Yvette Ishimwe, Founder and CEO of IRIBA Water Group (https://IRIBAWaterGroup.com) (Rwanda), is one of the finalists for the 2021 Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) (https://AfricaBusinessHeroes.org) prize, a flagship philanthropic program established by the Jack Ma Foundation.

The foundation has announced this year’s top 10 finalists who will also take the stage at the grand finale in November for their final pitch to win a share of a US$1.5 million prize pool. The ten entrepreneurs – half of whom are female – were selected from over 12,000 applications across all 54 African nations and passed multiple stages of judging and evaluation. With an average age of 32 years, the top ten represent businesses primarily operating in 7 African countries: Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda. Their businesses span key industries such as agriculture, beauty, education, energy, food & beverage, logistics, manufacturing, media & entertainment, and retail. 80% of the finalists operate their businesses in rural areas. Through their ventures, these outstanding entrepreneurs are generating positive impact and creating opportunities for their communities. “It’s African time! We have been continuously impressed with all of our 2021 Top 10 finalists, especially their diversity and strength of their businesses. The Top 10 are truly inspiring and are a testament to the talent, resilience, innovation, and passion of African entrepreneurs. In the midst of unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, we remain steadfast in our efforts to identify, support and shine a spotlight on African entrepreneurs that are driving positive growth for their communities,” said Jason Pau, Executive Director of International, Jack Ma Foundation. Source: https://taarifa.rw/rwandan-entrepreneur-shortlisted-for-jack-mas-us1-5m-prizes/