Africa’s entrepreneurial community is preparing for one of its most anticipated annual gatherings as the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, an initiative of Alibaba Philanthropy, readies itself to host the 7th ABH Summit and Grand Finale in Kigali on 12 and 13 December 2025. Organised in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the two-day summit is expected to bring together more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, founders and industry leaders from across the continent and further afield.

This year’s summit carries the theme “Defining Africa’s Future Today.” It will feature a programme of immersive masterclasses, interactive discussions and live pitch sessions designed to highlight forward-looking innovations with the potential to shape Africa’s next decade. The Grand Finale will close the event, with the announcement of the 2025 ABH winners who stand to receive up to US$1.5 million in grant funding.

A diverse top 10 shaping Africa’s next chapter

The ten finalists for 2025 were selected following a rigorous semi-final round in Dakar, Senegal. They represent a broad range of sectors central to Africa’s transformation, including digital finance, agritech, health innovation and women’s empowerment.

The finalists are Wyclife Onyango from Kenya, founder of BuuPass, a transport and digital ticketing platform; Siny Samba from Senegal, founder of Le Lionceau, which focuses on food technology and infant nutrition; Mukasahaha Diane from Rwanda, founder of DIKAM Ltd, a textile enterprise championing women’s empowerment; Baraka Chijenga from Tanzania, founder of Kilimo Fresh Foods Africa, an agritech business supporting food security; Janet Kuteli from Kenya, founder of Fortune Credit Limited, a fintech and microfinance provider; Diana Orembe from Tanzania, founder of NovFeed, which operates in agritech and biotechnology; Abraham Mbuthia from Kenya, founder of Uzapoint Technologies, a provider of digital tools for small businesses; Gohar Said from Egypt, founder of Suplyd, a food technology and supply-chain platform; Adriaan Kruger from South Africa, founder of nuvoteQ, a health technology and digital solutions firm; and Jean Lobe Lobe from Cameroon, founder of Waspito, a health technology and telemedicine provider.

“These finalists represent the very best of African entrepreneurship,” said Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Africa Managing Director at ABH. “Their journey reflects relentless creativity and resilience. We are excited to see them take the stage and showcase solutions that are already shaping Africa’s future.”

Kigali’s expanding role as an innovation hub

This year marks the third consecutive time that Rwanda will host the ABH Summit and Grand Finale, strengthening Kigali’s position as one of Africa’s most dynamic centres of entrepreneurship, technology and investment.

“We are delighted to welcome ABH back to Kigali,” said Jean-Guy Afrika, Chief Executive of the Rwanda Development Board. “Our partnership reflects a shared commitment to enabling African entrepreneurs to thrive. This gathering offers a powerful platform for investors, founders and business leaders to connect and explore opportunities for sustainable growth.”

Seven years of transforming African entrepreneurship

Since its inception, ABH has provided 70 entrepreneurs with funding, training and global exposure, enabling them to scale high-impact ventures across agribusiness, healthcare, fintech, sustainability and education. More than 5,000 entrepreneurs have benefited from ABH programmes such as ABH ScaleUp, and the initiative has attracted over 160,000 applications to date.

The 2025 edition is supported by key partners including Gebeya, Bank of Kigali, Jasiri and Inkomoko. Additional outreach partners such as Hanga Pitchfest, Impact Hub Kigali, the African Leadership University, Carnegie Mellon University Africa, Kepler College and Norrsken Africa continue to play a vital role in strengthening the pipeline of promising entrepreneurs entering the programme.

Together, these organisations reinforce the collaborative drive behind ABH’s mission to inspire, empower and celebrate Africa’s next generation of business leaders.