All Africa Business Leaders Awards – the winners, include Thembalihle Baloyi, Henley MBA alumnus

All Africa Business Leaders Awards – the winners,  include Thembalihle Baloyi, Henley MBA alumnus.

• Sol Kerzner receives Lifetime Achievement Award
• Paul Kagame receives African of the Year award

 Johannesburg, South Africa, December 3, 2018: Finalists from all corners of the continent met at the 2018 All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA™) Grand Finale on 29 November to crown the All Africa winners at an exclusive gala dinner at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Now celebrating its 8th year, the AABLA™, in partnership with CNBC Africa, is an empowerment driven, premium event, intended to distinguish and uphold the achievements of inspiring corporate front-runners on our Pan-African continent.

“The AABLA™ distinguish and honour leaders who have contributed and shaped the African economy, and are visionaries behind today’s outstanding businesses. Our huge congratulations go out to the All Africa winners and finalists of this year’s awards who all exemplify the best in African leadership. The overall winners in each category epitomise the core values of a successful leader, strength, innovation, ingenuity, knowledge and foresight – values that are imperative to carving out powerful business in a Pan-African and global economy,” said Rakesh Wahi, co-founder, ABN Group.

The event was attended by some of the biggest names in African business, including Gauteng Premier David Makhura who delivered the keynote address and the iconic Sol Kerzner who received the Lifetime Achievement Award – a highlight of the evening.

This year also included the addition of a new category, the All Africa African of the Year, which was awarded to His Excellency, Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda.

Throughout the evening, over 400 guests were entertained by the Ndlovu Youth Choir, who performed a number of local songs including a Zulu rendition of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’.

The team of judges from East, West and Southern Africa led by Sam Bhembe, CNBC Africa Non-Executive Director, evaluated the shortlisted finalists to determine the overall category winners.

Full list of AABLA™ 2018 All AFRICA Winners:

All Africa Business Leader of the Year

Peter Mountford  

Super Group, CEO

All Africa Business Woman of the Year 

Nomkhita Nqweni

ABSA Wealth, Investment Management and Insurance, CEO

All Africa Entrepreneur of the Year

Thembalihle Baloyi

Discovery Insure, Founder and Executive Director

 All Africa Industrialist of the Year

Quinton Uren Jendamark Automation, Managing Director

All Africa Company of the Year

Ethiopian Airlines

All Africa Young Business Leader of the Year 

Dr. Elikem Tamaklo

Nyaho Medical Centre, Managing Director

All Africa Innovator of the Year

James Paterson & Benjamin Meltzer

Aerobotics, Co-founders

 All Africa Philanthropist of the Year 

Sir Donald Gordon

Donald Gordon Foundation, Founder

All Africa Lifetime Achievement Award

Solomon Kerzner

All Africa African of the Year

His Excellency Paul Kagame

Republic of Rwanda, President

Sponsors and partners of the 2018 AABLA™:

The awards ceremony and gala dinner was presented in a half-hour show broadcast across 48 countries in Africa and globally via cnbcafrica.com.

For more information visit www.aablawards.com and follow the 8^th All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA™) in partnership with CNBC Africa on Twitter: @aablawards and #AABLA2018. The event is proudly produced by ABN Event Productions.