Close on the heels of Ethiopian Airlines being adjudged as the champion industry in Africa by the recently concluded seventh edition of Africa CEO Forum, another coveted award is up for the grab. The only difference is that this time around, the competition is opened to only Netpreneurs, who have made the mark in the continent. The Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) for entrepreneurs on the continent is a trailblazer, to say the least. It is the brainchild of Alibaba Group executive chairman Jack Ma, who was enthused by the entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met. Competition carries smart money prize-a neat US$ 10 million and will be recognizing 100 African entrepreneurs over the next 10 years. Implicit in this imitative is to trigger the innovative spirit of young Africans, who can help build an inclusive society. Ten finalists will be selected every year, who will get access to the Netpreneur community of African business leaders. It will help them to leverage the community’s shared expertise, best practice, and resources. Though the prize is open to entrepreneurs from all industries, the focus will be on small businesses, and such enterprises, which make a difference to the local communities.
