By Chinwendu Obienyi
Youth empowering not-for-profit organisation and Africa’s largest high school entrepreneurship competition, Junior Achievement Africa, recently concluded the 12th edition of its Company of the Year Awards with Zimbabwe’s Hekima Inc emerging overall winner. Hosted in Nigeria, this 12th edition with the theme “Fueling Changemakers”, marks JA Africa’s return to in-person competitions after two successful virtual events. The JA Africa Company of the Year (COY) Competition is Africa’s premier pitch competition for high-school youths who have completed the flagship JA Company Program.
The youths competed in teams to demonstrate resilience and innovation in dealing with global challenges, and developing businesses that generate wealth.
After competing against thousands of startups to qualify for the regional competition, the 3-day event brought together winners from countries across Africa including Seksolin JA Company – Ghana; Aquatech Enterprise – Kenya; Green Apex Africa – Nigeria; Aqua Pure Company – South Africa; Kibega Company – Tanzania; City Multi Tech Stars – Uganda; Moxes Sanitary Sports Ent. – Zambia; Hekima Inc – Zimbabwe; and Time Out Company – Eswatini.
Commenting on the awards, Simi Nwogwugwu, Chief Executive Officer, JA Africa shared: “I am extremely proud of all our winners tonight. Our aim for the students is to keep them focused on their journey to becoming changemakers. The world needs more of them. And we on our part will continue focusing on equipping them with an entrepreneurial mindset to become solution providers in their communities.”
At third place, Team Eswatini went with certificates and a $500 prize. Bagging their fourth award for the night, Team Green Apex Nigeria came in at second place winning trophies, certificates, and a $800 prize; emerging overall winner and JA Africa’s Company of the Year 2022, Zimbabwe’s Hekima Inc went home with trophies, certificates, grand prize of $1000, and a chance to compete with winners from other regions for the Ralph de la Vega Global Entrepreneurship Competition.
Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, FirstBank had said the 2022 Junior Achievement Company of The Year competition remains another viable opportunity to promote the entrepreneurship skills, spirit and talent innate in school children, across Africa.
“We commend Junior Achievement Africa on the COY initiative as it serves as an avenue to expose participants to inter-cultural values and traditions that will foster the unity of the continent,”Ani-Mumuney said.