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Jack Ma Foundation Launches Africa Netpreneur Prize for Young African Entrepreneurs
Jack Ma Foundation Launches Africa Netpreneur Prize for Young African Entrepreneurs -, Post a Comment
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About this scholarship
[africaindex](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/author/africaindex/)
[September 11, 2018September 11, 2018](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/2018/09/11/)
Jack Ma, Alibaba Group founder and executive chairman, launched the Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africa’s Digital Lions Netpreneur Prize, a program created to support and fund African entrepreneurs who are working to address Africa’s most important challenges and further its digital economy through local entrepreneurship. The prize was announced at the recent “Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africa’s Digital Lions” conference.
The Netpreneur Prize – named for empowering a new generation of entrepreneurs, and focusing on small business growth, grassroots innovation and women founders – will award US$10m to 100 African entrepreneurs over the next ten years.
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Starting in 2019, the Jack Ma Foundation will host an annual pitch competition, with ten finalists selected from across the continent to showcase their talent and business ideas and compete for US$1m in prize money. All ten finalists will receive grant funding from the Jack Ma Foundation, as well as access to the Netpreneur community of African business leaders to leverage the community’s shared expertise, best practices and resources.
Ma decided to create the prize after his first trip to Africa in July 2017 when he was inspired by the energy and entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met. While the competition will be open to entrepreneurs in all industries, Ma expects many of the applicants to be founders of businesses that are internet-driven given the open and inclusive impact technology can have on local economies.
Applicants must be African nationals leading mission-driven organizations. The finalists will be selected by a team of judges from five regions representing the entire continent.
Applications for the first pitch competition will be open from January 2019 until April 2019, and the finalist pitch competition will be held and broadcast across Africa in the second half of 2019. The program will be offered across the continent through lead continental partner, Nailab, and other regional hub partners.
> Ma said, “As a fellow entrepreneur, I understand the importance of getting support during the early days. This prize demonstrates our support of the next generation of young entrepreneurs across Africa who are paving the way for a better future and imparting positive change in their communities. I am inspired and encouraged by these entrepreneurs who, together, will help build a sustainable, inclusive economy for Africa and for the world.”
The “Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africa’s Digital Lions” conference – jointly organized by Alibaba Business School, the Jack Ma Foundation, and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – brought together more than 800 entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics, students, banks and venture capitalists to address the challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s entrepreneurs. Across Africa, e-commerce platforms alongside payments, logistics, tourism and big data partners are helping to lift national economies. The event explored the barriers facing a new digital Africa and the role that the public sector, investors, entrepreneurs and educational organizations play in this transformation.
## The next century belongs to Africa
Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General and co-chair of the Ban Ki-moon Center for Global Citizens, said, “With the rapid development of the global digital economy and the availability of technology, the next century belongs to Africa. I am excited to join the advisory board of the Africa Netpreneur Prize. Through this prize, we aim to support African entrepreneurs to build a more inclusive and prosperous Africa and dramatically shape the future prospects of the continent for the better.”
The Netpreneur Prize is the second initiative launched by Jack Ma to support African entrepreneurs. Last year, Alibaba Business School and UNCTAD announced the eFounders Fellowship Initiative, a program that will train 1,000 entrepreneurs from emerging markets, 200 of whom will come from Africa, with the purpose of building a community of young entrepreneurs committed to creating digital platforms to build more inclusive economies.
This program supports the aims of the UN Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring no one is left behind in the digital economy. To date, 52 African entrepreneurs have participated in this two-week fellowship at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China.
Participants make a two-year commitment to improving society through their businesses. The graduates of the first two African cohorts reunited with Jack Ma and UNCTAD Secretary-General Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi in Johannesburg on 8 August . Since completing the program, many graduates have made significant progress with their businesses and become catalysts for digital transformation in their home countries, including raising rounds of investment as well as launching their own training programs.
“The rise of the digital economy provides growth and opportunity to the developing world, but it is up to us to make sure no one is left behind. The work that Jack Ma and UNCTAD are doing together will help empower the emerging generation of young African business leaders to participate in and lead that growth,” said Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi.
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In[African Startup](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/tag/african-startup/), [Alibaba Group](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/tag/alibaba-group/), [Jack Ma](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/tag/jack-ma/), [Jack Ma Foundation](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/tag/jack-ma-foundation/), [Netpreneur Prize](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/tag/netpreneur-prize/), [Pitch Africa](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/tag/pitch-africa/), [Young African Entrepreneurs](https://scholarshipsforafricans.com/tag/young-african-entrepreneurs/)
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Eligibility criteria
Always cross-check eligibility against the sponsor's official site before applying — sponsor rules can change between intakes.
- Citizen or permanent resident of an eligible African country
- Currently applying to or enrolled at the Masters level
- Willing to study in US
- Strong academic record — typically a minimum GPA equivalent to a UK 2:1 / US 3.3
- English-language proficiency demonstrated by IELTS, TOEFL or an MOI letter
- Two academic or professional references able to speak to your potential
Required documents
A planning baseline drawn from how 90%+ of African scholarship sponsors structure their checklist. The sponsor's portal is the source of truth for any single application.
- Valid international passport (bio page scan)
- Most recent academic transcripts (sealed or e-verified copies)
- Curriculum vitae / résumé (1–2 pages, reverse-chronological)
- Personal statement or motivation letter (500–1,000 words, tailored to the sponsor)
- Two to three reference letters (academic for students, professional for working applicants)
- Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo) — Medium-of-Instruction letter may substitute for Anglophone-Africa graduates
- Passport-sized photograph meeting ICAO biometric standards
- Research proposal or statement of purpose (500–2,000 words for PhD)
- Published or unpublished writing sample (PhD and research-led Masters)
- Country-of-origin proof (national ID or birth certificate) — required by many Africa-focused funders
Deadline timeline
The sponsor has not published a fixed deadline yet. Use the milestones below as a generic 12-month plan; substitute dates once the intake window opens.
- 12 months out
Register for tests (IELTS/TOEFL/SAT/GRE), shortlist 3–5 universities, identify referees.
- 6 months out
Sit your tests, draft a personal statement, request transcripts and confirm reference letters.
- 3 months out
Finalise essays, upload supporting documents, complete the online application portal.
- 1 month out
Final review, double-check uploaded files, submit a week before the deadline to avoid portal issues.
- Application deadline
Submit by 23:59 in the sponsor's stated time zone — usually local to the sponsor, not your country.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for the Jack Ma Foundation Launches Africa Netpreneur Prize for Young African Entrepreneurs?+
Applicants must be eligible African nationals applying at the Masters level, meet the academic and English-language requirements set by Various, and be able to relocate to US for the duration of the programme.
Is the Jack Ma Foundation Launches Africa Netpreneur Prize for Young African Entrepreneurs fully funded?+
Funding model: Funding type varies — check the official site. Where listed as fully funded, the award typically covers tuition, monthly stipend, health insurance and round-trip airfare. Always confirm the latest funding breakdown on the sponsor's official page.
When is the application deadline?+
The application deadline is varies by intake — see the official site. Submit at least one week early — sponsor portals frequently slow or fail in the final 24 hours, and late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
What documents do I need to apply?+
At minimum: passport bio page, academic transcripts, CV, personal statement, two to three references, and an English-language test score (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo). Research-led Masters and PhD applications also require a research proposal and a writing sample.
How can I improve my chance of winning?+
Apply early, tailor every essay to the specific sponsor (do not recycle a generic statement), secure at least one reference who knows your work in detail, and apply to two or three additional scholarships in parallel — never rely on a single application.