JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 13 October 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/-Young entrepreneurs are the key to transforming economies on the African continent. Where some only see challenges, they view an untapped canvas for innovation and, should they be equipped with the right knowledge, network and skills, they can reshape our communities for the better.
With the 2025 Entrepreneurship Education in Africa Summit now concluded, Anzisha announced that applications for its 2026 Fellowship will open on 7 October. The Fellowship backs Africa’s youngest founders with venture-building support, coaching and a continent-wide peer community to help them build their leadership skills, scale their businesses and create jobs.
The summit, hosted at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, brought together educators, policymakers, investors and business leaders to reflect on best practices in entrepreneurship education. The day closed with the Anzisha Awards Gala, where four outstanding entrepreneurs under the age of 25 were recognised for their achievements and each awarded $10,000.
Cebolenkosi Gcabashe (22), founder of G Khula Trading in KwaZulu-Natal, won the Revenue Growth Award after building a profitable property services company from a single high-pressure cleaner. The gala also honoured Nigeria’s Bunmi Esther Olalude with the Job Creation Award for empowering women and youth; Zimbabwe’s Tafadzwa Manyanye with the Systems of Delivery Award for building efficient agricultural services; and Nigeria’s Christianah Madu, who received the Storytelling Award for raising the visibility of her venture through communication.
A blueprint for Africa’s future of work
Throughout the day, panel discussions and breakout sessions explored how very young entrepreneurs are rewriting the rules of work. Topics included repairing the broken link between education and jobs, recognising informality as innovation rather than failure, and finding financing solutions for founders often overlooked by investors.
In her closing address, Anzisha Managing Editor Didi Onwu urged stakeholders to rethink how they approach entrepreneurship: “Youth entrepreneurship isn’t the backup plan, it’s the blueprint. For too long, we have treated entrepreneurship as plan B, the path we take when ‘the real’ systems fail you. But this summit is a reminder that youth-led enterprise isn’t what happens when things go wrong, it’s what happens when young people take control of their futures.”
Fellowship applications open 7 October
Since its launch in 2011, Anzisha has supported nearly 300 very young entrepreneurs across the continent.
The multi-year programme combines funding, mentorship and peer-to-peer learning to help ventures grow sustainably while creating jobs in their communities.
The 2026 Anzisha Prize Fellowship is open to applicants between the ages of 15 to 22 who are running ventures in Africa.
Successful applicants will join a growing network of innovators and compete for a shared prize pool of $50,000.
Anzisha’s work is underpinned by research, advocacy and storytelling that highlights the impact of young entrepreneurs and challenges policymakers, educators and investors to build an enabling environment.
Anzisha’s YouTube series, The Journey, documents the realities of very young entrepreneurs and the communities they are transforming.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Anzisha.
About Anzisha
Anzisha is a multi-year fellowship for very young African entrepreneurs (ages 15–22). Since 2011, Anzisha has been dedicated to transforming African economies by creating youth-led, job-generating businesses. The organisation’s vision is to make entrepreneurship a first-choice career path for Africa’s youth. Through strategic partnerships and storytelling, Anzisha influences key stakeholders – including parents, educators, investors, and policymakers – to support youth entrepreneurship.
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Follow the journey on YouTube (The Anzisha Prize)
Media Contact
Gaopalelwe Laka
gaopalelwe@weareirvinepartners.com
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