Meet 12 brilliant African entrepreneurs under 22

The fellows of the 2014 Anzisha Prize at the gala awards ceremony in Johannesburg on September 23. Click through the gallery to find out more about each one of them.

Grand prize winner Alain Nteff started the Gifted Mom project to help tackle the high mortality rate of infant deaths and pregnant women. He has developed an app that helps women calculate due dates. Nteff's e-content platform also sends automated alerts that help mothers track antenatal care.

First runner up Thato Kgatlhanye is the founder of Repurpose Schoolbags, a company making environmental-friendly schoolbags. Made from up-cycled plastic shopping bags, Kgatlhanye's creations integrate solar technology that charges during the day to provide light for pupils studying after dark.

Second runner up Gabriel Kombassere is on a mission to eradicate starvation in his region. He launched Ribla Neda, a student-run farming organization that cultivates basic staple food to help members feed themselves and their families.

Tom Osborn was awarded a special $10,000 energy prize award from Donors Circle for Africa for Greenchar, a clean energy project that produces charcoal briquettes and distributes clean cook-stoves in Kenya to fight deforestation.

Winifred Selby from Ghana co-created the Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative when she was just 15. The project uses local bamboo to help provide a convenient transportation option and employment to Ghanaians in rural areas.

Sam Kodo is the founder of LC-COM (Low cost-Computer) / Infinite Loop, an award-winning company that produces low cost personal computers for students.

After being refused a visa to to the U.S. to study coding, Martha Chumo decided to create her own hacking school. Thus, she founded The Nairobi Developer School, an institution aiming to help African programmers improve their skills.

Jeffrey Mulaudzi is the founder of Mulaudzi Bicycle Tours in the Alexandra township. The lifestyle bike tour company aims to combat negative stereotypes about the area.

Noah Walakira started Namirembe Sweater Makers to tackle unemployment in his community. The company creates sweaters for 43 partner schools across Uganda and has recently started working with uniform companies.

Benedict Mundele is the founder of Surprise Tropical, a take-away restaurant that makes natural meals from local products to promote healthy eating. Having started by offering breakfast based on natural tropical products, she has now expanded her business to a full canteen service.

Chukwuwezam Obanor used his passion for problem solving to found Prepclass, an online platform that helps Nigerian students prepare for national exams.

Ghanaian creative Chineye Okoro Onu created the Mosaicspiration Project in February 2013. The initiative uses recycled materials to make art and help young people develop entrepreneurial skills through training and mentorship.

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Africa's top young changemakers

Alain Nteff, 22, Cameroon

Thato Kgatlhanye, 21, South Africa

Gabriel Kombassere, 17, Ivory Coast

Tom Osborn, 18, Kenya

Winifred Selby, 19, Ghana

Sam Kodo, 22, Togo

Martha Chumo, 19, Kenya

Jeffrey Mulaudzi, 22, South Africa

Noah Walakira, 21, Uganda

Benedicte Mundele, 20, DRC

Chukwuwezam Obanor, 22, Nigeria

Chineye Okoro Onu, 19, Ghana

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Anzisha Prize celebrates young entrepreneurs across Africa
• The winners shared prizes worth $75,000
• Innovations by the finalists help solve social problems
• This year, the Anzisha Prize received 339 applications from 32 countries

Every week, African Start-Up follows entrepreneurs in various countries across the continent to see how they are working to make their business dreams become