2026 Awards
Award Categories
18 categories across five sectors. Every corner of African cross-border business represented.
Companies & Growth
Scale-Up of the Year
The company that achieved the most remarkable, verifiable cross-border growth. We look for revenue expansion, geographic reach, team scaling, and demonstrable market leadership across two or more African markets.
Eligibility
Open to companies incorporated in Africa operating in two or more countries with a minimum of 3 years trading history.
SME Crosser of the Year
The small or medium-sized business that punched above its weight and successfully crossed borders. Growth is measured relative to size — this category celebrates the bold, not just the biggest.
Eligibility
Open to SMEs (under 250 employees) incorporated in Africa with active cross-border operations.
Most Disruptive Entrant
The company that entered a new market and fundamentally changed the rules. Disruption must be demonstrable — incumbents challenged, pricing changed, behaviours shifted.
Eligibility
Open to companies that have entered at least one new African market in the past 24 months and achieved measurable market impact.
Technology & Innovation
Fintech of the Year
The financial technology company most actively powering cross-border transactions, lending, insurance, or financial infrastructure across African markets.
Eligibility
Open to regulated or registered fintech companies operating across at least two African markets.
Digital Infrastructure Award
For the company building the invisible backbone — cloud, connectivity, payments rails, logistics tech, or developer tools — that enables everyone else to scale across borders.
Eligibility
Open to technology companies whose primary product enables other businesses to operate cross-border.
Cybersecurity & Trust Award
The company building Africa's security layer — protecting businesses and consumers from fraud, breaches, and identity theft as commerce scales across borders.
Eligibility
Open to cybersecurity, identity verification, fraud prevention, or compliance technology companies operating across African markets.
Tech for Good Award
Technology solving a real social problem — health, agriculture, education, climate, water — at cross-border scale. Impact must be measurable, not aspirational.
Eligibility
Open to for-profit, non-profit, or hybrid organisations deploying technology for social impact across at least two African countries.
AI & Deep Tech Award
Applied artificial intelligence or deep technology that has moved from lab to market and is demonstrably improving outcomes across African borders.
Eligibility
Open to companies that have commercialised an AI or deep technology solution across at least two African markets.
Individuals
Founder of the Year
The individual founder whose personal vision and leadership defined what cross-border African business looks like in 2026. This is about the human being who built it — and what they gave to the ecosystem.
Eligibility
Open to founders, co-founders, or founding CEOs of African companies with active cross-border operations.
CEO of the Year
The executive who took an existing organisation to new markets with clarity, courage, and commercial results. Leadership, strategy, and execution — all three must be present.
Eligibility
Open to CEOs and Managing Directors of African companies that expanded cross-border operations in the past 24 months.
Young Leader of the Year
The under-35 founder or executive who has already delivered proven cross-border impact — not potential, but results. The one who made everyone else take note.
Eligibility
Open to individuals aged 35 or under as of 1 January 2026 with cross-border business achievements.
Woman in Business Award
The female founder or executive who is redefining what African cross-border enterprise looks like — and making it impossible for anyone to ignore the talent that has always been there.
Eligibility
Open to female-identifying founders, co-founders, and executives of African companies with cross-border operations.
Institutions & Ecosystems
Investor of the Year
The VC, PE firm, or angel investor whose capital and conviction most enabled African businesses to scale across borders. We look at portfolio impact, not just deal volume.
Eligibility
Open to investment firms and individuals who have made and supported cross-border investments in African businesses.
Bank of the Year
The financial institution most actively financing African cross-border commerce — through trade finance, lending, treasury, or market infrastructure that moves capital across borders.
Eligibility
Open to commercial banks, development finance institutions, and financial services groups operating across African markets.
Ecosystem Builder of the Year
The accelerator, incubator, hub, university, or institution that most enabled other businesses to cross borders — through capital, networks, training, or infrastructure.
Eligibility
Open to organisations whose primary mandate is to support and develop other businesses across African markets.
Public Sector
Sovereign Impact Award
The government that created the most enabling environment for cross-border trade, investment, and business growth. Judged on concrete policy action, not intention.
Eligibility
Open to national governments, state governments, and government ministries. Nominations may be submitted by business associations, chambers of commerce, or private sector bodies.
Regulator of the Year
The regulatory body that removed the most friction from cross-border business — through licensing reform, interoperability, or regulatory sandboxes that unlocked new markets.
Eligibility
Open to sector regulators, central banks, and government agencies with a regulatory mandate.
Policy Innovation Award
A specific policy, law, or regulation — not an institution — that unlocked meaningful cross-border opportunity at scale. The award recognises the policy itself and those who championed it.
Eligibility
Open to any enacted policy, legislation, or regulatory framework introduced in the past 36 months with demonstrable cross-border business impact.
General Eligibility Criteria
- —The nominated company or individual must be headquartered or primarily operating in Africa.
- —All nominations must include verifiable evidence of cross-border activity.
- —Nominators must have direct knowledge of the nominee's work and achievements.
- —Self-nominations are accepted in all categories.
- —Previous shortlistees may be re-nominated in subsequent years.