Exiled Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa, often described as Zimbabwe’s richest man, is now a billionaire for the first time, according to the latest Forbes rankings released today.
His current net worth is estimated at $1.7 billion raking him 14th among Africa’s 23 billionaires.
According to Forbes:
Masiyiwa overcame protracted government opposition to launch mobile phone network Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in his country of birth in 1998.
He owns just over 50% of the publicly-traded Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, which is one part of his larger Econet Group.
Masiyiwa also owns just over half of private company Liquid Telecom, which provides fiber optic and satellite services to telecom firms across Africa.
His other assets include stakes in mobile phone networks in Burundi and Lesotho, and investments in fintech and power distribution firms in Africa.
He and his wife Tsitsi founded the Higherlife Foundation, which supports orphaned and poor children in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi and Lesotho.
