African Entrepreneurship Award winners announced

African Entrepreneurship Award 2017 finalists.

BMCE Bank of Africa launched the final of the African Entrepreneurship Award 2017, a program to assist innovative African entrepreneurs - 40 finalists from 19 countries attended bootcamp in December.

BMCE Bank of Africa announced the launch of its sponsorship of the final phase of the 3rd African Entrepreneurship Awards. Devised and developed by the group, the initiative provides support for African entrepreneurs, or entrepreneurs with African origins, rewarding talent and technology in three categories: education, environment and uncharted areas on the continent.

Round three of the 2017 Awards produced 40 finalists. The average age of contestants is 32, and over 35% of them are women, demonstrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and diversity driving African youth.

The most popular category is the environment, accounting for 46% of projects, demonstrating the focus of entrepreneurs on ecological problems. Moreover, 61% of projects have now reached the start-up phase, as an indicator of the solid maturity of finalists.

On the next phase of the programme, the 40 finalists went to a boot camp in Casablanca from 6-10 December. ​

The average age of contestants is 32, and over 35% of them are women, demonstrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and diversity driving African youth.

First PRIZE: $100 000

Category: Education

• Louise Williamson, South Africa, Sustainability Professionals startup: sustainable fuel ovens for schools in remote areas.

Category: Environment

• Allen Kimambo, Tanzania, Zaidi General Enterprises startup: paper collection and recycling to protect the environment.
• Folashade Amusa, Nigeria, VicFold Recyclers startup: waste collection, processing and recycling with reward system for households.
• Adan Mohammed, Kenya, Ecodudu startup: animal food production from insects and larva.
• Sylvester Mujakperuo, Nigeria, Saint Michelles and Joey Limited startup: transforming used paper and cardboard into new paper products.
• Kwame Ababio, Ghana, Green Afro Palms startup: optimising the cultivation and use of palm oil.

Category: Unchartered Fields

• Flavien Simo, Cameroon, Save Our Agriculture startup: production of aquaponics kits that combines fish farming and plant farming.
• Paul Bartels, South Africa, Waterbok Community Fire-Fighting Cart prototype: fire-fighting Cart.

INNOVATION PRIZE: $50, 000

• Meryam El Ouafi, Morocco: Green Engineering Mission prototype: new irrigation technology to optimize water consumption.
• Badr Idrissi, Morocco, Atlan Space startup: smart drone use to combat illegal fishing.
• Geoffrey Ssekatawa, Uganda, Brent Technologies startup: lubricant collection and recycling.
• Christelle Kwizera, Rwanda, VOMA Groundwater Solar Kiosks startup: drinking water purification and distribution to vulnerable communities.

The winners were selected by the following jury headed by Othman Benjelloun; chairman of BMCE Bank of Africa:

• Brahim Benjelloun Touimi, CEO of BMCE Bank of Africa.
• Gong Li, Chinese innovator and technologist.
• John-Bernard Duler, Silicon Valley investor.
• Marie-Paule Niat, Cameroonian entrepreneur.

Acting as a vehicle for BMCE Bank of Africa's commitment to innovative entrepreneurship since 2015, the African Entrepreneurship Award has a prize fund of one million USD. Every year the initiative conveys the group's vision in favour of a continent driven by its young entrepreneurs, in a bid to improve the quality of life of all Africans.