The two-day summit, hosted in Kigali for the third consecutive year under the theme 'Defining Africa's Future Today,' celebrates African entrepreneurship and showcases homegrown solutions transforming sectors from agriculture and biotech to fintech, health, and manufacturing. The programme, founded by Alibaba Philanthropy and inspired by Jack Ma's 2017 visit to Africa, has grown into one of the continent's most influential entrepreneurship competitions.
This year, ABH attracted a record-breaking 32,000 applications from across the continent, with the top 10 finalists now battling for cash prizes that include a $300,000 (Rwf 437 million) grand award, $250,000 (Rwf 364 million) for the first runner-up, $150,000 (Rwf 218 million) for the second runner-up, and $100,000 (Rwf 146 million) for each of the remaining seven finalists. Winners will be announced on Saturday, December 13.
Rwanda hails entrepreneurship as a driver of transformation
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Juliana Muganza, Deputy CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, welcomed participants to Kigali and underscored Rwanda's commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship as a catalyst for socio-economic transformation.
'We are proud that ABH has chosen Kigali as the host city for the grand finale for the third year running. This is not by coincidence,' she said. 'Entrepreneurship is not just a tool for development, it is an engine of transformation.'
Muganza praised the resilience and creativity of African entrepreneurs, noting that the top ten finalists rose to the top from over 32,000 applicants. She highlighted the impact of ABH on past participants, citing the example of Rwanda's Vuba Vuba founder, who leveraged the programme to sharpen his business clarity and scale regionally.
'This is the legacy of ABH: not just funding, but a shift in mindset,' she said, adding that Rwanda is building an enabling ecosystem of innovation hubs, special economic zones and digitised services to support visionary founders. She urged investors to bring 'smart and patient capital' that grows with African entrepreneurs.
Alibaba affirms long-term commitment to Africa
Sun Lijun, President of Alibaba Global Initiatives, reflected on the growth of the competition, now in its seventh year, and its role in celebrating African innovation.
'ABH has become the most influential entrepreneurship competition in Africa,' Sun said. 'African people never lack problem-solvers. Many problems in Africa can be solved through African innovation.'
He thanked Rwanda for its continued partnership, saying the country had become 'the true home of ABH' because of its stability, ambition, and support for entrepreneurship. Sun noted Alibaba's increasing investment in Africa and highlighted the rising use of the company's open-source Qwen AI model among African founders.
'We firmly believe that in the future a large number of outstanding African entrepreneurs will bring profound change to Africa,' he said.
ABH celebrates seven years and 70 heroes
Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Africa's Business Heroes, delivered an emotional welcome, celebrating the programme's seven-year journey from Jack Ma's vision to a continental movement that has supported 70 entrepreneurs, created 120,000 jobs and impacted over 40 million lives.
'Our heroes are defining Africa's future today,' she said. 'Africa's future is not some distant idea. It is being built right now by its entrepreneurs.'
She highlighted the programme's inclusive reach, from hosting its first Francophone semifinal to introducing ABI, an AI-powered co-host built using Alibaba Cloud's Qwen model. She praised this year's finalists for their grit, passion and innovation, calling on participants to 'engage deeply, learn boldly, and collaborate widely.'
'African entrepreneurs are redefining what is possible,' she said. 'When you build, communities rise. When you hire, dignity grows. When you innovate, you show the world that Africa's time is now.'
The 2025 top ten finalists represent seven African countries and a diverse mix of high-impact sectors. Kenya leads with three entrepreneurs: Wyclife Onyango of BuuPass, whose platform is modernising transport and digital ticketing; Janet Kuteli of Fortune Credit, a fintech innovator expanding microfinance access; and Abraham Mbuthia of Uzapoint Technologies, which provides digital tools for small businesses.
Rwanda's finalist, Diane Mukasahaha, heads DIKAM Ltd, a textile enterprise empowering women and youth.
Tanzania is represented by two innovators: Baraka Chijenga of Kilimo Fresh Foods Africa, an AgriTech venture supporting food security, and Diana Orembe of NovFeed, which is pioneering biotech solutions for sustainable agriculture. From Senegal, Siny Samba of Le Lionceau is transforming foodtech and infant nutrition, while Egypt's Gohar Said leads Suplyd, a company digitising supply chain systems for the food industry.
South Africa's Adriaan Kruger brings expertise in healthtech through his company nuvoteQ, and Cameroon's Jean Lobe Lobe completes the cohort with Waspito, a telemedicine platform expanding access to healthcare across the region.
The entrepreneurs will pitch their solutions during the summit, with judges assessing them on innovation, impact, leadership, financial sustainability and scalability, before finalists return to the stage on Saturday when the 2025 Africa's Business Hero will be crowned.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
