This award honours the person who has made an outstanding and lasting impact on their industry in the continent, and the values of entrepreneurship in Africa.

Criteria:

• Developed new markets, especially where these meet the needs of ordinary citizens and poorer consumers
• Achieved strong and sustained corporate performance in terms of sales, profits and capital growth
• Through excellent personal leadership and example ensured high standards of good corporate citizenship in the companies which he/she has led
• Contributed to changed perceptions of Africa in the global market

*The winner for this award will be chosen from consultations with multilateral agencies, the editorial board of African Business, experts from the Commonwealth Business Council and the 2010 jury.

The African business of the year will have shown outstanding returns and growth rates coupled with innovative working techniques, and the development of staff and the community it operates in. In this category, there will be five regional winners representing Northern, Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Among those five one will emerge as the pan-African business of the year.

Criteria:

• Financial performance (growth rate, profits and revenue, market capitalisation)
• Developed new market segments, especially where these meet the needs of ordinary citizens and poorer consumers
• Economic empowerment through promoting local content and capacity building
• High standards of good corporate citizenship
• Contributed to changed perceptions of Africa in global markets

*The winner for this award will be chosen from consultations with multilateral agencies, the editorial board of African Business, experts from the Commonwealth Business Council and the 2010 jury.

This award will go to an international organisation (i.e. a business with substantial revenues outside of the continent) that has contributed significantly to business growth and development in Africa. This would be reflected through its own operations in Africa and/or through its trade and partnerships with local subsidiaries in Africa.

Criteria:

• Developed new markets throughout Africa through substantial investment
• Introduced global standards of best practices and good ethics
• Contributed to changed perceptions of Africa in global markets

This will be awarded to the country which has made the greatest progress over the previous three years in improving an environment conducive for business, investment and trade.

*Countries will be judged according to their performances as reflected in the standard investment climate indicators, including those of the World Bank and the Commonwealth Business Council.

This award goes to a business leader who has shown particular skill in taking their business forward. He or she may be from a large organisation which has required guidance and leadership during a period of expansion or hardship or an entrepreneur who has managed to turn an idea into a dream, overcoming tough hurdles on the way.

Criteria:

• Developed new markets, especially where these meet the needs of ordinary citizens and poorer consumers
• Addressed new challenges and opportunities in market conditions
• Through excellent personal leadership and example ensured high standards of good corporate citizenship in the companies which he/she has led
• Contributed to changed perceptions of Africa in global markets

This award will go to the businesswoman of the year. She will have shown initiative, excellent leadership and a proven track record of achievements in terms of growth and returns and have contributed to a changed perception of women in the workplace.

Criteria:

• Developed new markets, especially where these meet the needs of ordinary citizens and poorer consumers
• Addressed new challenges and opportunities in market conditions
• Through excellent personal leadership and example ensured high standards of good corporate citizenship in the companies which he/she has led
• Contributed to changed perceptions of Africa in global markets

This award goes to the best business operating in the Telecoms sector. The winner will have shown solid financial results, developed innovative products and services for consumers and generated significant returns on investment for stakeholders. This award will not merely reward market penetration but also innovation and transformation at the grassroots level, namely it will measure the extent to which it has improved citizens’ lives.

Criteria:

• Financial performances (revenues and profits)
• Innovative use of technology to meet customer and social needs
• Numbers in terms of market penetration (customers, countries operated, coverage)

This award goes to the best business operating in the Airline sector. The winner will have shown solid financial results coupled with distinctive customer service, punctuality and have developed innovative products and services for consumers, especially in opening new routes.

Criteria:

• Financial performances (revenues and profits)
• Number of passengers, number of flights and destinations served
• Improving inter-African routes
• Punctuality

The winner will be an individual, a project, an organisation or a country that has developed outstanding agricultural solutions, thereby increasing agricultural output, creating rural employment and developing rural opportunities.

Criteria:

• The agricultural solutions will have contributed to sustainable and environmentally viable production
• The agricultural solutions will have benefitted farmers and rural communities
• The agricultural solutions will have contributed to food security

The winning country will have strongly developed its travel, hospitality and leisure sectors, improved its infrastructure and succeeded in branding its country as an attractive destination in Africa and all over the world. It will have invested in preserving the country’s cultural and environmental heritage and will have developed innovative services for the tourism industry.

Criteria:

• Increase in number of visitors over the last year
• Spending in infrastructure for the travel, hospitality and leisure sectors
• Innovations within the tourism industry such as new projects and initiatives
• Marketing and branding visibility
• Preservation of cultural sites and environmental heritage

This award recognises exceptional leadership in tackling social and environmental challenges. The winner’s efforts will have benefitted both employees and local communities directly as well as leveraged new approaches by government and the private sector.

Criteria:

• Replicability
• Sustainability of impact
• Using the skills and core competences of the company

The award will go to a company, business or government initiative and will recognise responsible business ethics and practices, transparency as well as an active policy in tackling corruption.

Criteria:

• The winner will have tackled vested interests and corrupt practices
• The winner will have a board culture which safeguards integrity, good business policies and processes
• The winner will have impacted on peer behaviour in the business environment and influenced other institutions’ policies and practices.