This archive report was first published on 16 December 2019.
Chinese billionaire Jack Ma's Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) is set to air on StarTimes in Africa, aiming to support and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Established by Jack Ma, the initiative aims to identify top entrepreneurs from across the continent, not only to reward them but to inspire a whole new generation of potential game changers for Africa.
Every year, 10 finalists will be selected to compete in a finale pitch competition, with the winners receiving a share of the $1 million USD grant prize pool.
The competition for the top 10 finalists took place in Accra, Ghana on November 16, 2019, with nearly 10,000 applicants from 50 African countries.
The finalists were chosen from a pool of applicants and went on to pitch their business directly to four finale judges – Jack Ma, Strive Masiyiwa, Ibukun Awosika, and Joe Tsai.
According to Jack Ma, "We launched the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative to identify top entrepreneurs from across the continent, not only to reward them but to inspire a whole new generation of potential game changers for Africa. I have been inspired by the entrepreneurs I met in Africa, many of whom are dealing with the same challenges we faced when we started Alibaba years ago. I truly believe the potential of Africa’s business heroes is limitless."
The televised finale event, "Africa’s Business Heroes," will now be broadcast on StarTimes, with the first episode airing on December 14, 2019, at 8:50 PM and re-running on December 15, 2019, at 6:00 PM.
