Nominations are now open for the 2023 AWIEF Awards. In its seventh edition, since 2017, the prestigious awards recognise, honour, and celebrate the achievements of female entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa, across various industry sectors, for their contribution to the continent’s inclusive economic growth and development.
Nominees for the AWIEF Awards are both emerging and established female entrepreneurs and founders who have demonstrated outstanding vision, leadership, inspiration, and success in their businesses in line with AWIEF’s core areas of innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and socio-economic development.
The AWIEF Awards cover eight categories, each with specific criteria for qualification:
The Young Entrepreneur Award
Nominees must be young female entrepreneurs and start-ups between 18 and 35 years old who have demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial spirit and skills to build and grow successful and sustainable enterprises. The young entrepreneurs must exemplify leadership in their field and the importance of entrepreneurship to effect positive change. They are inspirational and must have achieved tangible and material success (revenue and number of employees can indicate this).
Tech Entrepreneur Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs who have created an innovative, ground-breaking, and game-changing technology venture or start-up.
Agri Entrepreneur Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs who have achieved significant business success and recognition in the agriculture and agribusiness value chain with evidence of traction and impact on food security and/or environment.
Creative Industry Award
This award recognises the disruptive, creative, and entrepreneurial success of a woman in the film, music, food, beauty, arts, fashion, media, advertising, design, and crafts industry.
Empowerment Award
Nominees should be women who have greatly contributed and invested in inspiring, mentoring and empowering women and girls, thereby significantly impacting the communities in which they operate, and society at large.
Energy Entrepreneur Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs in the oil & gas and/or green energy & renewable energy sectors who are operating successful businesses with impact on energy access and/or availability in their communities and countries.
Social Entrepreneur Award
Nominees should be female entrepreneurs who have developed an innovative, systemic and sustainable solution that directly tackles a social issue, thereby having a transformative social impact on their communities and countries.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Nominees should be established women entrepreneurs and role models who have demonstrated prolonged and consistent achievements in business, and exceptional and outstanding business leadership. The award also recognises significant contributions made to job creation and the economy.
Nominations for the 2023 AWIEF Awards will close on 17 July 2023. Candidates can either nominate themselves or be nominated by anybody else. Entries will be judged by an esteemed panel of business leaders and professionals.
The winners will be announced at a special ceremony and gala dinner in Kigali, Rwanda, during the AWIEF2023 Conference which will take place on 9 and 10 November 2023.
To nominate someone for an award, follow these steps:
- Visit https://www.judgify.me/AWIEFAwards2023
- Register your entrant profile by clicking “Submit an entry” in the top right-hand corner of the page.
- Fill in the nomination form and submit.
Nominations close at 23.59 CAT on 17 July 2023.
For more information about the awards or the nomination process, email: awards@awieforum.org
Click here to read more about the winners of the 2022 AWIEF Awards.