Zakithi Nene

Sports Career of Zakithi Nene | Zakithi Nene Biography

Zakithi Nene is currently one of the fastest men in the world. In 2025, he ran the third fastest 400-meter time worldwide with 43.76 seconds, only behind Busang Collen Kebinatshipi and Jereem Richards on the World Athletics yearly top list.

Zakithi Nene Early Career

Nene ran 48.68 seconds in high school in 2015 to finish third at the South African U18 Championship. He then went on to study at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he would continue to develop.

In 2017, he lowered his personal best at the South African Championships to 46.41 seconds and finished fifth. This time qualified him for his first international championship, the World University Games in Taipei. He finished fifth with 56.55 seconds in the 400-meter.

The next year, he dropped his personal best to 45.63 seconds to finish second at the South African Championships.

In 2019, Nene received his first international medal by helping the South African 4 x 400-meter relay team finish second in Naples, Italy, at the World University Games.

Nene had his breakthrough in 2021 after the COVID-19 global pandemic. He ran 45.54 seconds at the South African Championships to take home his first national championship. He then went on to win the South African University Championships a month later by running another personal best of 45.03 seconds.

Nene ran in the Diamond League for the first time at the Golden Gala in Rome and then capped his season by running at the Olympics for the first time. He finished fifth in his heat of the 400-meter, running 45.74 seconds.

2022 and Beyond

Nene repeated as the South African Champion in 2022 before going on to break the 45-second barrier for the first time in Poland in June, running 44.92 seconds. At the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, he finished fourth in his semi-final.

In 2023, Nene won his first Diamond League meeting with a time of 45.30 seconds at the BAUHAUS-Galan in Stockholm. He then finished sixth in his semi-final heat at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Nene peaked the right time in 2024, setting a new personal best in the repechage round of the 2024 Paris Olympics, running 44.81 and winning his heat. He went on to finish sixth in the semi-final with a time of 45.06 seconds and also helped the South African 4 x 400-meter team capture fifth.

In April 2025, Nene ran 44.68 at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix and then captured his third national championships with another personal best of 44.22 seconds. After a second-place finish at the Rabat Diamond League meeting, he set a world lead at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya, running 43.76 seconds.

Nene took another step forward at the World Championships in Tokyo, reaching his first final in the individual 400-meter at a major international championship. He won his heat with a time of 44.34 seconds and improved on this time to win his semi-final with 44.20 seconds.

Nene finished fifth in the final at the 2025 World Championships. A few days later, he won his first World Championship medal when he helped the South African 4×400-meter relay team take home bronze.

Zakithi Nene Athlete Personal Life and Other Facts | Who is Zakithi Nene?

Nene studied economics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He’s from the town of Ladysmith in Western South Africa.

According to his Instagram, he’s sponsored by New Balance Running and Chery Southern Africa.

FAQs | Zakithi Nene | Nakithi Nene Track

How Fast Does Zakithi Nene Run?

Zakithi Nene ran a personal best and world lead (at the time) in 2025 with 43.76 seconds in the 400-meter. This time would stand as the third fastest time in the world at the end of the season.

How Tall is Zakithi Nene?

Zakithi Nene is roughly 5’10” or 177 centimeters tall.