Mhlangeni Chiiko is an economist and social entrepreneur who believes business can transform low-income communities. Mhlangeni works at the Zambian Ministry of Finance, and is co-founder and business developer of start-ups that improve maternal and neonatal mortality rates and enhance agriculture finance for smallholder farmers. Mhlangeni leverages digital payments technology to enhance economic growth and financial inclusion of underserved communities. He participated in the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) at the University of South Africa School of Business and was among the Top 100 Young Leaders in Southern Africa at the YALI Alumni Conference. Mhlangeni graduated from the Copperbelt University and from the #FinTech4U accelerator program executed by the United Nations Capital Development Fund and BongoHive. He was first runner-up at the MTN MoMo Hackathon 2020 and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Entrepreneurship Fund. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Mhlangeni wants to help empower the next generation of African youth to take ownership of their nations’ economy, which he believes will lead to job creation, curb rural-urban migration, and promote economic cooperation among nations. Youth empowerment also can alleviate the scourge of poverty and unleash the continent’s potential to lead the world into the next century.
