Rwandan Food Retailer ‘Vuba Vuba’ Emerges Among Top 10 Finalists of ABH Prize Competition 2023 Semi-Final

Elias Hakizimana Sep 3, 2023Sep 3, 2023 0 Comments

By Elias Hakizimana.

Rwandan Food Retailer ‘Vuba Vuba’ has won a chance to be among ten (10) finalists across Africa who presented good project pitches and get awards during the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) prize competition 2023 semi-finale that brought together twenty (20) semi-finalists.

The competition which is a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy has taken place in Kigali-Rwanda. It aims to support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs across all sectors and build a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future of the continent.

Every year, since the first edition in 2019, 10 finalists are selected to compete in the ABH Grand Finale, which is broadcast online and across the continent, for a share of US$1.5 million in grant money. They have the opportunity to not only showcase their talent and business ideas but also inspire others to pursue entrepreneurship as a career option.

***Participants to the pitching event. The majority of contestants are youth.***

The winner receives $300,000, the first runner-up $250,000 and the second runner-up $150,000. The other seven of the top 10 finalists each receives $100,000, and the remaining $100,000 is split among all finalists for additional training programs after the competition.

Rwandans still winning

From 2019-20222, four Rwandan female entrepreneurs received the prizes, these include Ms. Francine Munyaneza, Founder of Munyax Eco, Yvette Ishimwe – Founder and CEO, IRIBA Water Group, Christelle Kwizera, founder, Water Access Rwanda and Kevine Kagirimpundu, co-founder and CEO, UZURI K&Y.

Mr. Albert Munyabugingo, CEO and Co-Founder, Vuba Vuba Africa LTD, the incumbent and very known food retail industry in Rwanda is among the winners of 2023 price competition.

***Mr. Albert Munyabugingo, CEO and Co-Founder, Vuba Vuba Africa LTD during the pitching event in Kigali yesterday, September 2, 2023.***

Vuba Vuba is a Rwandan mobile app that provides a convenient solution for residents in Kigali, Musanze and Rubavu to order meals and daily essentials for delivery to their homes or offices. Since launching in January 2020, its team of 31 full-time employees, 100 delivery riders and 50 casual workers has successfully delivered over 1,000,000 orders and continues to reach an average of 1,000 deliveries per day.

“Vuba Vuba stands out in the market by not charging extra fees on top of the regular prices of products, only adding a delivery fee of $1. It strives to provide reliable delivery service to its customers. We are looking forward to add more services,” Munyabugingo said.

“At the beginning nobody could believe how things will succeed, what I learnt is that good service delivery is key, once one client is convinced, s/he market the service to others, one challenge which is common is the capital, reason why we are here for the competition to get funding,” he added.

**A team of specialized judges during the pitching event.**

Other competitors speak out

Mr. Sunday Silungwe, CEO and Co-Founder, Good Nature Agro from Zambia, an agriculture for-profit social enterprise that works with Africa’s bottom of the pyramid farmers to move them from poverty and into the middle-class has participated.

He explains how this firm has created answers to small-scale farmer’s essential questions on the lack of inputs, training, markets and access.

“Through the production of high-value legume seeds and commodities like soya beans, groundnuts, beans and cowpeas; Good Nature Agro farmers are hitting the income target of $600 per hectare compared to the traditional $113 on the same hectares of maize and other cereals. The company started with 40 farmers in 2014 and currently impacts over 30,000 households.” He says.

Mr. Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder, Wellahealth Technologies that provides solutions in healthcare in Nigeria says the company increases healthcare access in Africa via alternative care pathways and technology that reduces the cost and improves accessibility.

“We have created a technology-enabled network of over 2,000 health providers to solve the expensive problem of healthcare fragmentation and out-of-pocket payments. This network is digitally connected to over 27 insurance companies, leading banks, telcos and a network of sales agents to enable the efficient distribution of affordable healthcare services. From just $1 a month, patients can get high-quality care easily. Wellahealth has served over 130,000 patients and it makes over $100,000 in monthly revenue from fees charged to companies and individuals,” Ikpeme says.

**Mr. Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder, Wellahealth Technologies speaking to the media.**

ABH winners’ selection criteria

Entrepreneurs from across Africa apply for the competition and go through several rounds of rigorous evaluation conducted by ABH judges. The finalists are selected after demonstrating that they are visionary entrepreneurs who embody innovation, resilience, growth potential and impact on Africa. ABH aims at honoring entrepreneurs that are not only building successful businesses but are also running mission-driven organizations that generate growth for their local communities.

The top 10 finalists are (in alphabetical order, by country):

1. Ms. Bola Bardet, CEO and Co-Founder, Susu (Benin)
2. Mr. Ayman Bazaraa, CEO and Co-Founder, Sprints (Egypt)
3. Mr. Andrew Takyi-appiah, Founder, Zeepay Ghana Limited (Ghana)
4. Ms. Christina Gyisun, CEO and Co-Founder, Sommalife Limited (Ghana)
5. Mr. Thomas Njeru, CEO and Co-Founder, PULA ADVISORS LIMITED (Kenya)
6. Mr. Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and Founder, Chari (Morocco)
7. Mr. Ikpeme Neto, CEO and Founder, Wellahealth Technologies (Nigeria)
8. Mr. Albert Munyabugingo, CEO and Co-Founder, Vuba Vuba Africa LTD (Rwanda)
9. Ms. Nthabiseng Mosia, CMO and Co-Founder, Easy Solar (South Africa)
10. Mr. Theo Baloyi, CEO and Founder, Bathu (South Africa)

About Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH)

Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition is a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy. It aims to support, inspire and enable the next generation of African entrepreneurs across all sectors who are building a brighter future for the continent, by offering grant funding, training programs and support for the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over a 10-year period, each year the ABH Prize Competition and Show features 10 entrepreneur finalists as they pitch their business to win a share of US$1.5 million in grant money.

This years’ Grand Finale is expected to take place in Kigali on November 23 and 24, 2023 during the ABH’s 5th Anniversary Summit.

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