By Daniel Mpala
Imagine a future where, in response to the challenge of youth unemployment, young Africans of high potential choose entrepreneurship as a career.
Last month, African Leadership Academy (ALA) and the Mastercard Foundation released a green paper — the Anzisha Scenarios — that seeks to bring this vision into reality.
But, as ALA vice president growth and entrepreneurship Josh Adler (pictured above, right with Mastercard Foundation programme manager Koffi Assouan) pointed out in an interview after last month’s Very Young Entrepreneur Education & Acceleration Summit, wishful policies don’t simply materialise after you put up a paper, you actually have to do the groundwork.
So, what’s next?
Adler says the Anzisha Prize will continue its annual informational tour around the continent in the run up to October’s award ceremony. The team will also conduct scenario workshops in conjunction with some of these talks.
During the scenario campaign, Anzisha will engage different stakeholders, including teachers, government officials, parents, investors, and incubators, to explore the feasibility of the Anzisha Scenario.
Anzisha also intends to partner with the media on the initiative. During the Very Young Entrepreneur Education & Acceleration Summit, which was held on 15 April in Johannesburg, business television channel CNBC Africa broadcast part of the event live (You can see a panel discussion on the Anzisha Scenario broadcast by CNBC Africa here).
Adler says Anzisha also aims to put discussions on youth entrepreneurship on the agenda of panel discussions at sector-specific conferences.
Featured image: ALA vice president growth and entrepreneurship Josh Adler right, with Mastercard Foundation programme manager Koffi Assouan (Photo credit: Mfundo Mbanze)
