow and improve from last year. More than 21,000 entrepreneurs from all over the continent have already submitted their applications with less than three weeks until the competition’s entry deadline on May 12. This shows a keen interest in the contest.

ABH is a charitable project supported by Alibaba Philanthropy and the Jack Ma Foundation. Since 2019, ABH has searched the entire continent with its partners for the brightest, most business-driven entrepreneurs who are fostering inclusive growth and having a beneficial influence on their local communities. Each year, 10 African entrepreneurs compete for a portion of US$1.5 million in grant money and access to unmatched mentoring, networking, and training opportunities as finalists in the ABH competition. ABH will honor a total of 100 exceptional African entrepreneurs during a ten-year period.

Currently in its fifth year, ABH has developed into a truly Pan-African, inclusive, sector-agnostic, and grassroots program that has been positively influencing the entrepreneurial landscape of the continent.

ABH’s success is largely due to a panel of prestigious judges who not only assess entries but also serve as an inspiration to business owners in general. Every year, hundreds of judges provide guidance and support to the young African entrepreneurs that compete in the competition. In previous ABH competitions, judges included Omar Cisse, CEO of InTouch SA, Amal Enan, Partner of 500 Global and Founder of The Lotus Collective, Tomi Davies, Collaborator-in-Chief at TVC Labs and Advisor to Fathom, Fatoumata Ba, Founder of Janngo Capital, and Fred Swaniker, Founder of African Leadership Academy.

The competition is looking to increase the number of judges on its panel in order to better support the applicants in their ABH journey since it anticipates receiving a record-breaking number of submissions this year. Established businesses, venture capital firms, educators, and industry professionals from all sectors are welcome to join the ABH community of judges (https://apo-opa.info/3HbA9AA).

“I have enjoyed my two years as an ABH judge supporting entrepreneurs. Every time I interact with an ABH entrepreneur, I am motivated and feel as though I have gained as much knowledge as they have. “In addition to supporting incredible participants, I have made so many new relationships with enthusiastic ABH judges who work all across the continent,” said Akua Nyame-Mensah, Executive Coach and Co-Founder of A.N.M. & Company and CoffeeChat.

Judges can network with the more than 100,000 stakeholders in the ABH ecosystem, including investors, entrepreneurs, and ABH partners, in addition to offering advice and evaluation to the contestants. After the judging is finished, they will receive a certificate and be highlighted on ABH’s official website.

ABH is also making a special appeal to businesspeople from underrepresented nations, such as Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, to enter this year’s competition and motivate millions of people with their compelling tales. Applications for the competition are still welcome through May 12, 2023 at https://apo-opa.info/41MUCo0 in both French and English.

Entrepreneurs who wish to apply or who have already registered as applicants have until May 12, 2023, less than three weeks, to finish their applications by providing the necessary paperwork. Visit the official ABH website (https://apo-opa.info/3N9S3aN) or view the accompanying video for further information on the application process.

Applicants will also have access to mentoring, networking, and PR possibilities for their endeavors in addition to the US$1.5 million cash grant. Through webinars, presentations, and events like the Alibaba Netpreneur Training program (https://apo-opa.info/3n8g6wg), all applicants have access to training and scaling opportunities across a wide range of business disciplines.

The top 50 applicants, the top 20 semi-finals, and the top 10 finalists will all be revealed in the following months: July, August, and September. In November 2023, a huge Grand Finale and Summit will take place once more.

Visit https://apo-opa.info/41MUCo0 for more information about ABH 2023 and stay up to date with the organization on social media at https://apo-opa.info/3KY3OQs, 3L1Cgda on LinkedIn, 3KZTXKa on Instagram, 3ylgNE9 on Facebook, and 3YDG5bH on YouTube.