South African entrepreneurs on Saturday won big in the 2024 Founders of the Year Awards(FOYA).
This year, the FOYA Southern Africa Award Ceremony 2024 was themed Celebrating Entrepreneurial Excellence in Africa.
South Africa got 12 awards, followed by Zambia which bagged 9 awards and Botswana which scooped three awards.
Malawi and Zimbabwe both scooped two awards while Mozambique did not win any awards this year.
The awards process for FOYA Southern Africa involved open submissions, nominee selection panels, public voting, and executive voting panels.
It culminated in determining category winners in each country and age group, followed by a second phase of voting to determine the overall Founder of the Year winner in each category.
FOYA Southern Africa took place on Saturday at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg.
FOYA is a celebration of the boundless potential of Africa and the entrepreneurs who embody it.
The winners were honoured as pioneers who are transforming boundless potential into reality through their innovative businesses, impactful initiatives, and unwavering commitment to serving their communities.
Founders of the Year Awards was established in Kenya in 2016 with a mission to recognise and appreciate young founders contributing to the development of the African continent through entrepreneurship.
Over the years, it has evolved into a pan-African platform spanning 12 countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, and South Africa.
FOYA Southern Africa 2024 marked a significant milestone as the inaugural regional award ceremony, highlighting the innovative spirit and impactful contributions of entrepreneurs across the region.
FOYA stands out by focusing on young founders running startups, rather than seasoned entrepreneurs.
It serves as a convening agent for actors in the youthful entrepreneurship ecosystem, providing access to investors, not-for-profit leaders, and government officials.
The awards ceremony, launched in November 2016, aims to retain, reward, and recognise high-quality SMEs while inspiring others to start their businesses.