Africa’s business heroes strengthen China–Africa entrepreneurial ties

Ten African entrepreneurs won $1.5 million in grant funding after reaching the finals of the 2025 Africa's Business Heroes competition, a flagship initiative founded by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy to support innovation and job creation across the continent.

Now in its seventh edition, the program has grown into a major platform promoting African entrepreneurship while also serving as a key example of China-Africa people-to-people and innovation cooperation that links African innovators with global experience, capital and mentorship.

The final held in Kigali, Rwanda, over the weekend combines grant funding, mentorship and international exposure to support long-term capacity building.

Out of 32,000 entrants from across Africa, this year's Top 10 finalists were drawn from Kenya, Cameroon, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Egypt and South Africa.

The contestants operate across high-impact sectors including agritech, biotech, fintech, digital tools, sustainable manufacturing, healthcare, logistics and food systems.

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame praised the competition for supporting African entrepreneurs and expanding job opportunities, noting that such partnerships play an important role in advancing sustainable development and economic transformation in Africa.

"This program brings together Africa's most promising entrepreneurs and supports African entrepreneurs and job creation," Kagame said after hosting Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, and Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo, to discuss partnerships in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Diana Orembe of Tanzania emerged as the Grand Prize winner with her venture, NovFeed, which was recognized for its scientific innovation and converts food waste into sustainable fish feed, addressing food security, climate change and environmental sustainability.

Second place went to Abraham Mbuthia of Kenya, founder of UzaPoint, whose digital solution is transforming how small and medium-sized enterprises operate, by giving them tools to improve efficiency and scale.

Adriaan Kruger of South Africa took third place with NuvoteQ, a technology-driven company strengthening clinical trials and healthcare systems across Africa.