KIGALI— President Paul Kagame on Saturday afternoon met with Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba Group, and Jerry Yang, Co-Founder of Yahoo, to discuss opportunities for deeper partnerships in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Jack Ma and Jerry Yang are in Kigali for the Grand Finale of Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH), Alibaba’s flagship philanthropic initiative that supports African entrepreneurs and promotes job creation across the continent.
Now in its seventh edition, ABH has grown into a pan-African platform that identifies, supports, and celebrates outstanding entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries. Since its launch, the program has combined grant funding, training, mentorship, and global exposure to help founders scale businesses that create positive social and economic impact.
Jerry Yang was among the keynote speakers and judges at the 7th ABH Grand Finale held this Saturday. He shared insights from his entrepreneurial journey as the Top 10 finalists pitched their ventures for a share of $1.5 million in grant funding, highlighting innovation, resilience, and scalable solutions emerging from Africa.
Entrepreneur Training Platform Launched:
A key highlight of the ABH press conference was the announcement of the ABH x Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI) Entrepreneur Training Platform, unveiled by Chandee Zhuang, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of Alibaba Global Initiatives.
The new platform is designed to provide accessible, structured, and practical learning for entrepreneurs across Africa. It offers training modules in financial management, leadership, operational efficiency, digital readiness, customer growth, and investment preparation.
Chandee Zhuang noted that the platform is built on insights gathered from thousands of African founders and expands the long-standing collaboration between ABH and AGI, including through the Digital Lion Program.
She emphasized that the initiative ensures support for entrepreneurs extends beyond the ABH Grand Finale, offering year-round learning, peer engagement, and ecosystem-building, aimed at strengthening Africa’s broader entrepreneurial landscape.
With continued engagement from global business leaders and strong local partnerships, ABH remains a cornerstone initiative in nurturing Africa’s next generation of business heroes.
