#ThisShouldConcernYou: $75,000 Anzisha Prize to identify Africa’s young entrepreneurial leaders

by Adeniyi Abdul

Winners of the 2012 edition of the Anzisha prize are set to be announced in Johannesburg, South Africa on the 29th August by the African Leadership Academy (ALA) and The MasterCard Foundation.

he Prize which is now in its second year aims to identify exceptional young people between the ages 16 to 22, who have implemented innovative solutions to challenges and captured opportunities in their communities.

Applications were received from 270 young entrepreneurs from 23 countries this year, from which 13 finalists have been selected to arrive on ALA’s campus to participate in workshops, present their projects to a panel of judges, and become Anzisha Fellows.

These Anzisha Finalists will share $75,000 in prizes to propel their entrepreneurial ventures.

See more info below:

WHAT:
Announcement of Anzisha Prize winners

WHEN:
29th August 2012; 5:30 pm

WHERE:
The Venue Green Park, Morningside, Johannesburg

WHY:
The goal of the Anzisha Prize is to recognize entrepreneurial leadership among African youth, underscoring their ability to shape the continent. There are currently about 200 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24 in Africa. The growing youth population has the potential to transform the economic climate of the continent. The Anzisha Prize identifies and mobilizes talented young entrepreneurs in Africa whose businesses and social ventures have a positive impact in their communities.

WHO:
Anzisha Prize finalists, judges, and representatives of ALA and The MasterCard Foundation will be available for media interviews after the ceremony. Profiles of judges and finalists will be released on August 20th 2012.

Last year’s finalists launched enterprises including a software system for reporting micro-corruption, micro-credit services for women in a refugee settlement, to a purified bottled water business. Cumulatively, last year’s eight Anzisha Prize finalists won eight international awards, including Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year and the Google Zeitgeist Global Brightest Young Mind. This year’s Anzisha finalists, selected from an initial pool of young entrepreneurs that grew 50% over last year’s, promise to be no less remarkable. For more information, visit http://anzishaprize.org

About The Anzisha Prize

The Anzisha Prize takes its name from the Swahili word, meaning ‘initiative’. It is managed out of ALA’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, which was established through a $1.6 million multi-year partnership with The MasterCard Foundation. The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership will further develop the African Leadership Academy’s entrepreneurship curriculum, and will promote entrepreneurial leadership across Africa with initiatives like the Anzisha Prize.

Contacts:

African Leadership Academy: The MasterCard Foundation:

Chi Achebe – Anzisha Prize Manager Jennifer Kushlis

[email protected] [email protected]
+27 (0) 11 699 3000 +1 202 585 2828

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