Chris Kwekowe, a Nigerian entrepreneur, technology consultant and founder of Slatecubehas been named winner of the Anzisha 2015 Grand Prize at a prestigious invite-only ceremony on November 17, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Anzisha Prize, which is in its fifth year, is aimed at young people who have developed and implemented innovative solutions to tackle social challenges or have started successful businesses within their communities that have benefited all and sundry.
Chris Kwekowe’s Slatecube, which offers a job-relevant skills learning platform and job placement services impressed the judges and as such was named the grand prize winner, taking home US$25,000.
Slatecube has had significant success to date with potential for scale and will serve as an aspiring beacon for other youth interested in entrepreneurship.
Placing second and getting US$15,000 was Fabrice Alomo, a Cameroonian entrepreneur and founder of My AConnect, a startup which aims to increase the ease with which the unbanked in Cameroon transact and access financial services.
Also, My AConnect provides an electronic currency – AMoney, which the unbanked uses to make purchases with over 500 enterprises by depositing money through charge cards.
Mabel Suglo, a Ghanaian entrepreneur and founder of Echo Shoes – a startup offering an assortment of fashionable and afro-themed shoes and accessories using recycled materials, came third and got US$12,500.
Also on the awards night, Chantel Butare, founder of Kinazi Dairy Cooperative, a startup which collects milk from over 3,000 families in her community and processes it for sale, generating income for the families and the ten milk collectors in her employ, was awarded the Anzisha Sector Prize in Agriculture.
“Over the past five years, we have seen the Anzisha Prize evolve from a one-time prize for social entrepreneurship to an entire community of young, innovative leaders across Africa who have access to comprehensive support and networking opportunities,” Program Manager, Youth Livelihoods at The MasterCard Foundation, Koffi Assouan said in a press release.
He added, “I continue to be impressed by the caliber of youth entrepreneurs that Africa has to offer and congratulate them on their ability to inspire both ourselves and the rest of the continent.”
All twelve finalists, selected from an impressive pool of 494 young entrepreneurs from 33 African countries, will join a growing pool of now 54 Fellows to receive access to ongoing support so as to scale their startups and expand their reach and impact.
The 2015 Anzisha Prize was sponsored by The MasterCard Foundation and Louis Dreyfus Commodities.
The Anzisha Prize, termed Africa’s premier award for our young entrepreneurs, is the brainchild of African Leadership Academy, an organization that develops and support future generation of African leaders.
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