Partner Content: Africa’s Business Heroes
The Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, a philanthropic initiative of Alibaba Philanthropy, has announced the 20 entrepreneurs who will advance to its 2026 Semi-Final, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, on 21–22 August.
The Top 20 were selected from an expanded Top 100 cohort drawn from more than 24,000 applications across all 54 African countries. Candidates advanced through three-person judging-panel interviews that assessed leadership, innovation, impact, scalability and commercial strength. The process was reinforced by on-the-ground visits to every company advancing to the Semi-Final and comprehensive due diligence conducted by PlusVC, allowing ABH to test the written applications against the businesses, teams and communities behind them. The selected 20 entrepreneurs will now compete for 10 places in the ABH semi-final.
Together, the ABH 2026 Top 20 cohort represents 12 African countries and 11 sectors, with 8 women entrepreneurs accounting for 40% of the cohort. Collectively, their businesses generated approximately US$85 million in 2025 and span diverse sectors including agriculture and agritech, healthcare, manufacturing, climate technology, financial services, education, energy, and technology.
Site visits reveal the people and purpose behind the businesses
Site visits are central to ABH’s approach because they reveal what even a strong application or pitch can miss: whether a founder has earned trust, whether a team can execute under pressure, and whether demand is real. That context matters in African markets, where sophisticated businesses are often underestimated because their strengths are not always visible through conventional investment filters. By combining interviews and due diligence with on-the-ground observation, ABH does more than identify compelling storytellers; it surfaces entrepreneurs with the operational depth, community legitimacy and resilience to build lasting enterprises. The platform then helps close the gap between proven local capability and the capital, networks and visibility required to scale it.
Building global connections through Hangzhou, China
The second edition of ABH’s Hangzhou learning and market-access trip will take place in China from 14-18 September, extending the program’s support well beyond the competition stage. Approximately 40 participants from more than 10 African countries are expected to join, including primarily 2024 and 2025 Top 10 Heroes, alongside other alumni, selected entrepreneurs, judges and participants from the Alibaba Digital Lion program. The trip reflects a central part of ABH’s value: giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to step outside their immediate operating environments, learn from a leading technology and commerce ecosystem, exchange ideas with peers and return home with new inspiration, practical knowledge and a broader sense of what their businesses can become.
A return to Nairobi
The 2026 Semi-Final marks ABH’s return to Nairobi, the city that hosted the program’s very first Semi-Final. The return carries both symbolic and practical significance. Nairobi has developed into one of Africa’s most dynamic centers for technology, entrepreneurship and investment, bringing together ambitious founders, established businesses, universities, innovation hubs, development institutions and a growing community of local and international investors.
This year’s event will welcome a larger investor audience, giving participating entrepreneurs more opportunities to engage directly with funders and strategic partners from across Africa and beyond. Their presence reflects a broader ambition for the Semi-Final: to serve not only as a competition, but also as a marketplace for ideas, relationships and capital through which investable African businesses can be discovered, understood and supported.
Join Africa’s leading entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem builders in Nairobi for two days of live pitches, insights and connection. Register to attend the 2026 ABH Semi-Final.
Experienced judges bring investor, operator and alumni perspectives
The Top 20 will present before a distinguished judging panel:
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Kome Oruade-Etim, Global Program Manager for Acumen Angels and former West Africa Lead for Acumen Academy, brings extensive experience supporting purpose-driven leaders and early-stage enterprises addressing complex social challenges.
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Wandia Gichuru, Co-founder and CEO of Vivo Fashion Group, brings the perspective of an entrepreneur who has built and scaled one of East Africa’s most recognizable fashion businesses.
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Thomas Njeru, Co-founder and CEO of Pula Advisors and a 2023 ABH Top Three finalist, returns as a judge. Having stood on the ABH stage as a finalist, he understands the entrepreneurial journey, the pressure of the competition, and the qualities required to translate a compelling vision into a scalable enterprise.
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Jason Pau, Executive Director (International) at the Jack Ma Foundation, who co-founded and has actively led the ABH program for the last 7 years.
Meet the 2026 Top 20 Heroes
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Farah Emara – FreshSource (Egypt) – AgriTech
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Nour El-Assal – Tagaddod (Egypt) – Renewable Energy
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Salma Tammam – REME-D (Egypt) – Healthcare
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Ahmed Shaaban – Simplex (Egypt) – Manufacturing
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Affiong Williams – Reelfruit (Nigeria) – Manufacturing
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Kelvin Umechukwu – Bumpa (Nigeria) – Enterprise / SaaS
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Ikechukwu Anoke – Zuri Health Ltd (Kenya) – HealthTech
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Naom Monari – Bena Care Limited (Kenya) – HealthTech
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Joseph Mungai – AceleAfrica Limited (Kenya) – Energy
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Louisa Gathecha – Bottle Logistics East Africa Ltd (Kenya) – Industrial (ClimateTech)
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Meriem Benabad – Z.6 or Z.SYS INC (Morocco) – Retail (FMCG) – Marketplace
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Nidal Tafah – MIRRIAH (Morocco) – AgriTech
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Samson Fentaye – Thur Biotech Manufacturing Plc (Ethiopia) – AgriTech
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Jess Roussos – BluLever Education Pty Ltd (South Africa) – EdTech
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David Kamugundu – eFiche Ltd (Rwanda) – HealthTech
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Joseph Paul – Dawa Mkononi (Tanzania) – HealthTech
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Gildas Zodome – Bio Phyto (Benin) – Agritech
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Appessika Adanin Laurent Koffi – Green Agro Valley (Côte d’Ivoire) – Agritech
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Hagasata Rakotoson – Solidis S.A (Madagascar) – FinTech
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Rodney Kofi Kyei – Crux Global Limited (Ghana) – Media and Entertainment
