Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI), a professional training arm of Alibaba Group (https://www.AlibabaGroup.com/), today enrolled the second class of more than 360 African entrepreneurs for its Alibaba Netpreneur Training program at a virtual opening ceremony with support from the Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition, a philanthropic initiative that aims to support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs.

Scheduled to run from today to November 10, the training seeks to equip entrepreneurs and business leaders across different sectors with tangible and actionable steps they can take to advance in the digital economy. Its launch comes after the success of the inaugural class, which graduated 70 African participants last October.

Following a rigorous selection process, the final candidates from across the African continent will embark on a series of online classes where they will delve into approaches to harnessing technology to grow their businesses within the local economy. All participants are founders of their respective start-ups from industries such as agriculture, education, information & communication technology (ICT), and trading.

“We are delighted to be able to continue advancing our vision of sharing the positive impact of the digital economy with entrepreneurs and enrolling our second cohort of African participants. With companies taking to online channels to keep their business afloat during the pandemic, digitalization is no longer a foreign concept to consumers and entrepreneurs. We hope this edition of our Alibaba Netpreneur Training will help entrepreneurs in Africa develop long-term, savvy digital strategies that will open up more opportunities for them,” said Dan Liu, Senior Advisor at Alibaba Global Initiatives.

The Alibaba Netpreneur Training program is conducted online in English by certified Alibaba trainers and business leaders who have had experience leading their own digital businesses to success. Participants can deepen their knowledge and understanding of:

• The digital economy in China and the latest trends and practices shaping its development
• The journey of select traditional businesses that have successfully gone through digital transformation
• The evolution of Alibaba’s business, including the role of digital technology in supporting the growth of companies in its ecosystem
• Frameworks and approaches for building a successful and innovative business in today’s digital world

Participants who complete the program will receive an e-certificate and will be eligible to join the AGI entrepreneur community. The community comprises a diverse mix of passionate and successful like-minded entrepreneurs, and provides unmatched opportunities to network, collaborate and learn.

Outstanding participants will also have the opportunity to participate in a one-week offline immersion program at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China, subject to fulfilling the online course criteria.

The Alibaba Netpreneur Training Program was first introduced in 2019 and has successfully trained close to 1,500 entrepreneurs in Africa, Europe, Latin America as well as South and Southeast Asia since its inception.