Every week, African Start-Up follows entrepreneurs in various countries across the continent to see how they are working to make their business dreams become reality.
Story highlights
The Anzisha Prize celebrates young entrepreneurs across Africa
The winners shared prizes worth $75,000
Innovations by the finalists help solve social problems
This year, the Anzisha Prize received 339 applications from 32 countries
Africa, where 70% of the population is under the age of 30, is buzzing with business ideas and innovative spirit – but who are the continent’s brightest young entrepreneurs?
The answer was given last week when 12 young entrepreneurs from all across Africa traveled to Johannesburg to compete for the annual Anzisha Prize – currently in its fourth year, Anzisha Prize is a pan-African award celebrating entrepreneurs aged 15-22 who’ve come up with innovative ways to solve problems in their communities, or have launched successful businesses in their areas.
Cameroonian Alain Nteff, 22, was named as the grand prize winner of the $25,000 prize for launching Gifted Mom, a mobile app that helps mothers and health workers calculate due dates in order to reduce the high newborn and pregnant women death rates.
South African schoolbag manufacturer Thato Kgatlhanye was first runner up, receiving a cash prize of $15,000. Gabriel Kombassere, a 17 year-old farmer from the Ivory Coast, was awarded $12,500 for coming second runner up.
Click through the gallery above to find out more about the 12 finalists of this year’s Anzisha Prize.
Read this: Africa is buzzing with entrepreneurial spirit
