The
Anzisha Prize is the premier award for African entrepreneurs aged 15-22 who
have developed and implemented innovative businesses or social
ventures. Finalists travel to South Africa and share in over $75,000 in
cash awards, as well as access to lifelong mentorship and support.
Entries are
now open for the Anzisha
Prize and this year, youth organisation partners and media brands all over
the continent will join forces to find, celebrate and support the most
innovative social and business entrepreneurs.
The prize is hosted by
the African Leadership
Academy (ALA) in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation,
the Anzisha Prize celebrates initiative and innovation. It identifies
exceptional young entrepreneurs who are blazing a trail of startup success and
providing shining examples for others follow. In just three years, the Anzisha
Prize has grown into one of the most sought after awards for young
entrepreneurs globally. On top of the significant cash prizes, the 12 Anzisha
finalists will join a growing Anzisha
Fellow Network of the continent’s top youth entrepreneurs.
“This year, we’re determined to reach far
and wide through our youth development partners, schools and the media to find
the very best of Africa’s youngest entrepreneurial talent,” says Chi Achebe, Anzisha Prize
Program Manager, “We can’t wait
to see what this year’s application process will uncover, and we encourage
everyone to help us by nominating amazing young people in their own communities
who have started a project or business with potential.”
Current
Anzisha Fellows include Andrew
Mupuya (2012, Uganda), who was recently featured on CNN for his
growing paper-bag manufacturing empire; Kolawole
Olajide (2013, South Africa/Nigeria), developer of online
education platform Funda;
rabbit farm owner Laetitia
Mukungu (2012, Kenya); and information activist & Morsimeter.com developer Amr Sohby (2011, Egypt).
Thirty-three Fellows have been selected since the awards were first held in
2011.
In addition
to the cash prizes, the finalists are also flown to South Africa for a powerful
one-week entrepreneurship program taught by ALA’s renowned Entrepreneurial
Leadership faculty, culminating in an awards ceremony that crowns the grand
prize winners.
“The Anzisha Fellows are a group of
exceptional young entrepreneurs who are creating jobs, improving lives, and
forming a truly pan-African network of business innovators,” says Reeta Roy, President and
CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. “This
Prize provides them with an opportunity to learn from each other, and develop
skills to grow their businesses and make a greater impact in their communities.”
The Anzisha
Prize seeks to find youth between the ages of 15 and 22 who have started and
actively run a social venture or for-profit business with potential. The
judging panel are looking for ventures that demonstrate ingenuity, scale and
positive impact.
This year,
the Anzisha Prize has partnered with an exceptional group of youth NGOs in each
country to extend its reach. Anzisha country partners for 2014 include The Knowledge Institute
(Swaziland), The District
(Egypt), iEARN
(Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Mali),
AIESEC (various countries), Junior Achievement (various countries),
among many others. These partners will allow Anzisha to reach more young
entrepreneurs than ever before and find another incredible set of Fellows in
2014.
Aspiring
fellows can apply directly online at anzishaprize.org
or at the offices of any one of our 2014 country partners. Application forms
are available in English, French or Arabic, and will be accepted through 1
April 2014. The Anzisha
Prize team will also be visiting key regional hubs in the coming weeks to
encourage applications as part of the annual Anzisha Prize Tour. The 2014 Prize
Tour cities are Lagos (Nigeria), Cairo (Egypt), and Nairobi (Kenya). These
venues will also serve as the locations for regional gatherings for all past
Anzisha Fellows in each region.
Follow the
story of this year’s Anzisha Prize and what has become known as the
#AnzishaEffect online - www.anzishaprize.org,
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/anzishaprize
Twitter - https://twitter.com/anzishaprize and
YouTube -http://www.youtube.com/user/anzishaprize
Wow!!! This is awesome. Africa really working!!!.
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