Partner content: Africa’s Business Heroes
Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH), the flagship philanthropic initiative of Alibaba Philanthropy, concluded its 7th edition in Kigali on 13th December 2025 with Diana Orembe, Co-Founder and CEO of NovFeed from Tanzania, emerging as the overall winner and Africa’s Business Hero.
Diana was recognised for her pioneering biotech innovation that transforms organic waste into sustainable protein for animal feed. Her solution earned the Grand Prize of $300,000, reflecting its potential to strengthen agricultural systems and promote sustainability across the continent.
Her win marked the culmination of an inspiring Grand Finale held at the Kigali Convention Center, which brought together the 2025 Top 10 Heroes, selected from more than 32,000 applicants across Africa. The finalists presented their ventures through compelling pitches and in-depth discussions focused on impact, scalability, and long-term viability.
Abraham Mbuthia of Kenya secured second place, receiving $250,000 for Uzapoint Technologies, a platform that equips small businesses with digital tools to improve operational efficiency and access to finance. Adriaan Kruger of South Africa placed third, earning $150,000 for nuvoteQ, a digital health solution designed to streamline patient care and data management.
The remaining seven finalists each received $100,000, recognising the strength, creativity, and commercial promise of their ventures. All ten entrepreneurs now join the ABH Community, a growing network that offers mentorship, visibility, and capacity building opportunities beyond the competition.
The Grand Finale welcomed a distinguished audience of investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders, underscoring the programme’s long-standing commitment to supporting African entrepreneurship.
Finalists presented before a respected judging panel comprising Jerry Yang, Co-founder of Yahoo and Founding Partner of AME Cloud Ventures; Dr Diane Karusisi, CEO of the Bank of Kigali; and Ibukun Awosika, Founder of The Chair Centre Group.
Their combined perspectives shaped a rigorous evaluation process that emphasized clarity of vision, disciplined execution, and solutions addressing real challenges across Africa.
Reflecting on the finalists, Jerry Yang noted that the Top 10 represented seven countries and seven industries, united by a shared ambition to build businesses that solve meaningful problems. He described Africa as being at an important inflection point and highlighted ABH’s role in building a long-term pipeline and community of founders.
The Grand Finale followed the ABH Summit held in Kigali on 12 December 2025, which brought together entrepreneurs, investors, educators, and industry leaders for dialogue, learning, and collaboration across themes including artificial intelligence, digital transformation, healthcare, manufacturing, creative industries, and inclusive finance.
Summit speakers included Lijun Sun, President of Alibaba Philanthropy; Clare Akamanzi, CEO of NBA Africa; Tara Fela-Durotoye, Founder of House of Tara; Wandia Gichuru, CEO of Vivo Fashion Group; and Naa Ashorkor, journalist and theatre producer.
By hosting the Summit and Grand Finale for the third consecutive year, Kigali reaffirmed Rwanda’s position as a preferred destination for major international entrepreneurship convenings. With strong infrastructure, a supportive business environment, and a commitment to innovation, Rwanda continues to play a central role in convening founders and partners advancing Africa’s economic transformation.
Since its launch in 2019, Africa’s Business Heroes has grown into one of the continent’s leading platforms for entrepreneurial development. In seven years, the ABH Prize Competition continues to celebrate visionary leaders driving inclusive and sustainable growth across the continent. ABH has directly awarded 70 entrepreneurs with funding and provided them with training and global exposure, helping them scale impactful businesses in sectors such as agribusiness, fintech, healthcare, education, and sustainability. ABH has also supported over 5,000 entrepreneurs through its training programs such as ABH ScaleUp and attracted over 160,000 applicants to date.
The Summit and Grand Finale was made possible by Alibaba Philanthropies, Jack Ma Foundation, the Rwanda Development Board and supported by a growing network of partners, including Gebeya, Bank of Kigali, Jasiri, and Inkomoko, alongside numerous outreach partners.
The 2026 Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition will open on March 3, 2026.
Entrepreneurs across Africa are encouraged to subscribe to the ABH newsletter to receive application updates and notifications. Ecosystem partners interested in engaging with Africa’s Business Heroes may contact [email protected]
