20 African Entrepreneurs Arrive in Nairobi for Africa’s Business Heroes Semi-Final
From healthcare and fintech to climate technology and agritech, 20 entrepreneurs from across Africa are in Nairobi this weekend, hoping to secure a place in the Africa’s Business Heroes 2026 grand finale.
The entrepreneurs are taking part in the semi-final of the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, which is being held in Nairobi from August 21–22.
For many of them, the journey to this stage began with an application submitted alongside thousands of other entrepreneurs across the continent.
This year, ABH received more than 24,000 applications from all 54 African countries. The 20 entrepreneurs who made it to the semi-final represent 12 countries and 11 sectors, with their businesses collectively generating about $85 million in revenue in 2025.
Now, they have two days to convince a panel of investors, business leaders and experienced entrepreneurs that their businesses deserve a place among the final 10.
Beyond the Pitch
While the semi-final is ultimately about securing a place in the grand finale, the conversations around the competition are increasingly focused on what it takes to build businesses that can survive and grow in Africa’s changing business environment.
Kome Oruade-Etim, Global Programme Manager for Acumen Angels and a judge in this year’s competition, said entrepreneurs are facing increasing pressure to build businesses that are commercially sustainable while also addressing real social and environmental challenges.
She pointed to sectors such as healthcare, energy, education and technology as areas where African entrepreneurs have an opportunity to tackle some of the continent’s most persistent challenges.
For her, the most exciting innovations are those that adapt technology to the realities of African communities.
“How do you bring technology to where people are at as opposed to the other way around?” she asked.
Know Your Business
For entrepreneurs standing before the judges, having a good idea is only part of the equation.
Abraham Mutian, CEO and co-founder of Kuza Point and a 2025 ABH runner-up, encouraged the semi-finalists to make their stories easy to understand and back their pitches with strong financial knowledge.
“Sharpen your story. Know your numbers. Articulate them clearly,” he advised.
But he also encouraged the entrepreneurs to look beyond the formal judging process.
The Nairobi gathering brings together entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, potential customers and business leaders, creating opportunities for connections that could continue long after the competition ends.
“Don’t just exchange business cards, build relationships,” Mutian said.
Can the Business Go Further?
For Wandia Gichuru, co-founder and CEO of Vivo Fashion Group and one of this year’s judges, one of the questions entrepreneurs need to answer is whether their businesses have room to grow beyond their current markets.
“The scale of the business matters,” she said.
“Is this something that you’re building that can take you much wider, much further? Can it go beyond the borders that you’re in now?”
That question is particularly relevant for a competition bringing together entrepreneurs from different parts of the continent, each operating in markets with their own opportunities and challenges.
Kenya Among the Contenders
Kenya is represented by four entrepreneurs at this year’s semi-final.
They are Ikechukwu Anoke of Zuri Health, Naom Monari of Bena Care, Joseph Mungai of AceleAfrica and Louisa Gathecha of Bottle Logistics East Africa.
They are joined by entrepreneurs from Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar and Ghana.
Their businesses span areas including agritech, healthcare, renewable energy, manufacturing, fintech, education, climate technology and technology.
Nairobi to Kigali
The Nairobi semi-final marks a return to the city for Africa’s Business Heroes. Nairobi hosted the competition’s inaugural semi-final in 2019.
This year’s finalists are competing for more than recognition. The ABH Prize Competition is a philanthropic initiative of the Alibaba Foundation that provides $1.5 million in annual grant funding to African entrepreneurs, alongside mentorship, visibility and access to a wider business network.
By the end of the Nairobi semi-final, 10 entrepreneurs will earn their place in the grand finale, scheduled to take place in Kigali in December.
For the 20 entrepreneurs currently pitching their ideas, however, the Nairobi experience is already about more than winning.
It is a chance to put their businesses in front of people who could help them grow, find new markets and turn promising ideas into companies capable of making an even bigger impact across Africa.
