DURBAN - Forbes Africa ranked the 30 Most Promising Entrepreneurs in Africa 2018.
The candidates were selected from more than 650 nominations that were put forward. The entrepreneurs were then vetted by a panel of judges and researched by a small team of people.
Some of the entrepreneurs are involved in real estate, green tech, manufacturing, media and fashion.
Here is a look at some of them and their businesses:
1. Temitope Ogunsemo
, Nigerian,
Founder of Krystal Digital
Krystal Digital is an educational technology company that specialises in the creation, development and distribution of customised and service-oriented software applications for Nigerian educational institutions.
The entrepreneur from Nigeria started Krystal Digital in 201o and the main service, MySkool Portal, has been implemented in more than 50 government-owned highs in Nigeria.
It has more than 65000 active users. The educational technology company has more than 150 employees and yearly revenues of more than $3 million.
Temitope Ogunsemo Photo: Facebook
2. Rahma Bajun, Tanzanian,
Founder of MnM Clothing Line
Bajun is the founder of MnM Clothing Line, an afro-centric clothing line in Tanzania.
His clothing brand includes affordable clothes, wallets and other fashion accessories for both men and women. For her products, she uses East-African Kitenge fabric. Her company has 7 full-time employees and they sell their products across East Africa.
Rahma Bajun Photo: Facebook
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3.Anerlisa Muigai, Kenyan,
Founder of Nero
Muigai is the daughter of Kenyan businesswoman Tabitha Karanja. She has her own beverage business that makes and sells Executive Still Water brand in Kenya.
Anerlisa Muigai Photo: Facebook
4. Jean Bosco Nzeyimana, Rwandan,
Founder of Habona Ltd
He is both the founder and CEO of Habona Ltd, a company that supplies integrated waste management services and then processes the waste into fuel that is affordable and environmentally friendly.
Some of these fuels include biogas and biomass briquettes. The company has also moved into the installation and operation of clean power plants. These range from climate-smart farming to biomass.
Jean Bosco Nzeyimana Photo: Facebook
5. Ricky Rapa Thompson, Uganda,
Founder of SafeBoda
Thompson is the co-founder of SafeBoda, Uganda's version of Uber for motorcycles.
The 29-year-old has been very involved in the growth of this company into a large organisation of more than 1000 riders. People can access SafeBoda through the app.
Ricky Rapa Thompson Photo: Facebook
6. Mostafa Kandil, Mahmoud Nouh, Ahmed Sabbah, Egyptians,
Co-founders of Swvl
These co-founders are all below the age of 27 and are the creators behind Swvl, a mass transit system that can supply buses to every neighbourhood in the city of Cairo.
Swvl lets people share a ride in a van or in a bus for a fixed flat fee with no surge pricing. In 2017, a Dubai based ride-hailing app called Careem invested in Swvl.
They now have a team of over 30 people and they do 100,000 rides per month across Cairo and Alexandria.
Mostafa Kandil, Mahmoud Nouh, Ahmed Sabbah Photo: Facebook
7. Ibrahima Ben Aziz Konate, Cote D’Ivoire,
Founder of Poultry d’Or
Konate is the founder of Poultry d'Or, a company that makes and distributes fresh poultry products and agro foods.
Konate's products are slaughtered, cleaned, packaged and delivered all in the same day. The 23-year-old's company specialises in production and
delivery of agri-food products.
8.Simbarashe Mhuriro, Zimbabwean,
Founder of Oxygen Private Energy Limited
This Zimbabwean is the founder and managing director of Oxygen Energy Private and Limited, an independent power producer and renewable energy development company. The company specialises in utility-scale power plants and commercial rooftop projects.
Simbarashe Mhuriro Photo: Facebook
9. Abdellah Mallek, Algerian,
Founder of Sylabs
Mallek is the founder of Sylabs, one of the first private startup accelerators in Algeria.
Sylabs is a co-working, creation zone and talent accelerator that is located in Algiers. It mixes startup art, technology and entrepreneurship to boost creativity and talent development.
Abdellah Mallek Photo: Facebook