ABH Top 20 Entrepreneurs Face Judges in Nairobi as 10 Battle for Grand Finale Slots

By Fride Amiani

NAIROBI, August 20, 2026  Africa’s top 20 entrepreneurs have gathered in Nairobi for the semi-final stage of the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) 2026 competition, where they are competing for 10 slots in the Grand Finale scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, in December.

The two-day semi-final, running from August 21 to 22, brings together entrepreneurs selected from more than 24,000 applications submitted from all 54 African countries.

The Top 20 entrepreneurs, drawn from 12 African countries and 11 sectors, collectively generated approximately US$85 million in revenue in 2025, highlighting the scale and commercial potential of the businesses represented in the competition.

The entrepreneurs are now facing a panel of judges who are assessing their businesses on key areas including leadership, innovation, social impact, scalability and commercial strength.

The semi-finalists earned their places after progressing through an expanded Top 100 stage, which involved interviews with judges, as well as on-the-ground visits and due diligence on businesses that advanced to the latest round.

Speaking ahead of the judging sessions, Kome Oruade-Etim, Global Programme Manager for Acumen Angels and one of the ABH judges, said entrepreneurs would need to demonstrate that their businesses are solving genuine problems and responding to clearly identified market needs.

Oruade-Etim said the judges would look beyond the founders’ personal ambitions and examine the actual impact their businesses can deliver to communities.

“When I’m backing a business, it’s not the impact relative to their own vision as a company, but what is the impact that they can actually make relative to the problem,” she said.

She added that strong business fundamentals would remain critical, noting that entrepreneurs must understand the problems they are addressing, the needs of their customers and the economics of their operations.

According to Oruade-Etim, entrepreneurs must also have a clear understanding of where they want their businesses to go and how partnerships with governments, investors and other institutions can help them achieve greater impact.

The judges are also challenging the entrepreneurs to demonstrate that their businesses can grow sustainably while creating opportunities for other people.

Wandia Gichuru, Co-Founder and CEO of Vivo Fashion Group and another member of the judging panel, urged the entrepreneurs to approach the semi-final with confidence and prepare thoroughly for the question-and-answer sessions.

Gichuru noted that although the entrepreneurs have limited time to deliver their pitches, the questions from the judges would provide an opportunity to demonstrate their depth of knowledge and understanding of their businesses.

“The pitch is very short, but the real meat is in the questions,” she said.

She encouraged the entrepreneurs to remain authentic and confident, reminding them that reaching the Top 20 was already a major achievement considering the competition attracted more than 24,000 applications.

Gichuru further urged the entrepreneurs to demonstrate how their businesses can create wider opportunities as they expand, saying successful enterprises should generate benefits beyond their immediate operations.

Among the entrepreneurs competing in Nairobi is Jess Roussos, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of South Africa-based BluLever Education, a company focused on technical and vocational training.

Roussos said BluLever Education combines technical training with soft skills and business skills to prepare young people for employment.

She explained that the company’s approach was informed by research showing that employers require more than technical expertise, with skills such as teamwork, communication and problem-solving also playing an important role in the workplace.

BluLever works closely with industry players to understand changing employer requirements and continuously adjusts its curriculum to ensure that graduates acquire relevant skills.

Roussos also highlighted challenges affecting traditional technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems, particularly funding constraints and weak relationships between training institutions and employers.

She argued that employers should be treated as key customers of the training system because they ultimately require the skills being produced.

“Our employers are our customers. Our young people are not our customers; they are our product,” she said.

BluLever began operations in Johannesburg with a focus on plumbing before expanding into automation, electrical work and other technical trades. The company is planning to open a new campus in Cape Town and is also exploring the possibility of establishing a third campus in Nairobi.

Another entrepreneur in the Top 20 is Joseph Paul of Tanzania-based Dawa Mkononi, a technology-driven company seeking to improve access to medicines.

Paul said Dawa Mkononi is developing a platform that connects hospitals, pharmacies and communities, enabling healthcare providers to order medicines and have them delivered efficiently.

The company plans to expand its operations into Uganda, Zambia, Kenya and Ethiopia as it seeks to increase access to essential medicines across the region.

Paul said the company is also focused on improving digital literacy so that more communities can effectively use mobile phones and digital platforms to access services.

The ABH semi-final is not only providing the entrepreneurs with an opportunity to compete for a place in the Grand Finale but is also creating a platform for them to engage with investors, business leaders, universities and other ecosystem partners.

These connections could provide opportunities for access to capital, new markets, technical expertise and strategic partnerships.

At the conclusion of the Nairobi semi-final, 10 entrepreneurs will be selected to proceed to the Grand Finale in Kigali in December, where they will compete for recognition and further support to grow their businesses and expand their impact across Africa.

The competition continues to position entrepreneurship as an important driver of innovation, job creation and economic development on the continent, while providing promising African businesses with platforms to access capital, networks and international exposure.