2018 Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship

The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship aim to recognize some of the continent’s most innovative and impactful entrepreneurs. Over the past 9 years, AAE has attracted over 7000 applications from industries and sectors ranging from education. health, transport, energy among others.

Applications for nominations to The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship (AAE) are now open. The awards aim to recognize Africa’s most talented entrepreneurs across 4 categories:

Women Bell Award

Best Mature Business: legacy companies with significant revenue base and continental footprint

Youth Entrepreneur of the Year: entrepreneurs under the age of 35

Social Entrepreneur of the Year: social impact-oriented enterprises

Previous winners of this prestigious award include: Lagare (Morocco), Poult Voult and Strauss Energy.

After undergoing a rigorous nomination and selection process, 12 finalists (3 per category) will be invited to attend the African Leadership Network (ALN) Annual Gathering which will be hosted in Mauritius in November this year, where one winner per category will be announced. The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship are an initiative of the African Leadership Network.

Eligibility:

Only African companies are eligible for these awards. You will be required to provide proof that your core operations are on the continent.

We look for a track record of innovation, profitability, business excellence and social impact

Businesses from any sector are encouraged to apply.

Applicants interested in the Outstanding Young Entrepreneur category must be 35 years old or below.

Applications must be filed by a single company representative.

Selection Criteria

(Our Selection will be based on the following criteria)

Leadership, culture and values: This majorly points out to how your organisation invests in its employees as well as the values ethics that drive it.

Innovation: We look for companies that are providing creative and leading edge solutions that add real value to the lives of customers

Profitability: Your business should be commercially sustainable and demonstrate a robust financial position

Long term Business Strategy: Your business should demonstrate a sound and coherent strategy for future growth and continued value addition

Social & Economic impact on communities: Your business should be adding value to their communities. We are looking for companies that have a demonstrable commitment to using business for social impact

How to apply,

The first step is to fill in our application form and upload your supporting documents online via the ALN Website. We will notify you of the status of your application by the end of August. Shortlisted candidates will the interviewed by our panel of judges via skype interview. Successful candidates will be invited to attend the award ceremony in Mauritius.

Application Period: 22 May – 7 July 2018 .

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