Africa’s Business Heroes: Kigali Prepares for a Celebration of Business Innovation and Human Impact

Kigali is set to host over a thousand of Africa’s brightest founders, innovators, policymakers and investors on the 12th & 13th December, 2025, as the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition convenes its 7th Summit and Grand finale. More than a showcase of entrepreneurial talent, the two-day gathering has evolved into a continental forum where achievements, business solutions and political priorities intersect will reveal a broader thrust to place African-led innovation at the centre of the region’s development.

A flagship initiative of Alibaba Philanthropy, the ABH programme will cap off a year-long search for standout entrepreneurs by awarding up to US$1.5 million in grant funding. Finalists will pitch live before an audience that includes global leaders, founders and investors, bringing visibility their companies and socioprojects that they are working to solve food security, maternal health challenges, climate change and digital inclusion. A human-centred innovation celebration at the forefront.

The 2025 Top 10 finalists represent a cross-section of Africans tackling everyday challenges with practical scalable solutions. From Kenya’s Wyclife Onyango, whose BuuPass platform is bringing order and safety to long-distance travel, to Rwanda’s Diane Mukasahaha, whose textile enterprise empowers women artisans, the cohort reflects a wave of entrepreneurs motivated by community impact as much as commercial growth. Other finalists are confronting some of the continent’s most urgent pressures: Food security innovators like Tanzania’s Baraka Chijenga (Kilimo Fresh Foods Africa) and Diana Orembe (NovFeed) are reimagining supply chains and sustainable protein alternatives. HealthTech leaders such as South Africa’s Adriaan Kruger (nuvoteQ) and Cameroon’s Jean Lobe Lobe (Waspito) are expanding access to diagnostics and telemedicine. FinTech and SME-enablement pioneers including Kenya’s Janet Kuteli (Fortune Credit) and Abraham Mbuthia (Uzapoint), are simplifying financial access for low-income families and small businesses.