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Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) Announces Finalists for its 2022 Awards

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AWIEF

The prestigious annual AWIEF Awards recognise, honour, and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa across various industry sectors

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 1, 2022/APO Group/ — 

The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org) announces the finalists for its 2022 AWIEF Awards.

Currently in its sixth edition, the prestigious annual AWIEF Awards recognise, honour, and celebrate women entrepreneurs and business owners in Africa across various industry sectors for their achievements and contribution to the continent’s inclusive economic growth and social development.

An independent panel of judges that included two past AWIEF Lifetime Achievement Award winners, selected the 24 finalists across 8 categories. These outstanding women entrepreneurs and business leaders represent companies from a diverse range of sectors and operating in 12 different African countries: Cameroun, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

The AWIEF Awards winners will be announced and celebrated at a special ceremony and gala dinner, sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) at the AWIEF2022 conference (https://bit.ly/3vtFn4V) taking place on 26 and 27 September 2022, on-site in Cairo, Egypt and virtually.

Irene Ochem, AWIEF Founder and Chief Executive Officer, says: “We were once again highly impressed by the entries and what women entrepreneurs and business leaders are accomplishing across the African continent. Our 24 finalists embody the leadership, resilience, and innovation required for sustainable success and we are excited and proud to celebrate and honour them through our AWIEF Awards.”

Past AWIEF Lifetime Achievement Award winner and 2022 Judge, Daisy Molefhi, Founder and Vice-Chancellor, ABM University College, Botswana said: “Judging the 2022 AWIEF Awards was an eye opener to the amazing and transformative initiatives of women across the African continent.”

Past AWIEF Lifetime Achievement Award winner and 2022 Judge, Margaret Hirsch, Co-founder and Executive Director, Hirsch’s Homestores, South Africa said: “I found the 2022 AWIEF Awards to be of a very high calibre. The judging was very difficult because they were all so unique in their own special way. What I looked for were women who are not only running a successful business, but who are helping other women to grow as well.”

2022 AWIEF Awards Judge Dr Nevine Abdelkhalek, Dean, School of Continuing Education at Nile University, Egypt said: “It has been a valuable and enriching experience judging the 2022 AWIEF Awards. I am really glad that I was part of it and look forward to meeting the finalists in Cairo. It was very difficult to choose the best from the best. They are all impressive, with dedicated clear vision and full of passion towards what they are achieving.”

The finalists for the 2022 AWIEF Awards are (names in alphabetical order):

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

Gisèla Van Houcke – Founder and CEO, Zuri Luxury Hair and Beauty, Rwanda
Nadine Farrag – CEO and Founder, Farahy, Egypt
Stacey Menga Onyango – Director, Minkoti Agencies Limited, Kenya

TECH ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

The AWIEF Awards winners will be announced and celebrated at a special ceremony and gala dinner, sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) at the AWIEF2022 conference

Faith Mokgalaka – Founder and CEO, Puno Greenery, South Africa
Sahar Salama – Founder and CEO, TPAY Mobile, Egypt
Thato Mabudusha Schermer – Co-Founder and CEO, Zoie Health Technologies, South Africa

AGRI ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

Esther Kimani – Founder, Farmer Lifeline Technologies, Kenya
Grace Kariuki – CEO, Origen Group, Kenya
Korka Diaw – President, Réseau des Agricultrices du Nord, Senegal

ENERGY ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

Diana Mbogo – Managing Director, Millennium Engineers Enterprises Limited, Tanzania
Judith Marera – Founder and CEO, Lanforce Energy, Zimbabwe
Mona Al Adawy – Founder and CEO, GeoEnergy Petroleum Services, Egypt

CREATIVE INDUSTRY AWARD

Abai Schulze  – Founder and Creative Director, ZAAF Collection, Ethiopia
Barbara Kamba-Nyathi – CEO, Bold Dialogue, Zimbabwe
Vénicia Guinot – Chairwoman, Tropics Group of Companies, South Africa

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR AWARD

Barbara Afia Class-Peter – Founder, Honour-Barbara Centre for Speech, Ghana
Johanna Cloete – Managing Director, GEN Namibia, Namibia
Lumbie Mlambo – Founder and CEO, JB Dondolo, Zimbabwe

EMPOWERMENT AWARD

Martha Alade – Founder, Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN), Nigeria
Teresa Njoroge – Founder and CEO, Clean Start Solution, Kenya
Velveeta Viban – Founder and Executive Director, I’m Human Org, Cameroon

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Dalia Ibrahim – CEO, Nahdet Misr Publishing House, Egypt
Manal Amin – CEO, Arabize, Egypt
Nomhle Maggie Mliswa – CEO, Summerhill Farms, Zimbabwe

Registration and tickets for the AWIEF2022 conference and AWIEF awards (in person in Cairo or virtually) are available online at: https://bit.ly/3bkkBxH

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF).

Business

Aurionpro expands its multi-country transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB)

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Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers

MUMBAI, India, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –Aurionpro Solutions Limited (www.AurionPro.com) (BSE: 532668 | NSE: AURIONPRO)a global leader in banking technology, announced the expansion and upgrade of its transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), to modernize and enhance the bank’s corporate transaction banking capabilities across multiple countries.

Download Document: https://apo-opa.co/4edHUaC

This multi-country transaction banking upgrade covering Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania aligns with DTB’s intent to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and support growing transaction volumes as it expands its regional corporate banking footprint. DTB continues to focus on building a more agile, ‘digital-first’ banking experience, particularly around payments for its corporate customers across Africa, and is now well positioned to scale these capabilities. As part of its broader transformation agenda, the bank has been steadily investing in platforms that enhance scale, reliability, and service consistency across markets.

Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility

Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers. By enabling DTB to standardize and scale its transaction banking operations across countries, the platform ensures consistent service levels, stronger control, and improved efficiency. It also supports enhanced user experience, advanced security, and the flexibility to introduce new features as DTB expands its regional transaction banking footprint.

Murali Natarajan (https://apo-opa.co/48trPdk), Managing Director & CEO, DTB Kenya   commented: “We are delighted to strengthen and broaden our partnership with Aurionpro Solutions as part of DTB’s ongoing digital transformation journey across multiple markets. Our focus on innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centricity continues to guide our technology investments. This upgrade strengthens our transaction banking capabilities, enabling us to deliver greater value to our customers through robust digital channels and seamlessly integrated experiences.”

Ashish Rai, Group CEO, Aurionpro Solutions, commented: “We are pleased to deepen our multi-country engagement with Diamond Trust Bank and support the next phase of its transaction banking modernization. As DTB continues to scale across markets, platform resilience and consistency become paramount. Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility, deliver superior experiences to corporate customers, and create long-term value across geographies.”

He added, “Aurionpro’s iCashpro lays a strong digital foundation for transaction & wholesale banks across the globe to grow their corporate and SME client portfolio today, while creating a clear roadmap for next- generation capabilities in AI-driven insights, advanced automation and API-led connectivity for businesses in Kenya and across Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aurionpro Solutions Ltd.

 

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Minerals Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joins African Mining Week (AMW) as South Africa Improves Sectorial Investment Climate

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Energy Capital

Minerals Council CEO to share insights on policy, infrastructure and investment trends shaping South Africa’s mining industry

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference will feature Mzila Mthenjane, CEO of the Minerals Council of South Africa, as a speaker. Scheduled for October 14 – 16, 2026 in Cape Town, the event will bring together global investors, policymakers and industry leaders, with Mthenjane’s participation highlighting the council’s commitment to engaging international stakeholders and promoting investment across South Africa’s mining sector.

His participation comes at a critical moment as the Minerals Council works closely with government on finalizing the Mineral Resources Development Bill 2025, a policy framework aimed at strengthening the country’s mining investment climate and the sector’s contribution to GDP. According to the council, the revised legislation will support new investment across the value chain as South Africa seeks to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to unlock its critical minerals potential.

The policy reforms come amid shifting production trends in the sector. In 2025, South Africa recorded declines in gold and platinum group metals output of 1.9% and 4.1%, respectively. The new regulatory framework is expected to strengthen public-private partnerships and stimulate investment, enabling South Africa to increase production and capitalize on strong global commodity prices. Increased private sector investments is crucial with South Africa seeking targeting to unlock an estimated R40 trillion in untapped iron ore potential as well as maintain its position as the world’s leading producer of chrome and manganese.

At AMW 2026, Mthenjane is expected to outline these trends, providing insights into how the council is contributing to addressing challenges disrupting the sector. Infrastructure and energy costs remain key concerns for industry players. To support the energy-intensive sector, South Africa approved a 35% reduction in electricity tariffs for major ferrochrome producers, helping stabilize an industry that has faced significant cost pressures after electricity prices surged by roughly 900% since 2008.

Logistics constraints are also a priority area for reform. South Africa’s economy is losing an estimated R1 billion per day due to inefficiencies across rail and port infrastructure. As a result, the government is considering measures supported by the Minerals Council to increase private sector participation in logistics. Planned reforms include rail modernization initiatives targeting 250 million tons of freight capacity by 2029, alongside port upgrades and private operator participation aimed at strengthening mineral exports and improving supply chain efficiency.

Beyond infrastructure and policy reforms, the Minerals Council is advocating for stronger exploration investment to support long-term industry growth.

At AMW, Mthenjane is expected to highlight these developments and outline the steps required to reinforce South Africa’s position in the global minerals supply chain. His insights will offer investors and stakeholders a timely perspective on opportunities within the country’s mining sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Seychelles Targets Energy Investment Push as Minister Jérémie Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as a Speaker

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African Energy Chamber

Seychelles energy minister will speak at AEW 2026, positioning her to highlight reforms, renewable projects and investment opportunities as the island nation advances its transition toward a diversified energy system

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –Marie-May Jérémie, Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources for Seychelles will participate as a speaker at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place from October 12–16 in Cape Town. Her participation underscores the country’s growing role in shaping Africa’s small-island energy transition agenda.

Minister Jérémie’s presence at AEW 2026 comes at a critical time as Seychelles accelerates efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. The event provides a platform to attract investment, strengthen policy alignment and showcase bankable projects, positioning the country as a viable destination for private-sector participation in island energy systems.

Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments

In May last year, international finance institution the World Bank approved the Renewable Energy Acceleration Program, a seven-year initiative aimed at modernizing the grid and increasing renewable energy penetration to 15% by 2030. The program focuses on unlocking private capital while strengthening transmission infrastructure to accommodate variable renewable energy sources.

Project development is gaining traction in the country, particularly in innovative technologies suited to Seychelles’ land constraints. The 5.8 MW Seysun Lagoon floating solar PV project, developed by independent renewable power producer Qair, is under construction and expected online in 2026.

Alongside renewables, Seychelles continues to pursue upstream opportunities to diversify its economy. The government approved new exploration entrants in 2025 and extended exiting petroleum agreements, while securing an infrastructure partnership with China. Multilateral estimates suggest over $800 million in investment will be required over the next 25 years.

Regulatory reform is central to this transition, with Seychelles introducing an independent power producer framework to open the market to private developers. Standardized power purchase agreements, grid access reforms and strengthened public-private partnership structures are being implemented to improve transparency, reduce risk and accelerate project bankability across solar, storage and emerging wind opportunities.

“Minister Jérémie’s participation highlights the strategic importance of island nations in Africa’s broader energy transition,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments. Her insights will be critical to advancing dialogue on resilient, low-carbon energy systems across the continent.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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