Deadline: March 31, 2019
The Anzisha Prize 2019 is now open. The Anzisha Prize seeks to award young entrepreneurs who have developed and implemented innovative solutions to social challenges or started successful businesses within their communities. This is Africa’s biggest award for her youngest entrepreneurs, and hands out over USD $100,000 every year in funding to entrepreneurs from all over the continent.
20 finalists from across Africa win a fellowship to support growth or their business and an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa to be a part of a two-week-long entrepreneurship workshop and conference at the African Leadership Academy campus in Johannesburg. The grand prize winners, selected from these finalists, will share prizes worth $100,000 USD.
The Anzisha Program is a partnership between African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation that seeks to fundamentally and significantly increase the number of job generative entrepreneurs in Africa. They believe that a key to doing so is to test, implement and then share models for identifying, training and connecting high potential, very young entrepreneurs (15 to 22 year olds) so that many more organisations have better collective success in creating a pipeline of entrepreneurs with the capabilities for scale.
How it works
The first step in this journey is that they win an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa to be a part of a ten day long entrepreneurship workshop and conference at the African Leadership Academy campus on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The grand prize winners, selected from these finalists, will share prizes worth $100,000 USD.
The fellowship continues thereafter, offering them business consulting services to unlock growth potential in their venture, connecting them to a global network of leaders, providing access to global speaking opportunities, and supporting their professional development.
Benefits
This is the value of the Fellowship you will be a part of, if you win – Additional investment of $8,000/ $10,000 in each Fellow:
- Monetary Reward of a shared amount of $100,000
- $2,000 access to a world- renowned Entrepreneurial Leadership curriculum and training with the potential for further investment based on engagement and performance
- $2,500 worth of rewards from consulting and mentorship services
- $2,000 worth of rewards from Global speaking events or Experts in Residence support
- $1,000 worth of rewards from Regional Indabas across the continent
Eligibility
- You must be between 15 and 22 years old with an ID document or Passport to present as evidence. Anyone born before November 1, 1995 or after October 31, 2003 will not be considered.
- You must be a national of an African country with a business based in Africa for African customers/ beneficiaries.
- Your business must be up and running. The Anzisha Prize is not for great ideas or business plans – you must have already started, and be able to prove it! You have time to get started now and 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 a business together). One person can apply for the Prize, on behalf of the team.
Selection Criteria
To be selected as one of the Anzisha ventures, your business or project will be judged on the following 5 criteria:
- Already Running Venture: Is the venture established with customers and beneficiaries? Does the venture deliver value to said beneficiaries and customers?
- Founder-led: Is the venture led and managed by the founder?
- Impact: Has the venture demonstrated some impact already?
- Scalability: If the venture is a for-profit business, does it already earn revenues and does it have potential increase revenues with the support of Anzisha? If the venture is a not-for-profit enterprise, does it already reach beneficiaries and does it have the potential to reach many more beneficiaries with support from Anzisha?
- Job Creation: Has the venture created some jobs and has the potential to create more high quality jobs?
To be selected as one of our Anzisha Fellows, you must demonstrate the following 2 qualities:
- Venture leader: Are you the leader of your venture and do you drive both venture strategy and operations?
- Commitment: Do you spend at least 20 hours a week or more on your business and will you continue to do so after selection?
Application
Click here to apply or nominate.
Download the Application Guide.
For more information, visit Anzisha Prize.
