Strive Masiyiwa is a Zimbabwean-born billionaire businessman, telecommunications pioneer, and philanthropist who transformed Africa’s communications landscape by founding Econet and successfully challenging Zimbabwe’s state telecommunications monopoly through a landmark five-year legal battle.
Profile Summary
| Full Name | Strive Masiyiwa |
| Date of Birth | January 29, 1961 |
| Place of Birth | Zimbabwe |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean (London-based) |
| State of Origin | Zimbabwe |
| Partner | Tsitsi Masiyiwa (wife, social entrepreneur) |
| Children | Elizabeth Tanya (eldest daughter) and others |
| Occupations | Telecommunications entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, businessman |
| Net Worth | Approximately $1.2 billion |
Early Life and Education
Strive Masiyiwa was born on January 29, 1961, in Zimbabwe. His family fled to Zambia in 1968 due to regional instability. At age 12, he was sent to study at a private school in Edinburgh, Scotland.
After graduating high school in 1978, he returned to Zimbabwe and earned a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Wales (Cardiff University) in 1983.
He briefly worked in Cambridge, England, before returning to Zimbabwe in 1984 to join Zimbabwe Posts and Telecommunications Corporations as a senior engineer. He has since received honorary doctorates from Stellenbosch University and Yale University.
Career
In 1993, Masiyiwa founded Econet after recognizing the promise of new mobile technologies, becoming one of the early pioneers of the mobile telecoms industry in Africa.
His success came after a five-year constitutional legal battle against Zimbabwe’s state telecommunications monopoly, a landmark ruling that opened African telecommunications to private capital and transformed communications across the continent.
He has founded and invested in businesses globally spanning Africa, Europe, India, Latin America, the Middle East, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.
His most prominent companies include Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, Mascom Wireless Botswana, Econet Wireless Nigeria (now Airtel Nigeria), Econet Wireless New Zealand (now 2degrees), and Cassava Technologies, which comprises Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Africa Data Centres, Sasai Fintech, Cassava AI, and Liquid C2 Cloud & Cybersecurity.
He has also invested in Telrad Group Israel and Trilogy Capital Partners Canada. Since 2013, he has devoted significant time to mentoring the next generation of African entrepreneurs through his Facebook page with over 5.2 million young followers and in-person youth entrepreneurship town halls across Africa and the world.
He served 15 years on the Rockefeller Foundation board, is Chairman Emeritus of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and co-founded the Carbon War Room, Global Business Coalition on Education, and Micronutrient Initiative.
Personal Life
Strive Masiyiwa is based in London but remains Zimbabwean by nationality. He is guided by his deep Christian faith, which influences his philanthropic work.
He is married to Tsitsi Masiyiwa, a social entrepreneur who co-founded the Higherlife Foundation with him in 1996. The couple launched their philanthropic efforts together and have been recognized jointly for their work.
He has children including Elizabeth Tanya, his eldest daughter, who leads Delta Philanthropies alongside his wife Tsitsi. The Masiyiwa couple maintains a private personal life but is known for their shared commitment to Christian faith and African development.
Net Worth
Strive Masiyiwa is Zimbabwe’s first billionaire and one of Africa’s wealthiest individuals. His estimated net worth is approximately $1.2 billion, which he has amassed through the telecommunications company Econet. He has devoted much of this fortune to empowering Africa’s people through philanthropy.
Philanthropy
Masiyiwa’s philanthropy focuses on education, healthcare, and economic development, impacting millions across Africa:
- Higherlife Foundation: Co-founded in 1996 with wife Tsitsi, supporting education of over 350,000 to 400,000 vulnerable and gifted children across Africa, expanded to Burundi, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, and South Africa, focuses on education, health, disaster relief and preparedness, and rural transformation
- Delta Philanthropies: Founded in 2017, supporting over 250,000 people with scholarships and leadership training, invested $100 million on job creation, invested $60 million on healthcare and crisis response, provides scholarships from early childhood to doctoral studies
- Beginnings Fund: Delta Philanthropies is a founding donor for the nearly $500 million fund launched in May 2025 to improve newborn and maternal health across Africa
- Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA): Served as chair, promoting sustainability efforts for Africa’s small farmers
- Youth Entrepreneurship: Mentoring through Facebook with 5.2+ million followers and town halls across Africa
Awards and Honours
Masiyiwa has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing his business leadership and philanthropic contributions:
- 2017: Honorary Doctorate from Nelson Mandela University
- 2019: World Food Prize Borlaug Medallion for his role as Chair of AGRA
- 2023: International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2024: W.E.B. Du Bois Medal from Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research
- 2025: David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award with wife Tsitsi
- 2025: TIME100 Philanthropy Honoree by Time Magazine with Tsitsi
- 2025: TIME 100 Most Influential People in AI by Time Magazine (August 2025)
- Honorary Doctorates from Stellenbosch University and Yale University
- Inductee into the Global Business Hall of Fame
