Three African entrepreneurs have been named among the 18 winners of the 2019 Social Entrepreneurship Awards run by the Schwab Foundation.
For over 20 years, the Schwab Foundation has recognised social entrepreneurs as a new breed of leader and embedded them in the platforms of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Each year its Social Entrepreneurship Awards recognises founders or CEOs whose businesses have innovative approaches to solving social or environmental problems, with a focus on low-income, marginalised or vulnerable populations and potential for global impact. Awardees are chosen by Schwab Foundation board members.
This year’s list of 18 social entrepreneurs includes three from Africa. They are Kennedy Njoroge, co-founder of Kenyan mobile payments and digital commerce company Cellulant; Mostafa Farahat, co-founder of Egyptian online educational video platform Nafham; and Enyonam Nthabiseng Mosia, who is the South African co-founder of Sierra Leone-based pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar distribution company Easy Solar.
“The 2019 Schwab Foundation awardees represent a new ecosystem of leaders who are driving change and shifting organizations and systems towards a more just, inclusive, sustainable future,” said François Bonnici, head of the Schwab Foundation.
“Not only do they demonstrate alternative models that better serve our society and planet, but they also show that mobilising and transforming society is possible by instilling innovation into the levers of policy, finance, and research for greater inclusion and sustainability.”