ABOUT LARRETH JIMU
Larreth Jimu is a technology entrepreneur on a mission to end generational poverty in Africa by building the largest job-creation engine the continent has ever seen. He is the Founder and CEO of Melsoft Holdings, parent of Melsoft Academy — a QCTO-accredited, Level 1 B-BBEE tech education institution training Africa's next generation of software developers, data analysts, cybersecurity professionals, and AI engineers.
Under his leadership, Melsoft Academy has placed graduates into employment at a 92% rate, partnered with South Africa's largest financial institutions, and is currently delivering the SASBO GenAI in Insurance Programme to 250 learners across the banking and insurance sector. The Academy's model is built on a single principle: every graduate must walk into a job. To deliver on this, Larreth has built Melsoft OS — a proprietary learning operating system enabling a 1:40 facilitator-to-learner ratio without sacrificing outcomes — and Creator Campus, a cinema-grade content production facility in Johannesburg powering the Academy's curriculum at scale.
Larreth began his career as a self-taught programmer before founding Melsoft in 2018. He has since assembled a board including Clive Butkow (former COO of Accenture South Africa), Tanya Grota CA(SA) (former CFO of Blue Label Telecoms), and Dr. Mdu Zakwe (former CEO of MICT SETA), and is pursuing a continental roll-up strategy across South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Beyond Melsoft, he hosts The Larreth Jimu Show, a platform for African business leaders, and launched the Zimbabwe AI Bridge — a scholarship initiative placing Zimbabwean STEM graduates into the African digital economy.
His long-term vision: a $10 billion African talent company that ends generational poverty for millions of families, one graduate at a time.
The work of Larreth Jimu
-
Melsoft Academy — QCTO-Accredited Tech Education Institution South Africa's AI-native tech education institution training software developers, data analysts, cybersecurity professionals, and AI engineers. Level 1 B-BBEE, QCTO-accredited, with a 92% graduate placement rate and partnerships with South Africa's largest financial institutions. https://melsoft.org
-
SASBO GenAI in Insurance Programme A 250-learner enterprise programme delivered across South Africa's banking and insurance sector, training financial services professionals in generative AI applications. Features The Mint — a custom gamification platform with a live leaderboard, AI Coins, and 50 city-team structure under the African AI Exchange theme. https://sasbo.melsoft.org/
-
Melsoft OS — Proprietary Learning Operating System A facilitator-augmentation platform enabling a 1:40 facilitator-to-learner ratio without compromising graduate outcomes. The technology backbone behind Melsoft Academy's scaling model and the foundation of the company's continental roll-up strategy. Confidential
-
Creator Campus — Cinema-Grade Content Production Facility A 394m² production facility in Wynberg, Johannesburg, purpose-built to power Melsoft Academy's curriculum content at scale. Produces async video lessons, live lectures, and the studio output for The Larreth Jimu Show. https://melsoft.org/creators
-
The Larreth Jimu Show A long-form video platform featuring African business leaders, founders, and policy makers, designed to surface the strategies driving the continent's growth. Built on a five-segment format with an interactive games structure. https://www.youtube.com/@larreth
-
Study Now Pay Later (SNPL)