African Leadership Academy and The MasterCard Foundation proudly announce the finalists for the 2012 Anzisha Prize, the premier award for Africa’s young entrepreneurial leaders. The Prize identifies and celebrates Africa’s young entrepreneurial leaders between the ages 16 to 22, who have identified opportunities in their communities and launched innovative ventures, which this year range from agriculture and consumer projects to energy and technology solutions.
The Second Annual Anzisha Prize garnered great interest across the continent, with thirteen finalists selected from a competitive initial pool of 270 young entrepreneurs from 23 African countries. They will travel to Johannesburg on 24th August to compete for a share of $75,000 in prize money.
The 2012 Anzisha finalists come from nine nations across the continent. They represent some of the most remarkable entrepreneurial journeys on the continent.
Mohamed Aldesouky Ismail of Egypt, 20, is the chief marketer for Bara Co., an award-winning scientific toy manufacturer for children.
Naledi Mosweu of Botswana, 18, is the founder of Guardian Angels Co., an award-winning company that produces a line of solid, alcohol-free perfumes.
Laetitia Mukungu of Kenya, 16, is the founder of a Women’s Rabbit Association which farms rabbits profitably to help Kenyan women cover their students’s educational needs.
Yaw Duffour Awuah of Ghana, 19, is the founder of Student Aid Plus, a financial services company that offers financial literacy education and a savings and loan program that helps students pay school fees.
Nadege Iradukunda of Rwanda, 18, is a key member of the United Youth for Rwandan Development, which spearheads the deployment of biogas solutions in schools and serves over 15,000 students.
Faisal Burhan of Tanzania, 17, designed and built a microscope and bio-digester budsen burner for his school’s science class.
Isaac Nekemiah Oboth of Uganda, 22, founder of Media 256, is a self-taught filmmaker that has built a rising media production company that creates innovative videos for NGO’s and most recently Coca Cola.
Mubarack Muyika of Kenya, 18, founder of HypeCentury Technologies, is a self-taught webcoder that develops dynamic and affordable websites for small to medium-sized local businesses.
Mahmood Oyewo of Nigeria, 20, is the founder of MobiQube and developer of RubiQube, a cross-platform (iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile etc) mobile app platform for the burgeoning Nigerian mobile market.
David Mwendele of Tanzania, 22, founder of Let God Be You Foundation, is a serial entrepreneur who trains fellow youth to launch their own ventures in book manufacturing, baking, and photography.
Andrew Mupuya of Uganda, 20, is the founder of YELI, a paper bag production company that produces custom solutions for local hospitals and vendors. YELI has 14 employees, the oldest of which is 53 years old.
Diana Kerubo Mong’are of Kenya, 16, is the founder of a local for-profit recyling initiave that mobilizes farmers, carpenters, households, and a local recycling company to reduce waste build up.
Lindokuhle Mdluli, of Swaziland, 18, is the founder of Eco-Eagle. His company produces high- yield organic produce on non-arable land, using hydrophonic and other low-cost methods.
These Anzisha Prize finalists have earned an all-expense paid trip to South Africa to participate in a week-long entrepreneurship workshop at the African Leadership Academy campus in South Africa. They will spend this week sharing their ideas, networking, and learning lessons on entrepreneurial leadership. The finalists will also have their final interviews and will present their entrepreneurial projects to the judges.
The week will conclude with the 2012 Anzisha Prize awards ceremony. The Anzisha Prize grand prize winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on the evening of 29th August, 2012.
Updates on these finalists will be posted on the Anzisha Prize Facebook page here.
The Anzisha Prize is managed out of African Leadership Academy’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, which was established through a partnership with The MasterCard Foundation. Through the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, African Leadership Academy and The MasterCard Foundation seek to catalyse innovation and entrepreneurship among young people across the continent. For more information, visit http://anzishaprize.org
