$1 Million Awarded to African Entrepreneurs in Grand Finale of the Jack Ma Foundation Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative
November 17 2019 - 6:55AM
Business Wire
Last night the Jack Ma Foundation hosted its first annual Africa
Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) grand finale awarding $1 million
in prize money to 10 entrepreneurs from across Africa.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191117005049/en/
Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative Finale
Judges (from left to right) - Strive Masiyiwa, Jack Ma, Ibukun
Awosika, and Joe Tsai (Photo: Business Wire)
The ANPI is a flagship initiative of the Jack Ma Foundation,
created by Jack Ma after his first trip to Africa in 2017. The aim
of the prize is to support and inspire the next generation of
African entrepreneurs who are building a more sustainable and
inclusive economy for the future. In its inaugural year, nearly
10,000 entrepreneurs from 50 countries across the continent
applied. The Jack Ma Foundation has committed to running the
competition for 10 years.
The finale event, called “Africa’s Business Heroes,” was held in
Accra, Ghana, where the top 10 finalists pitched their businesses
directly to four prestigious judges - Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba
Group and the Jack Ma Foundation; Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and
Executive Chairman of Econet Group; Ibukun Awosika, Chairman of
First Bank of Nigeria and Founder/CEO of The Chair Centre Group;
and Joe Tsai, Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba.
The specifics of the prize pool division is listed below. Each
finalist is receiving a share of $1 million.
The top three finalists were:
- Temie Giwa-Tubosun, founder and CEO, LifeBank (Nigeria) – First
Place, winning $250,000
- Dr. Omar Sakr, founder and CEO, Nawah-Scientific (Egypt) –
Second Place, winning $150,000
- Christelle Kwizera, founder, Water Access Rwanda (Rwanda) –
Third Place, winning $100,000
“It was an incredible honor to be named Africa’s Business Hero.
I was truly inspired by my fellow winners at today’s Netpreneur
Summit. The Africa Netpreneur Prize will give me the resources to
grow LifeBank and expand our presence in Nigeria and throughout the
rest of Africa. I look forward to continuing my journey to solve
problems and make a significant impact on the future of Africa,”
said Temie Giwa-Tubosun, Founder and CEO of LifeBank.
The remaining finalists, who each received $65,000, are listed
below:
- Waleed Abd El Rahman, CEO, Mumm (Egypt)
- Ayodeji Arikawe, co-founder, Thrive Agric (Nigeria)
- Mahmud Johnson, founder and CEO, J-Palm (Liberia)
- Kevine Kagirimpundu, co-founder and CEO, UZURI K&Y
(Rwanda)
- Dr. Tosan J. Mogbeyiteren, founder, Black Swan (Nigeria)
- Chibuzo Opara, co-founder, DrugStoc (Nigeria)
- Moulaye Taboure, co-founder and CEO, Afrikrea (Cote
D’Ivoire)
“The finalists who competed in ‘Africa’s Business Heroes’ should
be an inspiration for Africa and for the world. Each of these
entrepreneurs looked at big challenges facing their communities,
and saw them as opportunities,” said Jack Ma, Founder of the
Alibaba Group and Jack Ma Foundation. “It is my strong belief that
entrepreneur heroes, like these finalists, will change the world –
creating companies that drive inclusive growth and opportunity for
the continent. Everyone is a winner tonight.”
“This competition demonstrates the overwhelming entrepreneurial
talent that exists across Africa. I’m very excited about the future
of industry and entrepreneurship for this continent,” said Strive
Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of Econet Group. “The top
10 truly show the limitless potential of African business.”
“What really struck me about the finalists was that they each
addressed specific African problems with a specific African
solution in a fresh way, leveraging technology that wasn’t
available previously,” said Ibukun Awosika, Chairman of First Bank
of Nigeria and Founder/CEO of The Chair Centre Group. “If this is
an indication of the future of entrepreneurship on the continent,
then Africa’s future looks bright.”
“Africa’s Business Heroes” will be televised in a two-hour
special throughout Africa. The journeys of the finalists as well as
their pitches and business insights from the judges will all be
included in this exciting television event.
You can watch “Africa’s Business Heroes” on the following dates
and channels:
- December 13, 2019 - ROK 3 on DSTV
- December 14, 2019 - NOVELA and Sports Focus on StarTimes
Check your local listings for specific channel and airing
times.
The initiative will host a pitch competition where 10 finalists
from across the continent will compete for $1 million in total
prize money every year through 2028. All entrepreneurs across
Africa are encouraged to apply. Entries for next year’s prize will
open in the first half of 2020.
Follow @africanetpreneurprize on Facebook, @AFNetpreneurs on
Twitter for application details. For photos and videos from the
finale event, please visit Alizila.
About the ANPI
The ANPI is a philanthropic initiative spearheaded by the Jack
Ma Foundation aimed at supporting and inspiring the next generation
of African entrepreneurs across all sectors, who are building a
more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future of the
continent. For the next ten years, the ANPI will host the “Africa's
Business Heroes” show where ten finalists will compete in a pitch
competition to win a share of $1 million USD in grant money.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191117005049/en/
Media contact: Edelman Caryl Kolk caryl.kolk@edelman.com
+27 (0)82 295 2520
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