Tom Osborn

Since 2011, the Anzisha Prize has selected Fellows from across the continent who are doing amazing things in every sector. In these online profiles, you can see what they were up to when we found them, and read articles that track how they and their businesses or social ventures have evolved. This network of entrepreneurs is a key driver of future economic growth and shining example of the power of youth in Africa.

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. 12 finalists from across Africa will win an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa to be a part of a week-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 $75,000 USD.

The Anzisha Prize finalists will meet in Johannesburg from the 18th to 25th September for Anzisha Week. Here, a panel of judges from across the entrepreneurial sphere will convene to select the grand prize winners. They will also receive training from the African Leadership Academy, and get to engage with industry leaders, mentors and change agents from across the continent.

Here are the Top 12 Finalist of the Anzisha Prize 2014:

• Martha Chumo

Nairobi Developer School Kenya,

Meet Martha, a young lady from Kenya and an IT enthusiast. On being denied a US visa to go to a hacking school, she decided to open up her own.

• Benedicte Mundele

Suprise Tropicale Congo, 2014

Meet Benedicte, a young Congolese woman wanted to promote a healthy lifestyle in her community and started out by serving breakfast to her association members.

• Noah Walakira

Namirembe Sweater Makers Uganda, 2014

Meet Noah, a young man from Uganda was eager to tackle the growing unemployment rate in his community and formed an organisation that only solves this but is the process of replicating to other communities around him.

• Sam Kodo

LC-COM (Low cost-Computer)/ Infinite Loop Togo, 2014

Meet Sam, a young man from Togo with a knack for building IT gadgets. With personal computers still a luxury in Togo, he sought to build an alternative.

• Winifred Selby

Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative Ghana, 2014

Meet Winifred, a lovely young lady from Ghana wanted to address unemployment and environment degradation through effective use of local resources. She’s achieved this through transfer know-how on the technology of bamboo bike making.

• Gabriel Kombassere

Ribla Neda YCote d’Ivoire, 2014

Meet Gabriel, a young Ivorian man who’s community poverty situation inspired him to make a difference. He, working together with fellow students run an organisation that cultivate basic staple food to feed themselves and their families.

• Nteff Alain

Gifted Mom Cameroon, 2014

Meet Nteff, a young man hailing from Cameroon was alarmed by the high new born and pregnant women death rate in his community and decided to get his IT skills involved.

• Chineye Ono

Mosaicspiration Project Ghana, 2014

Meet Chineye, a lovely young lady based in Ghana. Who’s passion for art and the environment stirred up a desire to create a space where she could teach others to create art using what others deemed as trash

• Jeffrey Mulaudzi

Mulaudzi Bike Tours South Africa, 2014

Meet Jeff, a young man who at the height of the 2010 World Cup, started a Lifestyle Bike Tour company with the hope of to nullify the misconceptions about his township – Alexandra.

• Thato Kgatlhanye

Repurpose Schoolbags South Africa, 2014

Meet Thato, a lovely yound woman from South Africa. On seeing school kids in her community carry books in plastic bags, she decided to do something about it and repurposed the bags to make them environmentally friendly.

• Chukwuwezam Obianor

Prepclass Nigeria, 2014

Meet Chukwuwezam, a young man from Nigeria and lover of all things tech. He built a solution to aid student in revision for national exams.

• Tom Osborn

Greenchar Kenya, 2014

Meet Tom, a young from Kenya who saw what deforestration had done to his community and country at large and wanted to make a difference.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Anzisha Prize for Young Africans