Itumeleng Mpatlanyana

Itumeleng Mpatlanyana is the Founding Director and CEO of gazaataDotCom, a Fintech company that helps South Africa’s emerging market access alternative means of getting credit. gazaataDotCom is South Africa’s first Peer-to-Peer Online Lending Platform. We connect individuals in need of credit with individuals willing to lend out their excess funds as an investment in personal loans. Itumeleng also holds a senior leadership role at zaakaDotCo, another Fintech team that partner with employers to offer financial well-being solutions to their employees, helping blue-collar employees live healthier, happier lives by offering them simple saving accounts, salary advances, access to low-cost credit & free education to improve their financial confidence. Itumeleng is passionate about entrepreneurial solutions that have a high social & economic impact, those that help alleviate poverty around SA’s townships. He also serves at an executive level within various entrepreneurial advocacy groups, youth development and industry organisations in South Africa. Itumeleng has gathered diverse experiences in fast food franchising, new venture building, SMME management and development; and his exposure to financial technology accompanied by his passion to work with emerging markets has led to creating two fintech companies to provide holistic development solutions in Sub Saharan Africa. Tapping into his experiences and industry insights, Itumeleng often speaks and moderates regularly at a wide number of local entrepreneurship events and seminars on township economy. Specialties: New Venture Creation, Emerging Market, Franchising, Fintech Solutions, Start-Ups Strategy & Advisory and Enterprise Development. "Timing, perseverance, persistence, tears, hard-work, and ten years of trying will eventually make us look like an overnight success."