Wiza Jalakasi

Born and raised in Blantyre, Malawi, he now splits his time between Johannesburg, South Africa, and Dubai, UAE. He began writing code at the age of 11 and launched his first company by the time he was 16 — a true early starter with a passion for solving problems and chasing new adventures. He studied Information Systems Technology at USIU Africa, graduating in 2015 with a stellar 3.73 CGPA. That same year, he was named a Google Student Ambassador, recognizing both his technical excellence and leadership potential. He was a key member of the team that built Africa’s Talking, a mobile platform API company that grew into a major international player, generating over US$10 million in annual revenue by 2018. Following that, he led the Global Merchant Business team at Chipper Cash, where he architected and scaled merchant payment solutions that processed millions of dollars monthly, serving businesses around the globe. Currently, he leads Africa Expansion at EBANX, a global payment solutions provider headquartered in Brazil. At EBANX, he is focused on helping over 500 global merchants connect to payment infrastructure across 29 countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. He is also a Google for Startups Accelerator Africa (Launchpad) mentor, and serves as a technical partner at Rally Cap Ventures, where he supports and advises early-stage startups. Beyond his work in tech and venture, he is a thoughtful writer, publishing insights on Medium and sharing his most impactful pieces through Quartz Africa.