Application is now Open for the 2023 Cohort of The Anzisha Prize Fellowship
Applications for the 2023 cohort of the Anzisha Prize, a renowned venture-building program that supports young African entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 22, are now available.
African entrepreneurs under the age of 22 who are starting enterprises and giving their peers job opportunities are urged to apply. Following that, 30 fellows will be chosen for a three-year fellowship in which they will receive mentoring from a team of professionals, over $5,000 in cash stipends, and business consultancy help.
“The application period is always a fun time for the program because we get to see how young people in Africa are using their creative thinking to address some of our most important problems. According to Suzan Kibirige, the selection lead for The Anzisha Prize, “during the past several years, we’ve seen a growth in Agri-Tech and Fin-Tech businesses that are redefining how we conduct business on the continent. “I like working with young folks because I get to witness how stubborn they are. We need people who will never accept a no as an answer.
The fellowship encourages and recognizes young entrepreneurs’ growth as well as their big and small accomplishments. The fellowship focuses on two important areas of support: Business Development and Personal Leadership, through an individual and group entrepreneurial development experience.
Entrepreneurs participating in the fellowship will have access to a wealth of tools, experiences, and resources as well as a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Based on specified milestones they have reached, entrepreneurs will unlock crucial features every six months, such as cash stipends or experiential learning workshops and courses. Entrepreneurs will pitch their improved businesses and strategies at the end of the second year for a chance to win a portion of grand cash awards of over $50,000.
Since 2011, the African Leadership Academy and the Mastercard Foundation have collaborated to create the Anzisha Prize, which supports and honors the entrepreneurial endeavors of very young individuals.
202 entrepreneurs who graduated from the program are part of the alumni network; their companies went on to transform their communities. Just 130 of these fellows have so far generated almost $6 million in investments and 8708 job possibilities.
In order to support young African entrepreneurs as they forge sustainable futures for those in their communities, the fellowship has been a crucial component of the program. Didi Onwu, managing editor of the Anzisha Prize, says, “We encourage young job creators to apply for this opportunity and we are looking forward to championing their efforts. Creating clear pathways for young people to succeed is a core goal of Mastercard Foundation.
Alumna Joan Nalubega, a businesswoman from Uganda who has demonstrated that social entrepreneurship can be successful, is one of the entrepreneurs. Nalubega founded Uganics, a business that manufactures anti-Malaria goods, in order to fight Malaria in the nation after growing up as an orphan and suffering from malaria-related ailments as a young woman.
Karidas Tshintsholo from South Africa is another well-known businessperson. One of the most admired African companies among investors is Tshintsholo’s company, Khula! Small-scale farmers are assisted in reaching formal markets by the startup’s business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, which provides them with affordable shipping services. More than 3000 farmers have signed up with the business, and it now collaborates with more than 100 suppliers.
Those chosen as Anzisha Prize fellows will join a vibrant and active community of changemakers in Africa who are investigating how to use entrepreneurship to spark, grow, and bring about meaningful and long-lasting change in their communities.
Young entrepreneurs across the continent conducting firms in any industry are eligible for the Anzisha Prize program.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to submit their applications before the deadline of November 27, 2022.
