With over 800 applications submitted in for the seventh annual Anzisha Prize challenge which offers cash prizes and support to startup entrepreneurs, only fifteen (15) young African startup entrepreneurs emerged as finalists including; Uganda’s 21-year old Ignatius Ahumuza; Co-Founders of Art Planet Academy; a firm which provides practical agriculture training in schools, and also creates as well as innovates climate-smart farming technologies, tests them at demonstration farms and incorporates them into a practical agriculture training curriculum.
Run by the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the Anzisha Prize celebrates and cultivates the next generation of young African entrepreneurial leaders.
The finalists will fly to Johannesburg, South Africa to attend a 10-day entrepreneurial leadership bootcamp where they will be coached on how to pitch their business to a panel of five experienced judges who have contributed to building youth entrepreneurship in Africa – for a share of USD$100,000 (approx. 360 Million UGX) worth of prizes and support.
The overall winner will receive USD$25,000 (approx. 90 Million UGX), while the runners-up and third place winners will receive USD$15,000 (approx. 54 Million UGX) and USD$12,500 (approx. 45 Million UGX) respectively.
The remainder of the prize will be divided among outstanding finalists, including a USD$10,000 (approx. 36 Million UGX) agricultural prize funded by Louis Dreyfus Foundation, as well as four USD$5,000 (approx 18 Million UGX) challenge prizes to bolster initiatives led by past Anzisha Prize finalists.
All other finalists will each receive USD$2,500 (approx. 9 Million UGX) prizes.
Finalists will also benefit from ALA’s Youth Entrepreneur Support Unit (YES-U), which includes the Anzisha Accelerator bootcamp, mentorship and consulting services, travel opportunities to network, and business equipment, valued at USD$7,500 (approx 27 Million UGX).
Other 14 finalists to compete for the prize came from; Nigeria (2), Egypt, Tanzania, Morocco, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia, Madagascar, Liberia, Sudan, and Angola.[related-posts]
