JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, March 26, 2014/ *– *Data from this year’s
Anzisha Prize (http://www.anzishaprize.org) applications reveal a potential
shortage of young entrepreneurs who are women, are from North and Central
Africa or involved in renewable energy ventures.
“We are hoping that our application data reflects weaknesses in our
outreach strategy, rather than the reality on the ground. If our sample is
a mirror of youth entrepreneur activity across the continent, then we are
sitting with a fairly dire situation for youth venture creation outside of
some key hubs,” comments Josh Adler, Director for the Centre for
Entrepreneurial Leadership at the African Leadership Academy.
“This is a picture that has to change rapidly, and the Anzisha Prize is
designed to catalyse this movement. We need to see more meaningful
entrepreneur activity amongst teenagers across the continent and within key
sectors that we know can create quality jobs and growth.”
The prestigious Anzisha Prize, Africa’s premier award for its youngest
entrepreneurs, is encouraging North and Central Africans, young women and
those with renewable energy ventures from around the African continent to
enter. Application information and in-country support are available in both
French and Arabic.
The $75,000 Anzisha Prize – hosted by the African Leadership Academy in
partnership with The MasterCard Foundation – awards young African
entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 22 who have started ventures that
are making a real impact in their communities. There is an additional
$10,000 grant – courtesy of the Donor Circle for Africa group of the
Silicon Valley Community Foundation – that is given to a young entrepreneur
who is working on a renewable energy initiative.
With a week to go until the application deadline, over 200 applications
have been received from more than 25 countries, with some very fascinating
trends.
– Applications from young female entrepeneurs are waning. While
55% of the African youth population between 15-24 is female, young women
only make up 25% of the current Anzisha Prize applicant pool. The Anzisha
Prize has made special efforts to reach young women this year through
partnering with organisations like the Forum for African Women
Educationalists (FAWE), yet it appears from our data that the barriers to
pursuing entrepreneurship activity for young girls remain prevalent.
– North African applications are low despite significantly more
awareness campaigns for the Anzisha Prize in the region. Of the 33 Anzisha
Prize Fellows selected since 2011, only three are from North Africa and all
of these are from young men from Egypt. This year massive effort has been
made to increase access to the Anzisha Prize in North Africa – official
documents are now available in Arabic and French and the Anzisha Prize team
met with partners across North Africa in early March.
– Biogas and green charcoal initiatives look to be more prevalant
amongst African youth rather than solar, wind, and other alternative energy
initiatives. There is also little evidence of downstream business activity
for services that make good use of off-grid power. Of the renewable energy
applications received thus far, nearly all deal with biogas and charcoal
made from waste material, which begs the question: are there young African
entrepreneurs who are leading the way in other alternative energy
initiatives?
“We need to enlist the help of the media, gender-focused youth
organisations and teachers to encourage candidates they know of for the
prize to apply.” Continues Adler: “Our applications team is standing by to
support entries and nominations in French, Arabic and English and our
country partners in every region are available to engage national media in
the debate around youth entrepreneurship in different countries.”
Past award recipients include Best Ayiorwoth, a young woman from Uganda,
who began a small micro-credit services company that invests in and
empowers young women in Uganda, and Khaled Shady, inventor of Mubser, a
wearable belt for the visually impaired in Egypt (Shady was recently listed
by Forbes as amongst the 30 most promising young entrepreneurs under 30).
Profiles for all 33 of our past Anzisha Fellows are available online at
http://www.anzishaprize.org/fellows
The Anzisha Prize applications are now open and close on April 1, 2014.
Application and nomination forms are available online and for download in
English, French and Arabic at http://www.anzishaprize.org. Prospective
applicants can chat online, see our recent activities and engage with our
team on Facebookwww.facebook.com/anzishaprize. You can also follow Anzisha
Prize on Twitter (@anzishaprize).
Finalists will win an all-expense paid trip to the African Leadership
Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend a week-long
entrepreneurship development programme and awards gala. While there, they
will be taught by the African Leadership Academy’s renowned Entrepreneurial
Leadership faculty, as well as experienced business mentors. They will then
enter a life-long support programme as part of the African Leadership
Academy’s alumni network with access to unrivaled opportunities for
personal development and venture growth.