Africa’s Business Heroes 2025 Announces Record-Breaking Top 50 Finalists

In a milestone moment for African entrepreneurship, Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) – the flagship philanthropic initiative of Alibaba Philanthropy – has unveiled the Top 50 finalists of its 2025 Prize Competition. This year’s edition marks a historic breakthrough in terms of participation, inclusivity, and regional diversity, with over 32,000 applications received from all 54 African countries — the highest since the initiative’s launch seven years ago.

Held under the theme of empowering innovation and inclusive growth, the 2025 ABH competition is a pan-African platform that celebrates and supports visionary entrepreneurs who are solving some of the continent’s most pressing challenges through sustainable, scalable, and tech-driven business models.

A Continent-Wide Celebration of Innovation

The 2025 Top 50 finalists represent a sweeping view of Africa’s fast-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. With businesses drawn from 16 sectors, ranging from fintech, AI, and digital platforms to healthcare, agriculture, education, and renewable energy, the cohort reflects the rising trend of purpose-driven innovation on the continent.

These enterprises are not just solving local problems—they are unlocking global opportunities. Their impact spans job creation, financial inclusion, food security, access to education and healthcare, and environmental resilience.

Crucially, the Top 50 includes:

• Entrepreneurs from 17 African countries

• 36% female representation

• 10% Francophone participation

• Ventures with cross-border potential and measurable social impact

ABH 2025: A Year of Unprecedented Growth

The 2025 competition not only saw record-breaking application numbers, but also marked a 300% increase in submissions from countries historically underrepresented in continental challenges, such as Algeria, Tunisia, Togo, Gabon, South Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Mauritius.

This surge reflects the effectiveness of ABH’s grassroots outreach, multilingual resources, and expanding visibility across the continent. “The 2025 ABH Prize has raised the bar yet again,” said Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Managing Director, Africa at ABH. “We are seeing greater depth, diversity, and innovation across the span of applications. These 50 finalists are solving real problems with global potential, and we’re excited to amplify their work.”

On the Ground: The 9-City Roadshow

As part of its outreach, ABH launched a 9-city roadshow visiting:

• Casablanca

• Cairo

• Addis Ababa

• Kampala

• Nairobi

• Lagos

• Accra

• Abidjan

• Dakar

These interactive events engaged thousands of local entrepreneurs, past ABH Heroes, investors, and ecosystem leaders, underscoring ABH’s role as a community enabler beyond the competition itself. In-person info sessions and networking forums deepened ABH’s regional footprint and built lasting connections within national innovation ecosystems.

Technology at the Core: Meet ABi

This year also saw ABH embrace advanced technology to scale operations. The introduction of ABi, its AI-powered co-host built on Qwen Turbo, transformed applicant engagement.

Unveiled during the 6th ABH Summit in Kigali earlier this year, ABi offered real-time customer service, screened eligibility criteria for thousands of applicants, and helped streamline workflows—proving the value of AI in democratising access and enhancing operational efficiency in African entrepreneurship programs.

Capacity Building: Virtual Bootcamp and Mentorship

The Top 50 are now preparing for the ABH Virtual Bootcamp, an intensive program featuring expert-led workshops covering:

• Investment readiness

• Building resilient teams

• Leveraging AI for growth

• Strategic marketing and branding

• Legal and operational scalability

They will also receive ongoing mentorship, media exposure, and access to a vibrant network of ABH alumni, investors, and partners, amplifying their visibility and prospects for growth.

What’s Next: From Top 50 to Grand Finale

The next stages of the competition include:

• Round 2 interviews and evaluations

• Shortlisting of the Top 22 for due diligence led by PlusVC

• Selection of the Top 20 finalists in August 2025

• Semi-Finale in Dakar (10–11 September 2025)

• Grand Finale in Kigali (December 2025)

At the Grand Finale, the Top 10 finalists will compete for their share of US$1.5 million in grant funding and the title of Africa’s Business Hero 2025.

Empowering the Future of Africa

Now in its 7th year, ABH has cemented its role as one of the largest and most inclusive entrepreneurship competitions in Africa, having already supported hundreds of entrepreneurs with over $10 million in funding, mentorship, and international exposure.

To discover more about the Top 50 entrepreneurs, visit www.AfricaBusinessHeroes.org.