AFRICAN RENAISSANCE: Meet The Entrepreneurs At The Heart Of Africa's Boom - And The Are All Under 23!

Vanessa Zommi started Emerald Moringa Tea in Cameroon's Buea region when she was 17.
The company processes moringa, a local plant, into a healthy tea that aids digestion.

February 22, 2016 - AFRICA - Africa has the world's youngest and fastest-growing population.

Today, the continent is home to more than 200 million people between the ages of 15 and 24, and its young population is increasingly well-educated.

On current trends, nearly 60% of 20-24 year-olds in Africa will have a secondary education in 2030, according to the World Bank.

This growing cohort of young, skilled people is reflected in a wave of entrepreneurship that is transforming economies across Africa.

Chantal Butare launched her Kinazi Dairy Cooperative in 2012 to help Rwandan genocide survivors, who had been given cows under a government assistance program,
but who were struggling to sell and market their milk. The initiative now serves more than 3,200 farmers and supplies markets in Rwanda and Burundi.

Chris Kwekowe launched Slatecube in 2014, a platform that helps students develop industry skills through series of self-paced online courses, field trips, bootcamps
and virtual internship programs built in partnership with schools and organizations. The company was one of 50 startups selected to attend the 2015 MITx Global
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, U.S.

Daniel Mukisa, 21, Uganda – Daniel Mukisa co-founded Transporter Corporation, a Kampala- based motorbike delivery service, in January while still a student at
Makerere University. As e-commerce becomes increasingly popular in Uganda, Mukisa hopes Transporter Corporation will give vendors a
cost-effective way to navigate Kampala’s congested roads.

Fabrice Alomo, 22, Cameroon – Fabrice Alomo’s MyAConnect aims to help small businesses in Africa to reach a wider audience and sell online. The company’s
AMoney payment solution allows customers to buy local goods, even eithouth a bank card or account.

George Mtemahanji is working to solve Tanzania's rural energy shortages through his startup SunSweet Solar. The company imports solar photovoltaic products
from Europe and builds affordable small-scale power plants for homes and businesses.

Karidas Tshintsholo, 20, South Africa – Serial entrepreneur Karidas Tshintsholo launched push Ismokol Clothing as a social enterprise in 2011, employing six
people to make T-shirts, caps and sweaters. The brand has been showcased on South African television and endorsed by a number of local celebrities.

L-R: Social entrepreneur Mabel Suglo's Eco-Shoes Project employs artisans with disabilities to manufacture shoes from recycled tires and textiles, creating
employment and providing a sustainable market or waste products. Sirjeff Dannis, 21, Tanzania – Sirjeff Dannis hopes to tackle malnourishment and poverty in rural
Tanzania through poultry and vegetable farming. His company, Jefren Agrifriend Solutions rears and sells day old chicks to communities for meat and egg production.
Hidaya Ibrahim, 22, Ethiopia – Concerned by high drop-out rates and underperformance in Ethiopia’s school system, Hidaya Ibrahim founded the Qine Association
for promoting Education Quality in 2013. QAPEQ brings together government, private education institutions and students to discuss educational development. Farai
Munjoma, 18, Zimbabwe – In 2014 Farai Munjoma created Shasha Iseminar, an online education platform that provides an online library of course notes, past exam
papers and career guidance for high school students in Zimbabwe. Some of the revenue generated by the service is used to contribute to school fees for marginalizes
rural students. Blessing Fortune Kwomo, 20, Nigeria – Growing up in a poor community in Port Harcourt, Blessing Fortune Kwomo was in and out of hospital,
unable to recover in her home environment. Now a nursing student, she founded De Rehoboths Therapeutis Studio to offer affordable post-care treatment
for low-income families.

The Anzisha Prize is an award for African entrepreneurs between the ages of 17 and 22, which rewards individuals who have created businesses that solve economic and social problems.

In September, the judging panel announced its 12 finalists, who will compete for a share of the $75,000 prize money.

Past grand prize winners -- who take home $25,000 -- include Cameroonian Alain Nteff, who created a mobile app that helps maternal health workers calculate expectant mothers' due dates; and Ugandan Best Aiyorworth, who founded a microfinance organization for women and girls. - African Cheetahs.

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