Lioness Weekender Cover Story

SAYNA, a business revolutionizing access to the job market and democratizing education in new technologies in Africa

Matina Razafimahefa is a pioneering entrepreneur on a mission to bridging the gap in Digital Education in Africa. She co-founded SAYNA in 2017, fulfilling a childhood dream she had shared with her mother, Nirina Rahoeliaribahy. SAYNA is the first Franco-African Edtech & crowdsourcing platform. The platform aims to connect organized IT projects, divided into micro-tasks, with a community of pre-trained developers. The business currently employs 15 people. Facing financial constraints in its early days, Matina launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2018 to accelerate the project and facilitate some acquisitions. Her efforts were recognized when she was awarded the title of "Best Social Entrepreneur" at just 20 years old, in a competition organized by the International Organization of the Francophonie, in partnership with Incubons. Matina's ambition extends beyond the success of her startup. She aims to provide millions of Africans with access to quality digital education and global job opportunities, without letting a CV become a barrier. Her second ambition is to create profitable businesses that can revolutionize the lives of millions and generate employment opportunities.