African Leadership Academy Anzisha Prize

The Anzisha Prize is Africa’s biggest award for her youngest entrepreneurs, and hands out over USD $100,000 every year in funding to entrepreneurs from all over the continent.

Last year was exciting in that we announced our new efforts to support the parents of very young entrepreneurs in Africa.

“Our new book – Parenting the Boss – uncovers the critical role parents play and how we must invest in them if we are to see more young people confidently choosing an entrepreneurship career path post school,” says Josh Adler, Vice President of Growth and Entrepreneurship at African Leadership Academy.

In 2018,  Melissa Bime, a 22-year-old healthcare entrepreneur won the US$25,000 Grand Prize at the 8th annual Anzisha Prize awards gala.  She is the founder of INFIUSS, an online blood bank and digital supply chain platform that ensures patients in 23 hospitals in Cameroon have life-saving blood when and where they need it. She is only the second woman to win the grand prize since Best Ayiorworth took it home in 2013.

“Today, I stand here to represent every young girl out there that just has her dreams,” said Melissa Bime during her acceptance speech. “I stand here to represent this amazing group of entrepreneurs that I am a part of. With these people, the future of Africa is very bright. We are going to change this continent.”