Social enterprise dedicated to supporting high-growth female entrepreneurs, She Leads Africa, is enabling the public to vote for their favourite African entrepreneur.
The People’s Choice Award will see one of 12 semi-finalists go through to the final round of She Leads Africa’s annual Entrepreneur Showcase event. The chosen entrepreneur will then compete for US$15 000 in cash prizes, international media coverage, as well as exclusive meetings with top investors.
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The 12 semi-finalists were picked from nearly 300 applicants from 30 countries, and narrowed down through a review committee of professionals related to venture capital, finance, consulting and business development. The judging criteria consisted of the teams’ strengths and clarity around their business plans.
Yasmin Belo-Osagie, the co-founder of She Leads Africa, explains in a recent media release that public voting will help the organisation gauge what people really want:
Our community is made up of Africa’s growing and savvy consumer base, so asking for their help in selecting the finalists is a no-brainer. With their votes they’ll be able to show us the products and services they’d like to see in the market.
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The She Leads Africa semi-finalists are as follows:
- Aqua Clean — a Kenyan-based company focusing on low-cost water filters.
- Beauty Rev NG — an African commerce and online community for makeup artists and beauty bloggers.
- Bhala Africa — writes and publishes of African children’s book series.
- Chika’s — a food company producing West African tastes in a range of products.
- Closet49 — affordable clothing company focusing on confidence and style.
- Heat Free Hair Movement — manufacturer of virgin hair for African textured, kinky, and curly hair.
- Heels in the Kitchen — cooking show integrated with fashion and style edge.
- Instahealth — mobile phone connection system for connecting doctors, patients, and healthcare information.
- Kamokini — a swimwear and accessory company catering to average body-conscious yet stylish consumers.
- Nuekie – health and beauty company.
- Pauline’s Cosmetics — a makeup company promoting products infused with shea butter and vitamins A & E.
- Omo Alata Foods — food production company focusing on locally packaged Nigerian soups, spices and peppers.
The voting for the People’s Choice Award opened up 28 July and closes 4 August. The public can vote through the She Leads Africa website.