Award Categories
Entrepreneurship Awards
African Business Matriarch Award
Description: Celebrates an exceptional woman entrepreneur whose enterprise demonstrates cultural legacy, sustained excellence, and community-rooted impact across generations.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman founder or long-standing leader of a business operating in Africa for 20+ years.
Must have demonstrated intergenerational leadership, resilience, and legacy-building.
Business must be African-owned and majority-led by women
Sustainable Business Leader Award
Description: Recognizes an entrepreneur leading a sustainability-driven business with a strong commitment to regenerative practices and environmental impact.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman leading a sustainability-focused or circular economy business or social enterprise.
Organization must be operational for 5+ years with measurable environmental or social impact.
Founder or CEO must reside in and operate within Africa.
Cultural Enterprise Award
Description:
Honours a woman whose business leverages African arts, fashion, heritage, or creative industries to drive cultural pride and economic value.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman leading a creative, heritage-based, or culturally rooted business (e.g., fashion, storytelling, crafts, tourism).
Business must be active for at least 3 years, registered or verifiable.
Cultural relevance and authenticity must be evident in product, branding, or operations.
Emerging Founder Award
Description:Celebrates a promising early-stage founder whose innovative business model shows strong potential for growth, impact, and resilience.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Nominee must be a woman at most 35 years OR business must be under 3 years old.
Must have a proven business concept with early traction (sales, user growth, partnerships).
Founder must play an active leadership role in the business.
Tech-for-Good Entrepreneur Award
Description:
Recognizes a founder using technology to address pressing social or economic issues, advancing equity and inclusive development.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman founder of a tech-enabled product or platform solving a social or economic challenge.
Venture must be active for at least 1 year with demonstrated user or community impact.
Founder must be involved in day-to-day leadership of the innovation.
Intrapreneurship and Innovation Awards
Boardroom Leadership award
Description: Honours a woman making outstanding contributions at board level, driving strategic direction, governance, and gender equity.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman currently serving or have served in the last 3 years on the board of a registered organization (private, public, or nonprofit).
Must have made a significant contribution to governance, strategy, risk, innovation, or gender balance.
Must be recommended or nominated by a peer, colleague, or CEO.
Finance Leader of the year award
Description: Celebrates a female finance executive demonstrating excellence in financial leadership, strategic execution, and organizational growth.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
- Be a female senior finance executive (e.g. CFO, Head of Finance).
- Have a proven track record of financial innovation, business turnaround, or strategic financial growth.
- Exhibit influence on organizational sustainability, profitability, and strategic impact.
HR Leader of the year award
Description: Celebrates a visionary female HR leader creating transformative people strategies, leadership development programs, and inclusive workplace cultures.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
- Be a female senior HR executive. (e.g. HR Director, CHRO etc)
- Have delivered measurable improvements in talent development, organisational effectiveness, and organizational culture.
- Exhibit leadership excellence recognized internally or externally for people-centered innovation and strategic impact.
Sustainability Leader of the year award
Description:Celebrates a female executive embedding sustainability into corporate strategy, driving measurable environmental and social impact.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
- Be a female senior sustainability or ESG executive. (e.g. CSO, Sustainability Director etc)
- Have led initiatives with proven sustainability metrics (e.g., carbon reduction, community development, governance improvements).
- Exhibit recognized leadership in advancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) excellence within the industry.
Innovation Leader of the year award
Description:Celebrates a female corporate leader pioneering groundbreaking innovations that drive strategic growth and industry leadership.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
- Be a female senior leader responsible for innovation within an organization.(e.g. CIO, Innovation Director etc)
- Have delivered measurable business results through new products, services, or business models.
- Exhibit recognized leadership in building a culture of innovation and strategic transformation.
Technology Leader of the year award
Description:
Celebrates a technology leader advancing digital transformation and innovation across systems, teams, or business units.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman in a senior tech leadership role (e.g., CTO, Head of Engineering, Product, or Innovation).
Must have led the delivery or transformation of a significant digital/tech solution in a corporate or public setting.
The solution or project must be live, not in development phase only
Impact & Inclusion Awards
Financial Inclusion Award
Description: Recognizes a woman expanding access to finance, capital, or economic opportunity for underserved individuals or communities.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman innovator, policymaker, or founder working to increase access to financial services for underserved communities.
Work must be active for at least 18 months with trackable inclusion outcomes (e.g., account access, credit, digital finance).
Can be intrapreneurial (e.g., inside a fintech) or entrepreneurial.
Women’s Health Impact Leader Award
Description: Honours a trailblazer advancing healthcare access, innovation, or advocacy for women’s health and wellbeing.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a woman innovator, health practitioner, or policymaker improving access or quality of women’s health services (reproductive, maternal, mental health).
Program or project must have been running for 12+ months with demonstrated reach or outcome.
Nominee must be directly involved in design or delivery.
STEM Education Leader Award
Description: Celebrates a woman committed to increasing access, participation, and success of women and girls in science, tech, engineering, and math.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a woman founder, educator, or advocate championing STEM education for girls and women in Africa.
Initiative must be active for at least 18 months with visible community or school-based outcomes.
Can be in formal education or non-traditional learning platforms.
Diaspora Changemaker Award
Description:
Recognizes a woman of African descent living abroad who is driving positive socio-economic impact on the continent through investment, advocacy, or partnership.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a woman of African descent residing outside Africa, whose work directly impacts African communities or sectors.
Impact must be cross-border and verifiable (e.g., investment, partnerships, development programs).
Initiative must be ongoing or completed within the past 2 years.
Public Leadership & Policy Influence Awards
Policy Pioneer Award
Description: Honours a woman shaping progressive policy that improves lives, drives equity, or unlocks systemic change at national or local levels.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman with a leadership or technical role in policy development, legislation, or governance reform.
Must have contributed to a transformative policy, law, or regulation that improves inclusion, economic opportunity, or public welfare.
Work must be documented and implemented within the last 5 years, with clear evidence of uptake or influence.
Public Sector Innovator Award
Description: Recognizes a public official transforming service delivery or institutional performance through bold ideas and reform.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a female leader in civil service, government agency, or public institution in Africa.
Must have designed or implemented a program, digital tool, or service reform that enhanced public service delivery or citizen engagement.
Innovation must have been operational for at least 12 months, with tangible public-facing outcomes.
Emerging Public Leader Award
Description: Celebrates a dynamic under-40 leader in governance, civic engagement, or public service whose work signals a new era of leadership.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a woman under 40 working in local government, public administration, or public policy with a track record of leadership and promise.
Must have led or significantly contributed to a project, reform, or initiative with measurable social impact.
Nominee should have 3–10 years of public sector experience.
Voice of the People Award
Description:
Honours a leader advancing citizen engagement, participatory governance, or inclusive decision-making in public life.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a woman advocate, journalist, civic leader, or public official amplifying citizen concerns and giving visibility to marginalized voices.
Work may span public communication, media, community mobilization, or social accountability.
Impact must be national or community-wide, with evidence of reach, relevance, and influence.
Ecosystem Builders Awards
Mentorship Champion Award
Description: Celebrates a woman who has consistently mentored, coached, and uplifted other women on their leadership or entrepreneurial journey.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominees must:
Must be a woman consistently mentoring other women in business, leadership, or career development.
Must have mentored at least 10 women over the last 3 years, with testimonials or impact stories.
Can be a founder, executive, coach, or informal guide, as long as mentorship is intentional and ongoing.
Catalyst Award
Description: Recognizes a woman creating access to capital, opportunity, or knowledge through networks that enable others to grow.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a woman actively creating networks, bridges, or opportunities for others—through partnerships, funding access, collaboration, or referrals.
Must be recognized in her community or sector as a connector or mobilizer of people and resources.
Nominee must demonstrate ecosystem influence and peer support.
Platform Builder Award
Description: Honours the architect of impactful platforms—accelerators, networks, or communities—empowering others at scale.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a woman founder or leader of a platform (e.g., accelerator, network, digital hub, or initiative) that empowers women entrepreneurs or leaders.
Platform must have existed for at least 18 months and show verifiable impact (e.g., number of beneficiaries, funding raised, training delivered).
The platform must be Africa-focused and inclusive in its structure or model.
Male Ally Award
Description:
Celebrates a male champion who actively advocates for gender equity and supports the advancement of women in leadership or business.
Eligibility Criteria:
Nominnes must:
Must be a man actively championing gender equity by mentoring, sponsoring, or amplifying women’s leadership in his organization or sector.
Must have a consistent track record of actions—not just statements—over the past 2–3 years.
Must be nominated by a woman who has directly benefited from his advocacy, sponsorship, or influence.