Ouagadougou: At just 20 years old, Nafissatou Latifa Zongo, known by her pseudonym Tifa_Telecom, embodies a Burkinab¨ youth determined to combine academic excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and civic engagement. Having passed her Baccalaureate (A series) with honors and an average of 14.68/20, she now aspires to pursue higher education while developing her entrepreneurial activity.
According to Burkina Information Agency, passionate about business for several years, the young high school graduate and millionaire wishes to specialize in Marketing and Business Management in order to strengthen her skills and eventually create a job-generating company. Before entering university, the young graduate and entrepreneur will take part in the Patriotic Immersion, a step she considers essential to strengthen her sense of civic duty.
Nafissatou Latifa Zongo’s academic career is marked by remarkable regularity. In her second year of high school (2023-2024), she ranked first in her class for all three terms with an overall average of 14/20. In Premi¨re (2024-2025), she maintained this momentum by also finishing first during the three quarters with averages around 15/20. In her final year of high school, she ranked first twice and second once before obtaining her Baccalaureate with honors.
Alongside her studies, Nafissatou chose to use her holidays to develop a business. After participating in the Education Holiday Camp, she launched a business selling telecommunications equipment and mobile phone accessories, including chargers, headphones, external batteries, cables, screen protectors, and various small accessories. Her financial results illustrate a steady progression. In 2023, while in her third year of secondary school, she made a profit of 150,000 FCFA while reading eight books devoted in particular to personal development and entrepreneurship. In 2024, her activities enabled her to generate 325,000 FCFA, accompanied by the reading of ten books, and in 2025, 724,000 FCFA, while she increased the number of books read during the year to fifteen.
According to Safiata Zongo/Sawadogo, her sales techniques supervisor during the school holidays, Nafissatou has always distinguished herself by her discipline and her ability to transform the lessons received into concrete results. ‘Nafissatou is a disciplined, hardworking student who is very receptive to teaching. She doesn’t just learn, she applies what she receives in training to the field. Her journey demonstrates that when willpower is combined with discipline, results naturally follow,’ she testifies.
For the young graduate and entrepreneur, being a millionaire in her mind as well as in her bank account goes far beyond the amount saved and the degree acquired. ‘Being a millionaire in your head means developing a solution-oriented mindset, learning continuously, seizing opportunities, and believing that hard work allows you to achieve your ambitions. Money is important, but knowledge and skills constitute the real capital and are worth far more than a degree,’ she explains.
Nafissatou’s journey has not been without its difficulties. After failing the Brevet d’©tudes du premier cycle (BEPC) in 2022, she decided to redouble her efforts instead of giving up. ‘This failure taught me that obstacles are never an end in themselves. I understood that I had to believe in myself, remain disciplined and work harder. Today, I encourage young people to never give up on their dreams, to manage their time well, to choose their friends wisely and to persevere no matter the difficulties,’ she says.
According to her older brother and guardian, Abdoul Moumouni Zongo, Nafissatou’s performances are the result of rigorous organization. ‘Nafissatou demonstrates that it is possible to succeed simultaneously in school and in entrepreneurship. She learned very early on the value of effort, saving and good time management,’ he emphasizes.
At 20 years old, Nafissatou Latifa Zongo is now seen as a source of inspiration for many young Burkinabe. Her journey, marked by perseverance, discipline, and a desire to learn, illustrates that it is possible to transform difficulties into opportunities and gradually build one’s future. From failing the BEPC to obtaining the Baccalaureate with honors, through the accumulation of savings exceeding one million CFA francs and the reading of more than thirty books devoted to leadership and entrepreneurship, Tifa_Telecom demonstrates that with a clear vision, rigor and discipline in work, the highest ambitions can become a reality, especially since she still did not have a personal phone until then, which was a formal prohibition of the supervision process to which she is subject.