YORA Awards 2025
🏆 Honoring Excellence, Inspiring the Future
The YORA Awards 2025 is more than a ceremony—it’s a movement celebrating visionaries, changemakers, and innovators who are shaping Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape.
This year’s theme, “Honoring Excellence, Inspiring the Future,” recognizes the bold pioneers, disruptive businesses, and transformative leaders who are redefining industries, driving economic growth, and creating lasting impact across the continent.
From trailblazing entrepreneurs to groundbreaking startups, the YORA Awards spotlights those who are turning challenges into opportunities and dreams into reality. Set against the stunning backdrop of Kilifi, Kenya, this prestigious event blends high-level networking, business recognition, and cultural celebration like never before.
EVENT SCHEDULED
YORA Awards 2025
Celebrating Excellence and Impact
🌟 5pm – 9pm at Kilifi
End the YORA by honoring outstanding individuals and companies that have significantly contributed to the development of the African continent.
Be part of a legacy that elevates Africa’s best and brightest—a night of inspiration, achievement, and limitless possibility.
Join us in Kilifi for YORA Awards 2025 and celebrate Africa’s rising stars.
*LIMITED CAPACITY. Open to YORA attendees only. List will be verified to check ticket purchases.
*Entry Submission Ends on September 20, 2025
Entry Information
End the YORA by honoring outstanding individuals and companies that have significantly contributed to the development of the African continent.
The awards program is open to all entrepreneurs, SMEs, large organizations, and related individuals, involved in the business industry worldwide. Any person, group, or organization may turn in their submissions online. To be eligible, an entry must have been produced after January 1, 2025. Entries may originate from any country.
Enter YORA Awards
The YORA Awards competition is designed for convenience of the entrant by entering online and uploading your entries.
Step 1 : Online Registration
Step 2 : Online Submission
Step 3 : Entry Evaluation
Step 4 : Winners Selection
Entry Brief:
It is recommended that you keep your synopsis to approximately 350 words. The brief should strengthen your entry, as well as providing the jury a better understanding of your project. A written translation or adaptation must accompany non-English entries.
Image Submission:
The submissions should be saved in a flattened JPEG or JPG format. (keep them under 4MB, 1,200px wide is preferable, 300dpi, RGB).
Video/Audio Submission:
Entries with audio/video must be submitted with a direct URL that will take judges directly to the work:
1. Upload video/audio to Vimeo/YouTube/Youku.
2. Paste the URL link into the URL field.
There are FOUR (4) levels of achievement in the competition:
Category Winners of the Year
Platinum (85-100 points)
Gold (70-84 points)
Silver (50-69 points)
To ensure high standards of quality, a category may have multiple winners or no winners. Each submission is critiqued rated by consensus, with the panel of judges determining a rating on a scale of 100 points. Winners with a score between 85 and 100 points are Platinum Winners. Entries with a score between 70 and 84 points are Gold Winners, and scores between 50 and 69 points are awarded as Silver Winners.
Entries receiving an average score under 50 do not receive an award.
The highest score amongst the Platinum winners* for each main category will be selected as Category Winners of the Year.
Judges are selected based on experience, credibility, and availability. The Business Awards jury panel consist of senior-level executives, business professionals and acclaimed entrepreneurs, where their business experiences and acumen imbue them with impartiality and undivided attention.
Submissions are judged at random without comparison in the same categories. Our judges will score on a scale of 1-100 based on:
– Originality
– Business acumen
– Business expertise
– Impressions
– Delivery of submission
– Company culture (if applicable)
To uphold YORA’s mission, YORA Awards strives to keep the awards financially accessible and its judging process impartial. To further accommodate professionals of varying disciplines, numerous categories are made available to entrants.
YORA Awards also keeps its submission process simple, and everything can be completed online. When an entrant wins, they would not be required to pay any acceptance fees to have their achievement(s) announced internationally.
The awards program is open to all entrepreneurs, SMEs, large organizations, and related individuals, involved in the business industry worldwide. Any person, group, or organization may turn in their submissions online. To be eligible, an entry must have been produced after January 1, 2025. Entries may originate from any country.
Enter YORA Awards
The YORA Awards competition is designed for convenience of the entrant by entering online and uploading your entries.
Step 1 : Online Registration
Step 2 : Online Submission
Step 3 : Entry Evaluation
Step 4 : Winners Selection
Entry Brief:
It is recommended that you keep your synopsis to approximately 350 words. The brief should strengthen your entry, as well as providing the jury a better understanding of your project. A written translation or adaptation must accompany non-English entries.
Image Submission:
The submissions should be saved in a flattened JPEG or JPG format. (keep them under 4MB, 1,200px wide is preferable, 300dpi, RGB).
Video/Audio Submission:
Entries with audio/video must be submitted with a direct URL that will take judges directly to the work:
1. Upload video/audio to Vimeo/YouTube/Youku.
2. Paste the URL link into the URL field.
There are FOUR (4) levels of achievement in the competition:
Category Winners of the Year
Platinum (85-100 points)
Gold (70-84 points)
Silver (50-69 points)
To ensure high standards of quality, a category may have multiple winners or no winners. Each submission is critiqued rated by consensus, with the panel of judges determining a rating on a scale of 100 points. Winners with a score between 85 and 100 points are Platinum Winners. Entries with a score between 70 and 84 points are Gold Winners, and scores between 50 and 69 points are awarded as Silver Winners.
Entries receiving an average score under 50 do not receive an award.
The highest score amongst the Platinum winners* for each main category will be selected as Category Winners of the Year.
Judges are selected based on experience, credibility, and availability. The Business Awards jury panel consist of senior-level executives, business professionals and acclaimed entrepreneurs, where their business experiences and acumen imbue them with impartiality and undivided attention.
Submissions are judged at random without comparison in the same categories. Our judges will score on a scale of 1-100 based on:
- Originality
- Business acumen
- Business expertise
- Impressions
- Delivery of submission
- Company culture (if applicable)
To uphold YORA's mission, YORA Awards strives to keep the awards financially accessible and its judging process impartial. To further accommodate professionals of varying disciplines, numerous categories are made available to entrants.
YORA Awards also keeps its submission process simple, and everything can be completed online. When an entrant wins, they would not be required to pay any acceptance fees to have their achievement(s) announced internationally.
YORA AWARDS CATEGORIES
Entrepreneur of the Year
This award Recognizes an outstanding entrepreneur who has demonstrated exceptional
leadership, innovation, and impact in their respective industry or field.
Youth Creative Business Concept
Acknowledgment of a young entrepreneur (under a certain age limit) who has presented
the most creative and innovative business concept with the potential for significant
impact.
Climate-Resilient Business Strategy
Honor given to a business or entrepreneur who has implemented effective strategies to address climate change challenges while promoting sustainable business practices.
Promising Women Entrepreneurs
Celebrating women entrepreneurs who have shown remarkable promise, leadership, and innovation in driving business growth and societal impact.End the YORA by honoring outstanding individuals and companies that have significantly contributed to the development of the African continent.
Most Innovative Business Concept
Recognition of the entrepreneur or business that has developed the most groundbreaking and disruptive business concept with the potential for widespread adoption and impact.
Business Impact in Africa
Tribute to the entrepreneur or organization that has significantly contributed to advancing business and economic development in Africa through innovation, job creation, and community engagement.
Social Entrepreneurship Excellence
Highlighting an entrepreneur or organization that has demonstrated outstanding commitment to addressing social or environmental challenges through innovative business models and solutions.
Technology Innovation
Recognizing the entrepreneur or organization that has leveraged technology in the most innovative and impactful way to solve problems, drive efficiency, or create new opportunities in Africa.
Community Leadership
Honoring an individual or organization with exemplary leadership and dedication to
uplifting and empowering communities through entrepreneurship, philanthropy, or social initiatives.
Sustainable Development
Recognizing an entrepreneur or organization that has made significant strides in promoting sustainable development goals (SDGs) through their business practices, initiatives, or contributions to the community.
Startup of the Year
Celebrating the most promising and dynamic startup that has demonstrated rapid growth, innovation, and potential for long-term success in Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Lifetime Achievement
Bestowed upon an esteemed entrepreneur or business leader who has made enduring contributions to the African business community throughout their career, inspiring others and leaving a lasting legacy of excellence.