Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship for Young African Entrepreneurs

Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship — supports young entrepreneurs with cash stipends, training, and rewards.

The Anzisha Prize Venture Building Fellowship is now accepting applications for 2025.

This prestigious programme has been helping young entrepreneurs grow their ventures for over 10 years.

It is a multi-year fellowship designed to track the progress of businesses and entrepreneurs, offering rewards based on their growth and development.

Throughout the fellowship, selected entrepreneurs receive various benefits.

These include cash stipends, short courses, and cloud services.

By the end of the second year, entrepreneurs will pitch their ventures to compete for their share of $50,000 in prizes.

Fellowship Benefits

Entrepreneurs showing strong initiative and business growth during the fellowship will be rewarded.

The fellowship offers bi-annual cash stipends to eligible participants throughout the duration of the programme.

It also provides short-term educational opportunities and internships in the second year.

Specialised technical consultations are available to support business development.

By the second year, entrepreneurs have the chance to earn prizes in key categories.

Fellowship Prize Categories

1. Job Creation Prize – This goes to the entrepreneur who creates the most jobs during the fellowship.
2. Revenue Growth Prize – This is awarded to the entrepreneur with the highest business revenue growth.
3. Storytelling Prize – Entrepreneurs who excel in sharing their stories through creative means, such as writing, speaking, or visual storytelling, will receive this prize.
4. Integrating Systems and Processes Prize – This prize goes to the entrepreneur who best applies systems learned during the programme to improve their business.

Fellowship Eligibility

To be eligible for the fellowship, you must meet specific requirements.

You must be between 15 and 22 years old, with a valid ID or passport.

Your business must be based in Africa and serve African customers.

The fellowship is not for ideas or business plans – you need to have a business already operating.

Types of Ventures Accepted

The fellowship welcomes ventures from all fields, whether in science, technology, the arts, sports, or any other industry.

You must be a founding member of the business to apply, whether you started it with others or alone.

Judging Criteria

To join the fellowship, your business will be judged based on several factors.

These include whether your business has customers and provides value to them.

You need to demonstrate leadership and be the one managing the venture.

Your business should show some level of impact already, whether financial or through its effect on beneficiaries.

Judges will also consider if your venture has created jobs and whether it has the potential to grow further.

Key Qualities for Selection

To be chosen as an Anzisha Fellow, you need to display leadership and spend at least 20 hours a week on your business.

Your commitment to the venture is essential for selection into the programme.

Application Process

To apply, you need to prepare several documents.

These include a copy of your ID, company registration documents if applicable, logos, pictures of your venture, and a photo of your team.

You can complete the application in different languages:

• English Application Form
• French Application Form
• Arabic Application Form
• Portuguese Application Form

For more details, visit the official Anzisha Prize website.

Start your application today to become part of this remarkable opportunity for African entrepreneurs.