Young Africans often dream of pursuing their higher education at international universities. But, they sometimes need more information, which makes them waste time and resources. In Madagascar, Tsanta Rakotoarimanga has developed a platform that connects students with mentors who provide guidance and support throughout their educational journey to address that issue.
Tsanta Rakotoarimanga (photo) is the founder and CEO of Mapwess, an online platform that helps students access quality higher education. He holds a bachelor's degree (2019) in finance from Université des Mascareignes in Mauritius and a master's degree in international strategy and management (2023) from Paris-Saclay University.
Driven by his own experiences navigating the complexities of studying abroad, Rakotoarimanga founded Mapwess in 2020 to empower African students to pursue their dreams of higher education at prestigious international universities. The platform connects students with experienced mentors who provide personalized guidance and support throughout their educational journey, from orientation and enrollment to settling into their new environment. With the platform, Rakotoarimanga aims to help 10,000 students realize their dream of studying abroad.
"The idea for Mapwess stemmed from our own challenges in preparing for our studies abroad," Rakotoarimanga explained. "We realized that many students face similar struggles, and we wanted to create a solution that would make the process more accessible and less daunting."
Prior to launching Mapwess, Rakotoarimanga established Dream Studio Agency, a student placement agency that successfully helped numerous young Africans secure placements at renowned institutions. He attributes his entrepreneurial success to the support he received from startup incubators like Orange Fab Madagascar and Zafy Tody, which provided him with valuable resources and mentorship in a context where entrepreneurship was not an easy task in Madagascar and financial institutions and private investors were not confident enough to back him.
Rakotoarimanga's dedication to empowering African students has earned him recognition and accolades, including the third prize in the national stage of the Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East (POESAM) in 2020. In 2021, he was selected as one of Africa's best young entrepreneurs for the Anzisha Prize. This year, he got the opportunity to represent Madagascar in the YALI (Young African Leaders Initiative) program for the Southern African region.
Melchior Koba
