Africa’s Business Heroes has selected its 2026 Top 10 finalists after the semi-final round in Nairobi, with Egypt and Kenya each securing two places. The finalists will compete in Kigali this December for a share of the $1.5 million prize pool.
Egypt’s representatives are Ahmed Shaaban, founder of industrial technology company Simplex CNC, and Salma Tammam, founder of healthtech and biotechnology startup Reme-D. Egypt had four entrepreneurs in the semi-final cohort, the largest national representation.
Kenya’s finalists are Louisa Gathecha of Bottle Logistics East Africa, which focuses on glass recovery and recycling, and Naom Monari of BENA CARE / Renal Roads, a healthcare venture developing mobile renal and dialysis services.
The remaining finalists are Appessika Adanin Laurent Koffi of Côte d’Ivoire’s Green Agro Valley CI, Gildas Zodome of Benin’s BIO PHYTO, Jess Roussos of South Africa’s BluLever Education, Joseph Paul of Tanzania’s Dawa Mkononi, Kelvin Umechukwu of Nigeria’s Bumpa and Samson Fentaye of Ethiopia’s Thur Biotech.
The cohort spans industrial technology, agriculture, education, healthcare, biotechnology, commerce technology and the circular economy. It was narrowed from 20 semi-finalists representing 12 African countries. The finalists will pitch again at the December grand finale in Kigali.
Source: Arab Founders
