Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI), a part of Alibaba Group that focuses on professional training, signed up more than 360 African entrepreneurs for the second class of its Alibaba Netpreneur Training program today at a virtual opening ceremony. This was made possible by Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition, a charity that aims to help and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Its goal is to give entrepreneurs and business leaders from different fields concrete steps they can take to move forward in the digital economy. Its debut follows the success of the inaugural class, which graduated 70 African students last October.

The final candidates from all over Africa will start a series of online classes to learn how to use technology to grow their businesses in the local economy. Participants come from various fields, including agriculture, education, information, and communication technology (ICT), and trading, and each founded their start-up. The Alibaba Netpreneur Training program is taught online in English by certified Alibaba trainers and business leaders who have successfully run their digital businesses. Participants will get an e-certificate and be able to join the AGI entrepreneur community after finishing the program.

The community is made up of an eclectic mix of successful and enthusiastic businesspeople with similar philosophies, and it offers unparalleled possibilities to network, interact, and learn from one another. Exceptional participants will also have the chance to participate in an offline immersion program in the headquarters of Alibaba in Hangzhou, China, for one week, provided that they satisfy the requirements for the online course.