In a new achievement reflecting the ability of Egyptian industry to compete regionally and across the continent, Simplex CNC, an Egyptian company specializing in the manufacturing of CNC machines, has reached a significant milestone as its Founder and CEO, Eng. Ahmed Shaaban, was selected among the Top 10 finalists of Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) 2026, securing his place in the Grand Finale of one of Africa’s leading entrepreneurship competitions.
This achievement holds particular significance for Simplex as an Egyptian industrial company that began its journey in the local market, developed and manufactured advanced technology solutions for the manufacturing sector, and later expanded its vision and ambitions into regional and African markets.
Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) is the flagship philanthropic entrepreneurship program of the Jack Ma Foundation, founded by Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, with the aim of supporting African entrepreneurs and businesses capable of creating meaningful economic and social impact across the continent.
Every year, entrepreneurs from across Africa participate in several stages of evaluation and competition, leading to the selection of the Top 10 finalists for the Grand Finale from a pool of 2,600 applicants from across the continent.
Simplex’s place among the Top 10 comes after Eng. Ahmed Shaaban successfully progressed through the different stages of the competition, bringing the story of an Egyptian industrial company to the stage alongside some of Africa’s most promising entrepreneurs and businesses across various sectors and markets.
A Journey That Started in Egypt
Founded in Egypt in 2013, Simplex CNC was established with a vision to advance the manufacturing sector by providing CNC machines and solutions that combine advanced technology, quality, and greater accessibility to solutions tailored to manufacturers’ needs.
Throughout its journey, the company has focused on strengthening its local manufacturing capabilities and developing solutions capable of competing with international alternatives. Simplex also offers machine customization based on the specific requirements and nature of each industry, supported by local technical support and maintenance services.
As its operations have grown, Simplex has expanded beyond the Egyptian market, placing Africa among the key pillars of its future growth strategy, driven by the continent’s significant potential to develop its industrial capabilities and increase access to advanced and more accessible manufacturing technologies.
Egyptian Manufacturing on One of Africa’s Leading Business Platforms
Reaching the Africa’s Business Heroes Grand Finale represents an important milestone in Simplex’s journey. Beyond recognizing the company’s growth, it brings a model of Egyptian manufacturing and industrial technology to a community of investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from across Africa.
Simplex enters the competition with a vision built on the belief that Africa has the potential not only to consume technology, but also to develop, manufacture, and build solutions tailored to the needs of its local markets.
Through this achievement, Simplex aims to strengthen its presence across African markets and expand the export of Egyptian-made CNC machines and manufacturing solutions across the continent. This contributes to increasing Egyptian exports and opening new markets for locally manufactured products.
At the same time, the company continues to strengthen local manufacturing and provide Egyptian-made alternatives to imported machinery and industrial solutions, contributing to reducing dependence on imports and increasing local value creation within Egyptian industry.
This achievement comes at a new stage of growth for Simplex, as the company seeks to increase its manufacturing capacity, expand into more African markets, and position Egypt as a base for the manufacturing and export of CNC technology. This supports Simplex’s transformation from an industrial company founded in Egypt into a regional and African player in manufacturing technology.
As Simplex prepares for the Africa’s Business Heroes 2026 Grand Finale, the company continues a journey that began in Egypt, carrying with it a model of local manufacturing with ambitions to compete and grow beyond the Egyptian market while contributing to increasing Egyptian exports and reducing the country’s import bill through locally manufactured industrial solutions.
From Egypt to the heart of African business, the Simplex journey continues.
For export inquiries and partnerships across African markets, please contact the Simplex team at: info@simplexarabia.com
