2011 Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship
By Peterking Quaye – The 2011 Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship was officially opened for entries on May 31st, 2011 and conclude with an expanded Gala Awards event in conjunction with a high-profile conference on entrepreneurship.
This years’ there is an expanded section of Africa Awards from the humble beginnings of five countries competing in 2007 now to include every country in Africa.
From the Longitude Prize in the 18th century to Alfred Nobel’s laureate awards at the start of the 20th century, the power of prize programmes to catalyse innovation and inspiration is undeniable. Such prizes serve a purpose beyond recognition and reward alone – also raising awareness, creating role models and igniting ambition. From our experience with previous prize programmes within Africa and globally, we have met remarkable entrepreneurs who never lost belief in themselves, even when confronted by overwhelming challenges but persevered to bring their ideas to fruition. As such entrepreneurs work to create businesses that meet the needs of those around them and by doing so raise the living standards of their communities while also creating something of lasting value for themselves, their employees, their communities and their nations.
The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship is honoured to provide a platform upon which they may continue to inspire a new generation of African entrepreneurs. The objectives of the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship are to promote the value of entrepreneurship as a driving force of today’s Africa ,to celebrate the standards of business excellence within Africa to encourage small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship and to build strong networks of African entrepreneurs as a source of learning and sharing of best practice to attract more venture capital inflows towards good businesses across Africa .
Announcements regarding this year’s programme will be made shortly, with applications opening on May 31st, 2011. The Gala Awards Banquet will take place on December 8th, 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya.
