Farai Munjoma - Shasha Network

Founder: Farai Munjoma

Startup: Shasha Network

Graduate from the Business School 

What is the startup?

Shasha Network is on a mission to equip 50 million youths in Africa with digital access, soft skills and career pathways to achieve their fullest potential and uplift their communities.

Tell us more

When I was just 12 years old, my mother gave me the vexatious task of selling chickens at the local market. My father had lost his job in the wake of Zimbabwe’s economic collapse. My mother's civil servant salary as a teacher was inadequate to cover my tuition, so she sent me on a mission to make up the shortfall. Although at the time I was consumed with feelings of embarrassment, my youthful charm saw me become a hit, selling out chickens before I could even reach the market. Through this experience, the seeds of entrepreneurship were planted. They were not to bloom, however, until I was confronted with stark inequalities in the educational landscape. It took seeing an alumnus from my high school who had gone to MIT, who came back and told us about how technology and entrepreneurship were changing the world. This inspired me to take action and recognise that, given the opportunity, young people from Africa could thrive locally and globally. At the age of 17, I digitised curriculum notes and sample exam papers for students to access for free online. This was the birth of Shasha Network in 2015. Fast-forward to 2026, and we have pivoted to providing connectivity and career education to support learners' transition into dignified opportunities post-secondary school. We've invested in connectivity infrastructure and curriculum, which will serve over 500,000 youths across 120 communities in Zimbabwe and Rwanda.

What three words best describe your experiences and your entrepreneurial journey?

• Borderless: If your goal is positive social impact, your idea should transcend borders Intentional
• Design: You don't create in a vacuum; listen and co-create with your constituency 
• Faith: Believe in your convictions and stay committed to the problem

What motivates you as an entrepreneur?

Two things motivate me today: Urgency: Africa has the world's fastest-growing population, and we are sitting on a ticking time bomb. We need to create as many opportunity pathways and equip the next generation of leaders that help create shared prosperity. Seeing others thrive: My own journey has exposed me to the potential of education as a game-changer, especially for young people who are often left out of opportunities. Seeing Shasha scholars go on to start their own ventures, join the world's top firms and win full scholarships to prestigious universities inspires me.

How do you define success?

We're building towards equipping 50 million learners. We started with just 30 students, and now we serve hundreds of thousands of young people across different countries. More importantly, we have been able to collaborate with other mission-driven organisations such as Prometheus X, Mercatus Centre at George Mason University, Schmidt Futures' Rise Program and Mastercard Foundation to deliver impactful programs.

What piece of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Whatever it is, just start.

What role has Edinburgh Innovations played in your entrepreneurial journey?

Edinburgh Innovations supported Shasha Network to set up our global strategy and operations, starting with our Edinburgh, UK office. This is now one of three sister offices across the globe, San Francisco, USA and Kigali, Rwanda.

What's next?

We have signed a multi-year MOU with the Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation and the Ministry of Education to provide Shasha Network programming to 2,000 secondary schools in Rwanda. We are currently building towards this goal, and also partnering with more impact organisations to deepen this impact.