African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) Awards 2023 for Women Entrepreneurs in Africa

The prestigious African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) Awards 2023, which recognize, honor, and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa and across various industry sectors for their achievements and contributions to the continent’s inclusive economic growth and social development, are now accepting nominations for the 2023 edition.

AWIEF (Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum) is an award-winning pan-African women’s economic empowerment organization that seeks to overcome gender disparities in Africa through promoting women’s business leadership and entrepreneurship.

African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Requirements

Nominees for the AWIEF Awards should be emerging and established female entrepreneurs in the private business and not-for-profit sectors who have demonstrated outstanding vision, leadership and inspiration in spite of challenges to make a significant social impact and/or become successful in their businesses in line with AWIEF’s core areas of innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and socio-economic development.

Winners of the 2023 AWIEF Awards will be announced and celebrated at a special gala dinner at the AWIEF2023 conference , which is set to take place on 9 and 10 November 2023 at the Kigali Convention Center, Kigali, Rwanda in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry for ICT and Innovation and Rwanda Convention Bureau.

African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Categories

The AWIEF Awards covers 8 categories with the following criteria:

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 close on 31 July 2023. You can either self-nominate or nominate someone else.