Africa’s Business Heroes Unveil 20 Entrepreneurs for Nairobi Semi-Final
By Peace Muthoka
NAIROBI, Kenya — August 20, 2026 — Twenty of Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs have been selected to compete in the 2026 Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize semi-final, with Nairobi set to host the regional contest on August 21 and 22.
The entrepreneurs were selected from more than 24,000 applications submitted across all 54 African countries, underscoring the growing pool of innovative businesses seeking to address some of the continent’s most pressing challenges.
The 20 semi-finalists represent 12 African countries and 11 sectors, with their businesses collectively recording approximately $85 million in revenue in 2025.
They will pitch their businesses to a panel of investors, business leaders and experienced entrepreneurs, with only 10 earning a place in the grand finale scheduled for Kigali in December.
The ABH Prize, a philanthropic initiative of the Alibaba Foundation, provides $1.5 million in annual grant funding to African entrepreneurs, alongside mentorship, visibility and access to a wider network of investors and business leaders.
Judges challenge entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses
As the semi-finalists prepare to take the stage in Nairobi, judges have urged them to demonstrate not only the social value of their ideas but also the commercial strength and long-term sustainability of their businesses.
Kome Oruade-Etim, Global Programme Manager for Acumen Angels and a judge in this year’s competition, said the changing funding environment meant entrepreneurs could no longer rely solely on the social impact of their businesses.
She said successful enterprises must have strong commercial fundamentals while delivering measurable social and environmental benefits.
“We no longer need just businesses to solve problems, but ones that are commercially sound, have strong fundamentals, and can demonstrate social impact and environmental protection,” Oruade-Etim said.
She also challenged entrepreneurs to develop solutions that respond directly to the realities of African communities, particularly in areas such as healthcare, energy, education and technology.
According to Oruade-Etim, technology should be adapted to communities rather than expecting communities to adapt to technology.
“How do you bring technology to where people are at as opposed to the other way around?” she asked, noting that the competition continues to highlight entrepreneurs who use technology to solve problems that matter to African communities.
Know your numbers, Mutian tells semi-finalists
Abraham Mutian, CEO and co-founder of Kuza Point and a 2025 ABH runner-up, urged the entrepreneurs to make their pitches clear, compelling and backed by solid financial data.
He advised them to understand their businesses, financial performance and growth prospects before facing the judges.
“Sharpen your story. Know your numbers. Articulate them clearly, and most importantly, make the judges understand your business,” Mutian said.
Mutian also encouraged the entrepreneurs to look beyond the competition and build lasting relationships with potential investors, customers, mentors and business partners.
“Don’t just exchange business cards, build relationships,” he said, urging participants to look beyond the judging panel because their next investor, customer, partner, mentor or market could already be part of the ABH community.
Gichuru urges entrepreneurs to demonstrate growth potential
Wandia Gichuru, co-founder and CEO of Vivo Fashion Group and one of this year’s judges, said the ability of a business to expand beyond its existing market would be an important consideration.
She challenged the entrepreneurs to demonstrate how their companies could achieve greater scale and expand across borders.
“The scale of the business matters. Is this something that you’re building that can take you much wider, much further? Can it go beyond the borders that you’re in now?” Gichuru said.
Kenya will be represented in the semi-final by Ikechukwu Anoke of Zuri Health, Naom Monari of Bena Care, Joseph Mungai of AceleAfrica and Louisa Gathecha of Bottle Logistics East Africa.
They will compete alongside entrepreneurs from Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar and Ghana.
The businesses represented in the competition span diverse sectors, including agritech, healthcare, renewable energy, manufacturing, fintech, education, climate technology and technology.
The return of the competition to Nairobi carries particular significance for ABH, as the Kenyan capital hosted the inaugural semi-final in 2019.
Beyond the pitches, organisers say the Nairobi event will give entrepreneurs an opportunity to connect with investors, mentors and strategic partners from Africa and other parts of the world.
The two-day semi-final will determine the Top 10 Africa’s Business Heroes, who will proceed to the grand finale in Kigali in December.
The competition is expected to further spotlight African entrepreneurs building businesses that combine innovation, commercial viability and solutions to challenges facing communities across the continent.
