Background
The Anzisha Prize is Africa’s biggest award for her youngest entrepreneurs aged 15 – 22 years, and hands out over USD $200,000 every year in shared prize money to entrepreneurs from all over the continent. We believe you play the biggest role in shaping them. After you nominate an entrepreneur, they will receive details about the program, tips on how to submit a strong application. Applications for the 2024 intake will open in July 2023.
About our Program
In 2011, African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation partnered to create the Anzisha Prize. The mission was clear. Support young people to choose entrepreneurship through a fellowship, celebrate their stories and watch how they transform their communities through scaling job generative businesses. With over a decade of experience working with young people, we have seen the value of championing entrepreneurship as a viable career choice and encouraging young people to try their hand at entrepreneurship at an early age.
Through our three-year fellowship program, young business owners have the opportunity to scale their businesses and gain business acumen through expert coaches. We seek to use our various prizes, programs, resources and the theory of change to catalyse not only the belief in very young entrepreneurs. But the creation of an ecosystem (parents, educators, policymakers and investors) that supports entrepreneurship as a viable career choice.
For free tools and resources for entrepreneur education and acceleration check out Anzisha.org.
Eligibility Requirements
- You must be between 15 and 22 years old with an ID document or Passport to present as evidence. Anyone born before 1 September 2001 or after 31 August 2008, will not be considered.
- You must be a national of an African country with a business based in Africa for African customers/beneficiaries.
- The Anzisha Prize isn’t awarded for great ideas or business plans – you must have already started, and be able to prove it! Get started now and ensure you have tangible results to share before applications open.
- Your business, invention or social project can be in any field or industry (science and technology, civil society, arts and culture, sports, etc.). Any kind of venture is welcome to apply.
- Individuals who apply must be one of the founding members of a business (for example, 2 or 3 co-founders who started up the project together).
Judging Criteria
To be selected as one of our Anzisha ventures, your business or project will be judged on the following 5 criteria:
- Is your venture established with customers and beneficiaries and are you offering value to them?
- Are you, the founder, who is leading and managing your venture?
- Is your venture demonstrating some impact already?
- Whether your venture is a for-profit business or cause-based, does it already earn revenue or already impacting beneficiaries? Is there potential to increase revenues or beneficiary reach with support from Anzisha?
- Has your venture created jobs and is there potential to create more high quality jobs?
To be selected as one of our Anzisha Fellows, you must demonstrate two important qualities:
- You are the leader of your venture and you drive both venture strategy and operations.
- You spend at least 20 hours a week (or more) on your business and plan to continue to do so after selection.
Prizes
- Bi-annual cash stipends to eligible fellows throughout the fellowship.
- Short term educational opportunities, internships and specialised technical expert consultations for eligible fellows in Year 2 and Year 3.
- Job Creation Prize – awarded to the entrepreneur in Year 2 who has created the most job opportunities since joining the fellowship.
- Revenue Growth Prize – awarded to the entrepreneur in Year 2 with the highest business revenue growth since joining the fellowship.
- Storytelling Prize – awarded to the entrepreneur in Year 2 who has creatively communicated and distributed their entrepreneurship story through written, oral and visual storytelling since joining the fellowship.
- Integration systems and processes Prize – awarded to the entrepreneur in Year 2 who has effectively used systems and processes learned in the program to advance their business model since joining the fellowship.
How to Apply
Qualified and interested applicants should CLICK HERE to apply.