Young Zimbabwean entrepreneur, David Mantiziba, has been named Young African CEO of the Year 2025 at the Fourth Edition of the Africa CEO Summit in Nigeria, organised by the Pan African Youth Leadership Foundation.

The summit brought together business leaders, policymakers, and delegates from across Africa, including Namibia, The Gambia, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania, to forge partnerships aimed at accelerating the continent’s economic development.

Mantiziba, 27, shared his journey of founding Wildfin Microfinance at age 22, becoming the youngest CEO of a microfinance institution in Zimbabwe.

“I started a microbank at the age of 22…and today, we have branches across Zimbabwe and Zambia, with a vision to expand to all 16 SADC countries,” he said.

Wildfin was the first in Zimbabwe to offer digital borrowing, attracting over a million users. Mantiziba also operates the Eazi Apps UK franchise in Zimbabwe and South Africa and is involved in real estate. In July, he received the 100 Leading Investors in Africa Award in South Africa.

Addressing the summit, Mantiziba urged the removal of mental barriers and the promotion of intra-African trade.

“We make up 25% of the world’s physical mass and population, control 45% of critical minerals, and hold 60% of the world’s arable land, yet contribute only 2% of global GDP,” he noted.

“Africa has the potential to contribute at least 25% of the world’s GDP within the next 100 years.”

He also called on young Africans to embrace knowledge and collaboration.

“Events like this are not just about3 securing funding but about gaining wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration… We must leverage this collective intelligence to build a prosperous Africa,” he said.