Are you a high performing African entrepreneur with a track record of business excellence and high social impact? Do you share our core belief that business is development and that entrepreneurship is the key to Africa’s economic resurgence? Do you see yourself as an icon of entrepreneurial success in Africa? If so, then this year’s African Awards for Entrepreneurship may bear your name!

African Leadership Network (ALN), the premier network of Africa's new generation of leaders, is pleased to partner with Legatum Group, a leading Private Equity firm and previous hosts, to bring you the Awards this year. As in previous years, the programme will recognize and award exceptional entrepreneurial leaders who serve as role models to Africa's aspiring entrepreneurs and who demonstrate business excellence, innovation and profitability.

The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship (AAE), indubitably 'the Oscars' of business and entrepreneurship in Africa, is pleased to announce the 2012 Awards Programme. African Leadership Network (ALN) and Omidyar Network are pleased to partner with Legatum Group to bring you this year’s Awards. As in previous years, the programme will recognize and award exceptional entrepreneurial leaders who serve as role models to Africa's aspiring entrepreneurs and who demonstrate business excellence, innovation and profitability.

Since inception in 2007, the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship has attracted more than 7,000 applications from leading African businesses and has given out prizes in excess of US$ 1.4 million to 25 leading companies. Aside from the generous prize money, the incredibly high beam of spotlight provided by the Awards, as well as the unrivalled access to a network of top entrepreneurs and funding resources has spurred previous winners unto even more glorious heights in their respective industries.

The objectives of the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship are:

• To promote the value of entrepreneurship as a driving force of today’s Africa
• To celebrate the standards of business excellence within Africa
• To encourage business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship
• To build strong networks of African entrepreneurs as a source of learning and sharing of best practice
• To attract more venture capital inflows towards good businesses across Africa

The awards program is open to firms originating from Africa that are independent and not a subsidiary of a larger organization, and are fully registered in the home country.