Luanda - N'zinga António and Ivo Bonfim, both from Angola, have won the 2024 edition of the Anzisha Prize, Africa's leading youth entrepreneurship initiative.
The Africa Entrepreneurship Education Awards gala took place on the 7th of this month in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mathias Yabe and Sharon Alyorneku, both from Ghana, are other winners of the competition.
Each award, divided into distinct categories, recognizes the winners' ability to successfully transform their business.
As well as receiving USD 10,000 each, the winners will have access to a comprehensive support package that includes coaching, mentoring, training and networking opportunities.
Angolan N'zinga António won the award for excellence in systems delivery with her company Confeitaria Gailza, which is a small bakery specialising in the sale of cakes and confectionery products.
The award recognises her ability to significantly improve the operations of the company by optimising the manufacturing process and ensuring that his products reach consumers more quickly.
Ivo Bonfim, founder and managing director of vision centre Ótica Ipris in Angola, which manufactures lenses and frames for glasses, won the revenue award.
Mathias Charles Yabe, from Ghana, won the prize for job creation.
Through his company, Ako Fresh, he offers farmers food preservation and cold storage services to extend the expiration date of harvests.
This initiative not only minimizes post-harvest losses but it is also ecological taking into account that cold storage facilities are powered by solar energy.
The company generates direct and indirect jobs throughout its supply chain.
Sharon Alyorneku, also from Ghana, received the narrative award. Her company, Peng Street, is a fashion house that sells fashionable clothing that meets the fashion needs of university students across the country as well as in the continent.
She is recognized for transforming the narrative of African fashion for young people.
The Anzisha Prize, in partnership with the African Leadership Academy and the Mastercard Foundation, identifies and recognises exceptional young entrepreneurs who are driving change and having a positive impact on their communities.
Dave Tait, Senior Director of Business Education Programmes at the Anzisha Prize, said that they are thrilled to announce the winners of this edition of the programme.
To him, young entrepreneurs are the future of economic growth, development and job creation in Africa. Their dedication, creativity and resilience are truly inspiring.
The Prize received a record number of applications for the period ending this year, with more than 1,000 young entrepreneurs from across the continent competing for a place on the prestigious programme.
The final candidates were selected through a rigorous evaluation process that includes an in-depth analysis of their business models, social impact, growth potential and job creation.
Didi Onwu, editor-in-chief of the Anzisha Prize, said it is not just about recognising individual achievements, but also about fostering an ecosystem of support for young entrepreneurs in Africa.
She added that through mentoring, coaching, training and access to networks, they aim to empower these young leaders to expand their businesses and create sustainable change in their communities.
The event brought together important participants from the public and private sector, as well as from the academy and civil society.
It provided a platform aiming for networking, sharing of knowledge and celebration of the achievements of young African entrepreneurs.
The EEA is a crucial platform to showcase the incredible talent and potential of young entrepreneurs in Africa and to drive the necessary change in youth entrepreneurship across the continent, led through effective entrepreneurial education, according to Hatim Eltayeb, CEO of the Leadership Academy African. ART/MRA/DOJ
