Top 20 Entrepreneurs for 2026 Semi-Final in Africa’s Business Heroes NairobiAugust 21, 2026

      Photo:Africa Business Entrepreneurs

Top 20 Entrepreneurs for 2026 Semi-Final in Africa’s Business Heroes Nairobi
August 21, 2026

By Stella Ranji 

NAIROBI, Kenya — Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) has announced the 20 entrepreneurs who will compete in the 2026 Semi-Final scheduled for August 21–22 in Nairobi.

The entrepreneurs were selected from an expanded Top 100 cohort drawn from more than 24,000 applications submitted across all 54 African countries. The selection process assessed candidates on leadership, innovation, social impact, scalability and commercial strength.

The finalists also underwent company visits and comprehensive due diligence to assess their businesses, teams and impact within their communities.

The 2026 Top 20 represent 12 African countries and 11 sectors, with women entrepreneurs accounting for 40 per cent of the cohort. Collectively, their businesses generated approximately US$85 million in 2025.
The entrepreneurs operate across sectors including agritech, healthcare, manufacturing, climate technology, financial services, education, energy and technology.

Kenya has four representatives in the cohort: Ikechukwu Anoke of Zuri Health Ltd, Naom Monari of Bena Care Limited, Joseph Mungai of AceleAfrica Limited and Louisa Gathecha of Bottle Logistics East Africa Ltd.

The Nairobi Semi-Final will give the entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch their businesses before business leaders, investors and experienced entrepreneurs as they compete for 10 places in the next stage.
ABH said the return to Nairobi is significant as the city hosted the programme’s inaugural Semi-Final and has grown into one of Africa’s major centres for technology, entrepreneurship and investment.

The event is also expected to attract a larger investor audience, creating opportunities for the entrepreneurs to connect with potential funders and strategic partners.

The judging panel includes Kome Oruade-Etim, Global Program Manager for Acumen Angels; Wandia Gichuru, Co-founder and CEO of Vivo Fashion Group; Thomas Njeru, Co-founder and CEO of Pula Advisors and a 2023 ABH Top Three finalist; and Jason Pau, Executive Director (International) at the Jack Ma Foundation.

Beyond the competition, ABH will host a learning and market-access trip to Hangzhou, China, from September 14–18. About 40 participants from more than 10 African countries are expected to take part in the programme, which will expose entrepreneurs to China’s technology and commerce ecosystem.

The programme, supported by Alibaba Philanthropy, provides entrepreneurs with grant funding, mentorship, training and opportunities to connect with business leaders and investors across Africa and internationally.

The 2026 Top 20 are drawn from Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar and Ghana.



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