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Strive Masiyiwa
Telecoms entrepreneur & philanthropist
The founder who fought his own government for five years — then built a telecoms empire.
The rise
Masiyiwa waged a five-year legal battle to break Zimbabwe's state telecom monopoly, founding Econet Wireless.
What they did
He built a pan-African and global telecoms and fintech group, became one of Africa's most prominent business voices, and funded scholarships for tens of thousands of African students and orphans.
The full picture
Operating across difficult markets — and from exile at times — has been fraught, but his persistence redrew African telecoms.
Why it matters
Masiyiwa is a model of principled entrepreneurship and large-scale African philanthropy.
“Africa's greatest resource is not its minerals, but its people.”
What citizens said
Afrobarometer Round 9 (2021–2023) — Zimbabwe
Trust in president51%
Trust in parliament44%
Trust in courts54%
% who say 'trust somewhat' or 'trust a lot' · Afrobarometer Dispatch No. 891