Business
All Africa Business Leaders Awards to be announced Nov. 8
Africa’s most prestigious business awards, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards, is set to name Africa’s ultimate business game-changers in a grand finale at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Center (South Africa) on Friday, 8 November.
The Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards have traveled through three regional rounds in West, East and Southern Africa to applaud the pioneering men and women who had an invaluable impact in shaping the continent’s business landscape in 2013. These rounds celebrated the epic achievements of Africa’s business visionaries across five categories, and these regional winners now walk on to the illustrious finale to vie for the title of Africa’s most exemplary business trailblazer in their respective fields.
The Business Leader of the Year category sees three consummate professionals contending for the honor of being recognized as Africa’s foremost leader. West Africa’s Jean-Louis Ekra, the chairperson and president of the African Export-Import Bank, will compete against James Gatera, CEO of Bank of Kigali in East Africa, and Michael Jordaan, CEO of First National Bank, from Southern Africa.
Africa’s leading businesswomen have been lauded through the three regional rounds, and these exemplary female leaders now vie for the grand title of Business Woman of the Year. This category sees West Africa’s Biola Alabi, managing director of M-Net Africa, East Africa’s Priya Budhabhatti, head of Human Resources at Craft Silicon, and Southern Africa’s Mizinga Melu, CEO and managing director of Standard Chartered Bank competing for the coveted title.
The Entrepreneur of the Year Category presents Africa’s most dynamic game-changers, who have blazed their own trail in business. Sim Shagaya of West Africa, the founder and CEO of Nigeria’s largest online shopping portal, konga.com stands in the running. Alongside him, is East Africa’s Peter Nduti, founder and CEO of Resolution Health, and Southern Africa’s Francis Grogan, the CEO of Zambeef, one of Zambia’s largest integrated agri-businesses.
The Young Business Leader of the Year will see three of Africa’s most promising and exemplary young leaders contend. Jason Njoku, the CEO and co-founder of Nollywood’s biggest distribution portal, iROKO TV, will contend against Gachao Kiuna, the CEO and managing director of the Trans-Century Group of East Africa. Southern Africa’s Rob Stokes, the CEO of Quirk, will also vie for the award.
The Johnnie Walker Blue Label CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards will pay homage to those who continue to enhance Africa’s prominence on the global business stage.
The head of Durban Tourism, Phillip Sithole stated that the ABBLA Awards will reinforce Durban’s positioning as a leading business and tourism destination, boasting first world infrastructure and innovation. “Our tourism strategy focuses on aggressively promoting our City in new potential markets, selling the beach experience and creating a platform at events of this nature for the benefit of new African tourists to Durban and KwaZulu-Natal.”
Source: CNBC Africa