AFRICA SME CHAMPIONS FORUM AWARDS in partnership with

About

Africa’s prosperity hinges on vibrant regional and pan African enterprises. The overarching goal of the “SME CHAMPIONS Awards” is to celebrate African SMEs who challenge the status quo and are presenting themselves as regional, pan-African and global leaders.

Specifically, the awards will identify thwo competitive SMEs and one financial institutions selected among a large pool of applicants and recognize them through a pan-African prize to be awarded during the Africa SME Champions Forum.

Catégories

the awards will identify three competitive SMEs and two financial institutions selected among a large pool of applicants and recognize them through a pan-African prize to be awarded during the Africa SME Champions Forum. Beyond the prizes, these awards will support the SME Champions by providing them with an unmatched visibility during and after the Forum.

  • SME of the Year

  • Start up of the Year

  • Best Financial Institution

  • Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

  • A Special Recognition

  • The MSME Coalition

SME of the Year



The Africa SME Champions Awards Will recognize an SME that has achieved superior financial performance and that has had a positive impact on its environment.

Start up of the Year



The Africa SME Champions Awards Will recognize the achievements of an SME created by an entrepreneur below 40 years old.

Best Financial Institution



The Africa SME Champions Awards Will recognize a commercial bank that has had a major impact on SMEs across the continent.

The Woman Entrepreneur of the Year:



The Africa SME Champions Awards Will recognize a Women Entrepreneur that has had a major impact across the continent.

Special Recognition



This Award will recognize someone or an organization that has made impact on the SME landscape through its action in fact.

MSME Coalition Award



The Africa SME Champions Awards Will recognize a member of the Coalition that has made significant impact on SMEs in Africa.

SME Selection criteria

The Africa SME CHAMPIONS Awards is a competition which aims to reward the most competitive SMEs and most promising businesses on the continent. The participation criteria are aligned with the objectives and guiding principles of the Awards. Companies must have:

  • Minimum of 3 years of legal existence;

  • At least 10 full-time employees or the equivalent;

  • Turnover between US $250,000 and $15 million;

  • Audited financial statements for the last 2 years;

  • Minimum of 25% of its capital held by African shareholders;

  • At least 70% of total turnover generated on the African continent.

The Jury

The evaluation will follow a rigorous and transparent process based on Model. This model aims to evaluate, using a mix of quantitative and qualitative criteria, the financial performance of each company and the extent to which the strategy, operations and assets are aligned with the company’s vision and its operating environment.

PREVIOUS YEARS WINNERS