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.

Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Africa Managing Director of ABH said – “Their journey to Kigali reflects months of dedication, creativity and growth. This is a celebration of African entrepreneurs shaping the continent’s future today”. In verbally adorning their contribution to Africa’s development. This backs the political statement: Rwanda’s rising as a continental innovation hub.

Rwanda’s decision to host the Grand Finale for the third year running, reinforces the country’s longstanding ambition to position itself as Africa’s meeting point for technology, entrepreneurship and governance innovation. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a central partner of ABH, views the summit as an opportunity to align national development priorities with regional innovators working on complementary challenges. The Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of RDB said – “this partnership reflects our shared commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and innovation across the continent. Hosting the Grand Finale again reaffirms Rwanda’s role as a hub for business and innovation”.

The influx of over 1000 delegates is also a boost to local tourism, creative industries and knowledge exchange for Kigali. It is an example of how events of this scale can strengthen a city’s global identity, while feeding into national economic and diplomatic objectives.

Away from celebrating the finalists, ABH has become a platform for advancing entrepreneurship as a tool for social transformation. Over the past seven years, the programme has supported more than 70 entrepreneurs with funding and mentorship, training over 5000 persons through initiatives like ABH ScaleUp. Collectively, applicants now exceed 160,000, which shows evidence of a widening entrepreneurial ecosystem hungry for opportunity, visibility and support.

The 2025 Summit will feature master-classes and interactive sessions led by industry figures including Clare Akamanzi (NBA Africa), Tara Fela-Durotoye, Wandia Gichuru and journalist Naa Ashorkor. These sessions are expected to tackle issues ranging from women’s economic empowerment to building globally competitive African brands. A continental ecosystem, working together.

The ABH’s 7th summit edition is supported by the following sponsors – Gebeya, Bank of Kigali, Jasiri, Inkomoko; alongside outreach partners including Hanga Pitchfest, Impact Hub Kigali, Norrsken and several universities. Together, they form a network that connects ABH to local entrepreneurial communities, ensuring that the programme does more than award grants.

As the finalists prepare to take the stage, the ABH Summit stands as a reminder that Africa’s economic future is being shaped in boardrooms, as well as the in farms, digital labs, workshops, classrooms, homes, etc., across the continent.

What happens in Kigali this December would be bigger than a competition. It will portrait a generation determined to redefine Africa’s trajectory through business, innovation and a profound commitment to human progress.