Empowering Africa's startups
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating economic impact on various sectors of the economy across different countries in Africa. One could even argue that the continent’s promising and rapidly growing startup ecosystem could be one of those worst hit by the effects of the pandemic.
Given that, it is encouraging to learn that the Jack Ma Foundation is continuing with its Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition (ABH) to empower startups across the continent.
To understand what the Africa's Business Heroes prize competition is all about and how it continues to empower Africa's startups, iAfrikan.com had a chat with Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Partnerships & Programs, Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition. Prior to her role at ABH, Baitie-Boateng previously worked at Alibaba’s AliExpress as a Senior Business Development Expert and at Alibaba’s B2B Unit - 1688 as Special Assistant to the CEO.
Zahra Baitie-Boateng: The Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition (ABH) is the Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic initiative in Africa. When Jack Ma first visited Africa in 2017, he was inspired by the energy and talent he saw in the entrepreneurs he met with. He also recognized that they faced many of the same barriers that he faced when he first founded Alibaba. He made a commitment to do his part to support African entrepreneurs and from there, the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) prize competition was born.
