WIA Philanthropy Spotlight: Amanda Patience Najjingo
2026 Young Leader
Today, we are proud to shine the spotlight on another remarkable young leader. Amanda, this moment is yours!
Can you tell us briefly who you are and what you do?
I’m Amanda Patience Najjingo, a Ugandan technologist and entrepreneur. I build digital and financial infrastructure for Africa’s informal sector, the traders, transporters, and daily earners who account for roughly 85% of employment across the continent but whom banks and formal systems rarely reach. I’m Co-Founder and CTO of Vestafi, a platform that lets informal earners pool small mobile money contributions into shared apartment ownership and rental income. I’m also Founder of Zuk Technologies, which builds digital tools for small businesses across Uganda.
What inspired you to start your journey or project?
Building for small businesses across Uganda, I saw the same pattern again and again. People earned, saved, and worked hard, yet had no route to credit, property, or any asset they could pass on. The tools that build wealth were designed for salaried, banked people, and everyone else was left out. I started Vestafi to build those tools for how informal earners actually live and earn.
What are the key achievements or milestones you’re most proud of?
Vestafi reached over 900 members and more than $335,000 in pooled assets within its first six months, grown entirely through word of mouth. For most of those members, it is the first ownership stake they have ever held. My work has also been recognised through the Anzisha Prize, the Harambeans Lab Prize, and WomHub’s Top 100 Women Creating Change and Impact in Africa. The milestone I hold highest is the trust of the people who put their savings into the infrastructure I have built.
Can you share with us one personal quote or belief that guides you?
Trust yourself enough to start, and work in a way that leaves something better than you found it.
What advice would you give to other young women who want to create impact?
Stay close to the problem and build something real, however small. The strongest ideas come from the people you are building for, not from a plan on paper. You do not need permission or a perfect moment to begin. Start with what you have, let the work prove itself, and keep going when it gets hard, because it will.
What are you currently working on or planning next?
Scaling Vestafi across East Africa and strengthening the research and policy side of this work. I’m deepening my research into how digital tools build wealth in the informal sector, and preparing for graduate study in financial technology and public policy. The goal is simple: informal earners, women most of all, holding real assets of their own for the first time.
How can people support or follow your work?
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