Encomium
-Displaces ex-Zenith Bank staff turned oil mogul
Billionaire mogul and Group Chairman, Econet Wireless, Mr. Strive Masiyiwa is Christ Embassy Church’s highest donor. The Zimbabwe-born serial entrepreneur displaced a Nigerian oil baron simply identified as Dolapo, now the highest woman sponsor in the popular pentecostal church.
At the end of every year (at the Partners Conference), Pastor Chris identifies and honours members, who are outstanding in sponsoring the church. And last year, Econet boss, Strive Masiyiwa came tops for contributing millions of dollars to the Lord’s vineyard.
A multi-billionaire with a large heart, Masiyiwa is committed to economic empowerment and charitable causes in Africa. For instance, Econet Wireless funds the largest orphan care in Africa. Run by Capernaum Trust, it was established in 1999 as the social investment arm of the global telecommunications company. It is currently catering for over 40,000 orphans. Before then, he was a co-ordinating committee member of the Social Dimensions Fund (SDF), an initiative to alleviate the impact of poverty in his native Zimbabwe.
He is the founder, Econet Wireless Development Foundation and trustee, Rockefeller Foundation. He is also the founder of Joshua Nkomo Scholarship Trust, trustee, Yookos Trust, financier, Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s e-Health Ambassadors Programme, member Board of Trustee, Hilton Humanitarian Prize. The founder, Global Business Coalition for Education, the devout Christian is also the co-chairman of Grow Africa.
How Masiyiwa makes his money
If you were wondering how Strive Masiyiwa makes his mega bucks, don’t bother yourself. The man of means has multiple streams of income. His flagship business, like you already known, is South-African based Econet Wireless which is now a global telecommunications group with operations, investments and offices in more than 15 countries, including Africa, Europe, USA, Latin America and Asia Pacific.
Masiyiwa’s other business activities are mobile telephony, fixed networks, enterprise networks, fibre optic cables and satellite services. He also provides payment solution to banks across Africa. Some of Masiyiwa’s business organizations are also top players in insurance, renewable energy and hospitality industry. He also bottles Coca-Cola.
His encounter with Pastor Chris
Strive Masiyiwa became a member of Christ Embassy through his wife, Tsitsi, who reportedly witnessed first-hand Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s spiritual power. Upon invitation by his wife, he was convinced he was real. Hence, he became a partner. And ever since he joined the church in South Africa, Oyakhilome has also strategically positioned most of the international operations of Christ Embassy there. The reason many concluded he has relocated to Madiba’s native land.
More about Strive Masiyiwa
Strive Masiyiwa was born in 1961 in Harare, Zimbabwe, formerly called, Rhodesia. His family later moved to Kitwe, North-Central Zambia during the apartheid era. His parents were successful business men who greatly influenced him.
He had the privilege of an European education, in fact, he went to a private school in Edinburgh, Scotland. Graduating in 1978, he later bagged a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Wales, Britain in 1983. He returned to Zimbabwe in 1978, to help the country’s recovery after independence.
Masiyiwa would lead another struggle, this time to liberate the Zimbabwean economy from government in favour of free enterprise. He engaged the authorities in a five-year legal battle. And when he won, the telecoms sector was liberated, giving birth to Econet Wireless, now a leading global brand.
Married to Mrs. Tsitsi Masiyiwa (nee Maramba), the billionaire philanthropist has six children.
– UCHE OLEHI
