Data from this year’s Anzisha Prize applications reveal a potential shortage of young entrepreneurs, particularly women, in North and Central Africa.
While 55 percent of the African youth population between 15 and 24 is female, young women only make up 25 percent of the current Anzisha Prize applicant pool. This follows an aggressive push to reach young entrepreneurs by partnering organizations including Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). Results however show marginal returns.
North African applications are low despite significantly more awareness campaigns for the Anzisha Prize in the region. Of the 33 Anzisha Prize Fellows selected since 2011, only three are from North Africa and are all young men from Egypt.
“We are hoping that our application data reflects weaknesses in our outreach strategy, rather than the reality on the ground,” comments Josh Adler, Director for the Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the African Leadership Academy. “If our sample is a mirror of youth entrepreneur activity across the continent, then we are sitting with a fairly dire situation for youth venture creation outside of some key hubs.”
“This is a picture that has to change rapidly, and the Anzisha Prize is designed to catalyze this movement. We need to see more meaningful entrepreneur activity amongst teenagers across the continent and within key sectors that we know can create quality jobs and growth.”
The $75,000 Anzisha Prize awards young African entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 22 who have started ventures that are making a real impact in their communities.
Past award recipients include Best Ayiorwoth, a young woman from Uganda, who began a small micro-credit services company that invests in and empowers young women in Uganda, and Khaled Shady, inventor of Mubser, a wearable belt for the visually impaired in Egypt. Shady was recently listed by Forbes as amongst the 30 most promising young entrepreneurs under 30.
From Ventures Africa
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