The All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA™), in partnership with CNBC Africa, will honour the best in business leadership on the continent this month. AABLA™ 2024, a signature event and leading business recognition platform, has been sharing Africa’s stories of perseverance, success, innovation, and accountability for the past 12 years by identifying and celebrating the best in African business.
“Being at the forefront of telling Africa’s success stories through both our print and broadcast platforms, we are in a unique and fortunate position to identify trailblazers, innovative thinkers, and industry visionaries. This, in turn, allows us the opportunity to recognise businesses who have dared to break the mould, and pay tribute to their significant contributions and achievements at Africa’s largest premier business awards, the AABLA™,” says Roberta Naicker, Managing Director of the ABN Group.
The credibility and high standards set by the AABLA™ are reinforced by its Research and Validation partners, who play an integral role in the selection of the nominees to be assessed by a panel of esteemed judges from across the continent.
Omar Hassan, Director and Head of Business Consulting at SNG Grant Thornton, explains: “Our involvement in providing independent verification of the awards process is essential in supporting the AABLA’s™ prestige and status, confirming that a fair and consistent process was applied.”
Henley Business School Africa assigned a team of researchers to provide the judges with detailed assessments of all the 2024 entrants for the awards. “Henley Business School Africa is honoured to bring our expertise and research capabilities to AABLA for the seventh consecutive year,” says Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and Director of Henley Africa. “Through rigorously vetting nominees, we are proud to contribute to the awards’ reputation as a trusted platform for applauding African business excellence. This commitment to quality aligns perfectly with our mission of fostering exceptional business leaders to catalyse positive change on the continent.
“By recognising and celebrating excellence, these awards inspire innovation, drive growth, and promote a culture of accountability across the continent. It is a privilege to play a role in this important initiative, and to support the individuals who are making a lasting impact on African business.”
A team of 11 judges from across Africa cast their votes to select the finalists and winners. None of them had insight into the final scoring of their fellow judges.
“Every year brings a different experience, adding something we hadn’t thought of before. It’s really been a privilege to make sure that whoever comes in has a fair chance of representing Africa on a global scale,” notes Head Judge and Non-Executive Director of The ABN Group, Sam Bhembe.
“The contribution we are looking at is not just business acumen. We also want to know if you comply with regulations. Likewise, social impact is important because development is all about people. Ultimately, there is so much that Africa can offer to itself, but also to the global economy.”
Finalists and guests from around the continent will gather at a glamorous gala awards ceremony to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and business excellence in various categories, including:
- Young Business Leader of the Year
- Innovator of the Year
- Business Woman of the Year
- Business Leader of the Year
- African of the Year
- Philanthropist of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- African of the Decade
Supporting several of the categories are partners Afreximbank, IDC, GGDA, and Zenith Bank.
“As a Pan-African financial institution, Zenith Bank is committed to empowering business leaders who manage Socially Responsible Organisations (SROs) and contribute to the sustainable development of the continent. Our sponsorship of the “African of the Year” category at the AABLA™ underscores this commitment. We recognise the critical role business leaders play in shaping our continent’s future, and are proud to support this esteemed platform celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of Africa’s finest business leaders,” says Dr Adaora Umeoji, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc.
The winners will be announced at the Grand Finale, hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre on Wednesday, 24 October 2024. The gala awards ceremony will be followed by the annual CNBC Africa Corporate Golf Challenge in aid of the ABN Education Trust, to be held at the Houghton Golf Course in Johannesburg on Friday, 25 October.
For more information about the awards, or to book a table at the Grand Finale, visit https://aablawards.com/. Alternatively, follow us on social media @cnbcafrica or @AABLAwards, #AABLA2024.
Contact details:
Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities: sales@abn360.com
Media-related enquiries: Jill.Devilliers@abn360.com
Event-related queries: Devi Royappen Devi.Royappen@abn360.com