Africa calls on Egyptian Entrepreneurs – African Entrepreneurship Award 2016

The African Entrepreneurship Award 2nd Edition 2016

Coverage: Warda Rashad Abdullah

Editor: Hadeer Salah Aldeen

“Dear entrepreneurs, women (and men), are you an African entrepreneur with a great business idea that will create jobs and improve lives in your region?”

Those were the opening words of the launching video of The African Entrepreneurship Award that was shown at the Goethe Institute. The event was held on the 13^th of March to raise awareness for the competition and answer all questions that the audience may have. The keynote speaker was Laila Ahlafi, who came all the way from Morocco to engage more Egyptians in the competition.

The award was first initiated by Othman Banjelloun, the chairman of the BMCE Bank of Africa at the 5^th Global entrepreneurship Summit, which was held in Marrakech between the 19^th and the 21^st of November, 2014. Hence, the African Entrepreneurship Award “AEA” commenced its first edition in 2015 and is now in its second edition in 2016. Here is a link to an introductory video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eNdmFfyhNA

I couldn’t help but notice that the AEA was giving more attention to women this year. It encouraged women from all over Africa to step up and show their creativity and willingness to improve the world around them. Such encouragement is highlighted in their launching campaign videos, where they declared:

“At the African Entrepreneurship Award, we also know the challenges for women to start and grow businesses in Africa. Our mentors include women who are experienced in how to break through to customers, get initial funding, get the product to the market, and manage legal processes.”

Laila Ahlafi, the head of Digital and Communication at the African Entrepreneurship Award BMCE Bank, happily revealed that Morocco hosted all the workshops and the events related to the Award and that all the participants, mentors and partners stayed there last year. Yet, she sadly expressed how shocked the award organizers were to find only 49 registrations from Egypt among a number of 3000 registrations from all over Africa.

Of the 49 registrations, 36 ideas were officially accepted, while Nigeria alone presented 2000 project ideas in Round one. The bank committee was expecting more from a country whose population exceeds 90 million! As mentioned, only 36 project ideas were accepted and only two participants have made it to Round 1. The first was from Alexandria but he didn’t make it to Round two and the other was from Cairo. The latter passed the second round, but didn’t make it to the third round. Consequently, the bank made the decision of sending representatives to Egypt to introduce the Award, rather than fully depend on the power of the internet and social media.

As a representative of the AEA, Ahlafi said she was expecting more of Egypt this year especially when almost 15 mentors expressed their interest in being recruited in the competition that very week! She hoped the number multiplies after meeting the press in Cairo. They are currently recruiting mentors in Egypt. There was also a short video on mentorship in the competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VT5ag3GGHU

The meeting was short; it only lasted for one hour. We started at 5 pm and at 6 they had to rush to catch the train to Cairo and meet the press there. I was lucky to talk to Ahlafi telling her about my own idea in the field of Education. She was really interested and gave me her business card, pointing out that she will be delighted to answer any emails. She also added that there was a whole team dedicated to answering all participants’ questions and helping them out with any troubles they might face during registration. Those interested are encouraged to contact this amazing dedicated team at info@african-award.com

A lot of questions were raised by the audience, so I am going to highlight the answers as told by Laila Ahlafi in the following points:

The project idea must be sustainable, impacting people around you. It may solve a problem, satisfy a need, or provide jobs for people.
The project idea must be totally new; no one has applied it before.
There are two main categories: Education and environment. There is a third category called “Uncharted”. It includes any other domain such as agriculture, art, food so there is great flexibility.
Applicants can apply in more than one category with more than one project idea.
Even if your project idea has a social cause, it must be profitable.
Registration to the AEA is open from February till 6^th of May 2016; however the earlier you apply, the better.
You shouldn’t have an ongoing project to register to the AEA competition. You can only have a good idea and then through the workshops and the meetings with the mentors, your ideas will become more tangible and real.
The difference between this award and other awards is that it not only gives the winners the money, but also gives the projects to incubators who live in the winners’ hometown. Thus, they continue mentorship and follow-up meetings with the winners to make sure the money is well used and the projects launch, succeed and hopefully spread all over Africa.
Last year, they only had one Egyptian mentor from the American University in Cairo (AUC), but this year they have many Egyptian mentors who are interested to guide and mentor participants from Egypt.
There is a criterion for choosing mentors. First he/she must be an entrepreneur who failed and succeeded and has been there in the entrepreneurship journey. He/she must have experience in mentoring. The problem last year was that African mentors had to mentor Egyptian participants because there was just one Egyptian mentor. This presents a challenge for the African mentors and also doesn’t help the participants so much because a mentor should know a lot about the backgrounds of the participants and all the surroundings and the obstacles they might face in their own country. Each mentor chooses the field he/she is going to mentor and the number of participants they are going to guide throughout the competition.
You may totally change the idea you proposed till 6^th of May. In the first round, you can modify or change the idea completely and start a new one but once you move on to the second round, you cannot change it.
Those who entered the competition and didn’t win can still work on their ideas and apply again next year.
The application form is in English, French and Portuguese. Next year, organizers are likely to add Arabic as well to make it easier for Arabic-speaking countries in Africa.