How the Forbes Under 30 Summit is developing African entrepreneurs

The Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston, Massachusetts, is currently showcasing the talent and innovation of at least 40 African entrepreneurs. Among them is Isaya Yunge from Tanzania, the mind behind the groundbreaking Summer app. This app aims to bridge the gap between African youth and unclaimed scholarship opportunities, totaling three billion dollars annually in the continent. In a recent interview with CNBC Africa, Yunge shared the inspiration behind the app's inception, highlighting the need to empower young people to seek quality education both within and outside Africa. Yunge revealed that the idea for the Summer app stemmed from personal frustration. Upon completing high school, he aspired to pursue his first bachelor's degree abroad but encountered difficulties in finding available scholarships due to the scattered nature of scholarship information online. Determined to solve this challenge, Yunge envisioned a platform that would centralize scholarship opportunities and make them easily accessible to young individuals through their mobile phones. The Summer app, thus, became a tool for empowering African youth to access quality education and ultimately contribute to the development of the continent. One of the key issues Yunge addressed during the interview was the educational deficit in Africa, where 64% of university graduates are deemed under-educated. He emphasized the importance of acquiring knowledge, skills, and quality education outside the continent to enable young people to return with the expertise needed to drive progress in their respective countries. Through the Summer app, Yunge and his team have already assisted 500 students in winning scholarships, a significant milestone that they aim to surpass in the future. Looking ahead, Yunge shared an exciting development for the Summer app. In November, they are set to launch a crowdfunding feature that will enable African users to pool funds for talented students who lack the financial means to pursue higher education. This initiative seeks to democratize access to quality education within Africa, ensuring that deserving individuals have the opportunity to unlock their potential and contribute to the continent's growth. The impact of the Summer app extends beyond individual success stories, signaling a broader shift towards inclusive and innovative solutions for education in Africa. By leveraging technology and entrepreneurship, Yunge has demonstrated how a simple idea can snowball into a transformative tool for empowerment and progress. As the Forbes Under 30 Summit continues to spotlight African entrepreneurs like Isaya Yunge, it becomes evident that the future of the continent lies in the hands of visionaries committed to driving change and creating opportunities for the next generation.