28 Jul 2020

Ms Mavis Nduchwa of Kalahari Honey is one of the 50 finalists chosen to represent Africa in the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) competition.

Kalahari Honey is a project aimed at bringing healthy and delicious honey of the Kalahari Desert to the world.

A media release from the Jack Ma Foundation annual Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) says Ms Nduchwa and the other 49 finalists were selected from over 22 000 applications across all 54 African nations, from sectors such as agriculture, Artificial Intelligence, e-commerce, fashion, healthcare, renewable energy, logistics and ICT.

It further states that the finalists will advance to the next round of selection and were to participate in an exclusive virtual boot camp on July 28, which represents a further opportunity for aspiring candidates to access unparalleled knowledge and insights from across the ABH network.

“It also aims to build up finalists’ management and leadership capabilities and ultimately increase, not only their chance of progressing to the next stages of the competition, but to further develop as entrepreneurs,” says the statement.  

It also says that the selection process to spotlight the 2020 Africa’s Business Heroes finalists will continue following the second interviews and the semi-final pitch.

The release states that the top 20 and top 10 finalists will be announced in August and September respectively, and the competition will culminate in a grand finale show later in the year, where the top 10 finalists will take to the stage to pitch to business legends, including Jack Ma, for a chance to win their share of a US$1.5 million prize pool.

“The diversity of the winners will reflect the aim of Africa’s Business Heroes to be inclusive and grassroots, providing entrepreneurs from all over Africa with a platform to showcase their talent and business ideas, regardless of nationality, industry, age or gender,” says the statement.

Furthermore, the release says a panel of 140 highly skilled and experienced judges reviewed the submissions, evaluating applicants’ leadership and vision, their ability to translate their innovations and ideas into sustainable and robust business models, with the commitment to create positive impact to uplift their communities.

The ANPI is the flagship philanthropic initiative spearheaded by the Jack Ma Foundation aimed at supporting and inspiring the next generation of African entrepreneurs across all sectors, who are building a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future of the continent. ENDS