Africa’s Business Heroes 2023 winners: Ikpeme Neto, Thomas Njeru, Ayman Bazaraa
The 5th edition of Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH), an annual pan-African entrepreneur competition, came to a close on Friday, November 24th. The Nigerian Ikpeme Neto emerged as the grand winner of 2023, with Kenyan Thomas Njeru and Egyptian Ayman Bazaraa taking second and third place respectively. This marks the fifth consecutive year without a French-speaking entrepreneur on the podium.
The final round took place at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda, with ten finalists vying for the top spot. Each participant had three minutes to present their business and its impact on the community, followed by a 15-minute question and answer session with the jury.
The jury for the final round included Joe Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba Group; Diane Karusisi, CEO of Bank of Kigali; and Ibukun Awosika, founder of Chair Centre Group.
Ikpeme Neto, a medical doctor from Nigeria, secured his place in the top three with his presentation of Wellahealth Technologies, a healthcare technology company. He highlighted how his project has increased access to healthcare in Africa through cost-reducing technology and improved accessibility. Neto stated, « Wellahealth has served over 130,000 patients and generates over $100,000 in monthly revenue from fees charged to businesses and individuals. » He becomes the second Nigerian winner after Temie Giwa-Tubosun, founder and CEO of LifeBank, who won the inaugural edition in 2019.
Thomas Njeru from Kenya is the CEO and co-founder of Pula Advisors Limited, an agricultural insurance technology company. He emphasized that his project « provides comprehensive coverage based on yield performance, protecting small African farmers from multiple risks, including drought, frost, floods, hurricanes, plant diseases, and pests, » while enabling them to access insurance and achieve returns similar to those in developed economies, thus supporting their livelihoods.
Egyptian entrepreneur Ayman Bazaraa presented « Sprints, » an education and training company of which he is the CEO and co-founder. Bazaraa described Sprints as « an end-to-end solution to address the technology skills gap, starting from talent assessment and offering personalized learning journeys, while supporting the career growth of its graduates. » He revealed that in four years, Sprints has provided over 50,000 learning experiences, graduated more than 15,000 learners, and delivered over 1.3 million learning hours in the 13 most in-demand technology fields.
Among the seven other finalists were Albert Munyabugingo from Rwanda, CEO and co-founder of Vuba Vuba, a mobile application that provides a convenient solution for residents of Kigali, Musanze, and Rubavu to order meals and essential products for home or office delivery. Bola Bardet from Benin, CEO and co-founder of Susu, a company that provides digital healthcare solutions to African diaspora families at home. Christina Gyisun from Ghana, CEO and co-founder of Sommalife, which helps rural small-scale farmers increase the quality and quantity of their produce. Ismael Belkhayat from Morocco, CEO and founder of Chari, a financial services company that assists local traditional businesses in facing competition from large and medium-sized stores. Nthabiseng Mosia from South Africa, CMO and co-founder of Easy Solar, a leading energy distribution company in West Africa, providing financing for solar systems and high-quality appliances to those with limited or no access to the conventional grid. Theo Baloyi from South Africa, CEO and founder of Bathu, one of South Africa’s leading sneaker brands, and Mohamed Ali from Egypt, CEO and founder of Power Lock, operating in the manufacturing sector.
The winners of ABH 2023 will receive a total prize pool of $1.5 million, with the first-place winner receiving $300,000 to accelerate the growth of their business, the second-place winner receiving $250,000, and the third-place winner receiving $150,000.
The success of these entrepreneurs highlights the potential and innovation present in Africa’s business landscape, empowering local communities and driving economic growth. Africa’s Business Heroes continues to showcase the incredible talent and impact of African entrepreneurs on the global stage.