Strive Masiyiwa dreams of a future where every African, without exception, is digitally connected. His impact on the continent has been widely recognized and honored.

Strive Masiyiwa (photo), a philanthropist and businessman from Zimbabwe, is the founder and executive chairman of Cassava Technologies. His use of technology has significantly improved the lives of individuals and businesses across Africa, creating a wealth of opportunities and stimulating economic growth.

Established in 2021, Cassava Technologies has emerged as a pillar of digital transformation in Africa. Headquartered in London and operating in 31 countries, the company provides a wide array of products and services in as many as 94 countries. Its portfolio includes subsidiaries such as Liquid Network, Liquid Dataport, Liquid C2, Africa Data Centres, Distributed Power Africa, Sasai Fintech, Telrad, and Vaya Technologies.

Cassava Technologies is a part of the Econet Group, which also encompasses Econet Wireless. The latter is a telecommunications service provider in sub-Saharan Africa, offering services like mobile and fixed wireless telephony, public telephones, internet access, and payment solutions. It launched its inaugural mobile network in 1998.

In addition to his business ventures, Masiyiwa is deeply committed to social causes through the Higherlife Foundation, which he co-founded with his wife, Tsitsi. The foundation has supported the education of 250,000 orphaned children across Africa and has also sponsored health programs, disaster relief, and rural development initiatives.

Masiyiwa has been a non-executive director of Netflix since 2020 and also serves on the board of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and National Geographic, a premier media outlet in science and exploration. He is a member of the global advisory board for Bank of America.

From 2003 to 2018, Masiyiwa was a board member of the Rockefeller Foundation and served as a non-executive director for the consumer goods company Unilever from 2016 to 2024. He was an African Union special envoy for combating Covid-19 from 2020 to 2022.

Masiyiwa’s significant impact on the tech scene, both in Africa and globally, has earned him numerous accolades. In January 1990, he was honored as the Zimbabwean Businessman of the Year. In January 2020, Bloomberg named him among the 50 Most Influential People in the World, and Mail & Guardian listed him among the 100 Most Influential Africans. That same year, JA Worldwide inducted him into the Junior Achievement Worldwide Global Business Hall of Fame. In 2021, Fortune Magazine ranked him among the 50 Greatest World Leaders.

Melchior Koba