Published on 02/12/2023
Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwe’s richest man and the founder of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited, Strive Masiyiwa has taken a commendable step in advancing education for orphaned and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe.
- Masiyiwa has granted an impressive 11,100 scholarships, with 5,300 distributed in the first half of this year alone.
- Higherlife Foundation, founded by Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi Masiyiwa in 1996, remains steadfast in its commitment to investing in Africa’s human capital.
- Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi have granted scholarships to over 250,000 African youth, enabling access to quality education and fostering global contributions.
Through his philanthropic arm, Higherlife Foundation, Masiyiwa has granted an impressive 11,100 scholarships, with 5,300 distributed in the first half of this year alone, Billionaires Africa reported
Higherlife Foundation, founded by Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi Masiyiwa in 1996, remains steadfast in its commitment to investing in Africa’s human capital.
James Myers, chairman of the Econet board, states, “Education remains at the core of our mission to create positive change within the communities we serve. During the period under review, we embarked on a recruitment exercise that awarded more than 5,300 scholarships to orphaned and vulnerable children.”
Myers stressed the crucial role of education as a fundamental human right stating, “By enabling greater access to education, Higherlife Foundation strives to create a ripple effect of empowerment, individual freedom, and ultimately poverty eradication.”
The foundation’s dedication to social impact is further evident through “Akello” — an end-to-end digital learning platform that delivers quality education to millions of school children across Africa.
Emphasising the impact of Akello, Myers noted that “To date, over 34,600 students have accessed the platform through the Akello tech scholarships, embracing unique and interactive digital learning experiences.”
African Billionaires Are Giving Back To Their Communities
African billionaires are increasingly recognising the importance of giving back to their communities. A recent philanthropy study shows that these wealthy individuals use their resources to impact the continent positively.
Prominent philanthropists include Aliko Dangote, Patrice Motsepe, Femi Otedola & Tony Elumelu, who have donated millions of dollars to various causes such as education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.
Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi have granted scholarships to over 250,000 African youth, enabling access to quality education and fostering global contributions.
His philanthropic organisations — Higherlife Foundation and Delta Philanthropies — continue to lead the charge in educational empowerment, impacting the lives of thousands of vulnerable children across Zimbabwe.
20 Things You Don’t Know About Strive Masiyiwa.
1. Beyond telecoms, Strive Masiyiwa’s business activities include operations and investments in some of Africa’s leading businesses in financial services, insurance, renewable energy, bottling for Coca-Cola, hotel and safari lodges.
2.In 1990, Strive Masiyiwa was the youngest ever recipient of Zimbabwe’s coveted Businessman of the Year Award; in 1998 he was named his country’s Manager of the Year as well as Entrepreneur of the Year. He was named by Junior Chamber International (JCI) as one of the “Ten Most Outstanding Young Persons of the World” for 1999. In 2002 he was named to Time Magazine‘s Global Business Influentials List.
3. In 2014 he was listed as one of the The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.
4. Strive Masiyiwa was the publisher of the Daily News, Zimbabwe’s only independent daily newspaper, shut down by the Zimbabwean government in late 2003
5. Strive Masiyiwa is a devout born again Christian
6. Strive Masiyiwa devotes his time to educating young African youths on Entrepreneurship.
7. Strive Masiyiwa is also a member of the Africa Progress Panel (APP), a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa.
8. Strive Masiyiwa’s Econet Wireless is a diversified telecommunications group with operations and investments in Africa, Europe, South America and the East Asia Pacific Rim, offering products and services in the core areas of mobile and fixed telephony services, internet and satellite
9. Strive Masiyiwa’s Econet company was duly licensed in December 1997 after a long court battle.
10. When he was 7, his family fled the country and settled in Kitwe, Zambia
11. Strive Masiyiwa’s mother was an entrepreneur , his father worked at first in one of the nearby mines but later joined the family business.
12.At age 12 Strive Masiyiwa was sent to a private school in Edinburgh, Scotland. He graduated in 1978
13. In Britain, he earned a degree in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Wales in 1983(Cum Laude)
14. Starting up Strive Masiyiwa sold his sports car to fund his working capital.
15. Strive Masiyiwa reads a newspaper with a pen in my hand, and always has a notebook.
16. To fund his business Strive Masiyiwa got $250,000, in debt and equity from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank .
17. Strive Masiyiwa named his company Enhanced Communications Network before Dr Nkosana Moyo, and he was CEO of Standard Chartered Merchant Bank Zimbabwe encouraged him to change it to ECONET
18. Strive Masiyiwa offered PTC (now TelOne) 51% equity in his mobile business which they turned down
19. When Strive Masiyiwa lost the Supreme Court case in June 1994, he was totally devastated.
20. Vice President of the country, Joshua Nkomo helped cease the persecution against Strive Masiyiwa
