The Golden Baobab Prize (formerly called The Baobab Prize) is given every year to African writers who create books for children and young adults. The prize accepts short stories that have not been published before. These stories must be written by African citizens, regardless of their age, race, or where they live. The prize is awarded to African citizens who write short stories for children or young adults in one of three categories: Junior Category (for readers aged 8–11 years), Senior Category (for readers aged 12–15 years), and a Rising Writer prize for a writer under 18 years old who shows promise. Stories are entered by email and must be written in English and not previously published. The Golden Baobab Prize was created in July 2008. It is an African award that aims to support the writing of books for children and young adults in Africa. Its goal is to find future African literary leaders and create stories that will be valued for many years.

The Golden Baobab Prize is started by The Golden Baobab Foundation for Education, a nonprofit group registered in Ghana. The prize is supported by organizations such as the African Library Project, Playing for Change, Echoing Green, and The Global Fund for Children. The group works from an office in Accra, Ghana, and is led by co-founder Deborah Ahenkorah. In 2009, the winners from 2008 received $800 each. For the 2009/2010 awards, the prize money was increased to $1000 for the Junior and Senior categories.