BMCE Bank of Africa has announced the launch of the final phase of the 3rd African Entrepreneurship Awards (www.African-Award.com).
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 3 of the 2017 Awards produced 40 finalists.
The average age of contestants is 32 years 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 will go to a boot camp in Casablanca from 6 to 10 December 2017.
The training process will be followed up on 11 December by a closing ceremony with awards for the best and most sustainable projects.
The winners will be 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.
