Tech in Africa
21-year-old Alaa Moatamed has clinched the top spot at the 10th edition of the Anzisha Prize competition. She alongside Matina Razafimahefa an ed-tech entrepreneur from Madagascar and Mohamed Bah from Sierra Leone landed the award at the programme’s virtual ceremony awards.
Moatamed was awarded a cash prize of USD$25,000 while Razafinahefa and Bah won USD$15,000 and USD$12,500 respectively. The prestigious award has competed from a pool of young innovative entrepreneurs across 30 African countries. Out of 1000 shortlisted applicants, 20 finalists were then arrived at before the final determination was made.
The 20 finalists received USD$2,500 for the opportunity to be admitted into a 122 member fellowship who will benefit from mentorship and venture building support.
Moatamed’s invention is Presto, an automated delivery system that connects vendors with suppliers and customers. This platform provides a crowd-sourced network for delivery company agents targeting small businesses. Since its founding in 2019, Presto is serving 300 stores, and merchants spread across two major cities.
Here are the other runners up:
Razafimahefa – Runner’s up is an innovative EdTech venture, a business that sources trains while producing highly equipped young Africans with digital skills that are industry-specific. Since its inception, the venture has expanded its training to Benin, Comoros, Ivory Coast, and Senegal.
Bah – is the founder of Information for All (IFA), ventures that construct drills, repair toilets, and wells that ensure water sustainability and hygiene at communities deprived of water. Thus far the IFA has drilled 20 wells providing clean water to thousands of people.
The Anzisha Prize is a joint partnership between The MasterCard Foundation and the African Leadership Academy. Thus far, the programme has created over 2000 jobs – 56% of which touch on those aged below 25 years. You can apply for the 2021 Anzisha Prize on February 15th, 2021. Here is the link.
