2022 Awards: Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Announces Finalists
…As the prestigious annual AWIEF Awards recognise, honour, and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa across various industry sectors
The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org) announces the finalists for its 2022 AWIEF Awards.
Currently in its sixth edition, the prestigious annual AWIEF Awards recognise, honour, and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa across various industry sectors for their achievements and contribution to the continent’s inclusive economic growth and social development.
An independent panel of judges that included two past AWIEF Lifetime Achievement Award winners, selected the 24 finalists across 8 categories. These outstanding women entrepreneurs and business leaders represent companies from a diverse range of sectors and operating in 12 different African countries: Cameroun, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
The AWIEF Awards winners will be announced and celebrated at a special ceremony and gala dinner, sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) at the AWIEF2022 conference (https://bit.ly/3vtFn4V) taking place on 26 and 27 September 2022, on-site in Cairo, Egypt and virtually.
Irene Ochem, AWIEF Founder and Chief Executive Officer, says: “We were once again highly impressed by the entries and what women entrepreneurs and business leaders are accomplishing across the African continent. Our 24 finalists embody the leadership, resilience, and innovation required for sustainable success and we are excited and proud to celebrate and honour them through our AWIEF Awards.”
Past AWIEF Lifetime Achievement Award winner and 2022 Judge, Daisy Molefhi, Founder and Vice-Chancellor, ABM University College, Botswana said: “Judging the 2022 AWIEF Awards was an eye opener to the amazing and transformative initiatives of women across the African continent.”
Past AWIEF Lifetime Achievement Award winner and 2022 Judge, Margaret Hirsch, Co-founder and Executive Director, Hirsch’s Homestores, South Africa said: “I found the 2022 AWIEF Awards to be of a very high calibre. The judging was very difficult because they were all so unique in their own special way. What I looked for were women who are not only running a successful business, but who are helping other women to grow as well.”
2022 AWIEF Awards Judge Dr Nevine Abdelkhalek, Dean, School of Continuing Education at Nile University, Egypt said: “It has been a valuable and enriching experience judging the 2022 AWIEF Awards. I am really glad that I was part of it and look forward to meeting the finalists in Cairo. It was very difficult to choose the best from the best. They are all impressive, with dedicated clear vision and full of passion towards what they are achieving.”
The finalists for the 2022 AWIEF Awards are (names in alphabetical order):
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Gisèla Van Houcke – Founder and CEO, Zuri Luxury Hair and Beauty, Rwanda; Nadine Farrag – CEO and Founder, Farahy, Egypt; Stacey Menga Onyango – Director, Minkoti Agencies Limited, Kenya
TECH ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Faith Mokgalaka – Founder and CEO, Puno Greenery, South Africa; Sahar Salama – Founder and CEO, TPAY Mobile, Egypt; Thato Mabudusha Schermer – Co-Founder and CEO, Zoie Health Technologies, South Africa
AGRI ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Esther Kimani – Founder, Farmer Lifeline Technologies, Kenya; Grace Kariuki – CEO, Origen Group, Kenya; Korka Diaw – President, Réseau des Agricultrices du Nord, Senegal
ENERGY ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Diana Mbogo – Managing Director, Millennium Engineers Enterprises Limited, Tanzania; Judith Marera – Founder and CEO, Lanforce Energy, Zimbabwe; Mona Al Adawy – Founder and CEO, GeoEnergy Petroleum Services, Egypt
CREATIVE INDUSTRY AWARD
Abai Schulze – Founder and Creative Director, ZAAF Collection, Ethiopia; Barbara Kamba-Nyathi – CEO, Bold Dialogue, Zimbabwe; Vénicia Guinot – Chairwoman, Tropics Group of Companies, South Africa
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Barbara Afia Class-Peter – Founder, Honour-Barbara Centre for Speech, Ghana; Johanna Cloete – Managing Director, GEN Namibia, Namibia; Lumbie Mlambo – Founder and CEO, JB Dondolo, Zimbabwe
EMPOWERMENT AWARD
Martha Alade – Founder, Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN), Nigeria; Teresa Njoroge – Founder and CEO, Clean Start Solution, Kenya; Velveeta Viban – Founder and Executive Director, I’m Human Org, Cameroon
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Dalia Ibrahim – CEO, Nahdet Misr Publishing House, Egypt; Manal Amin – CEO, Arabize, Egypt; Nomhle Maggie Mliswa – CEO, Summerhill Farms, Zimbabwe.
Registration and tickets for the AWIEF2022 conference and AWIEF awards (in person in Cairo or virtually) are available online at: https://bit.ly/3bkkBxH
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