Strive Masiyiwa
He built a pan-African telecom empire from scratch, connecting millions and challenging political power with entrepreneurial grit.
Born 1961 (age 65)·Zimbabwean businessman·Birthday: January 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born in Zimbabwe, Strive Masiyiwa launched his career as a telecoms engineer before founding Econet Wireless. His path was not smooth; he waged a five-year legal battle against the Zimbabwean government for a cellular license, a fight he won, setting a precedent for private enterprise in Africa. From that victory, Econet grew into a multinational group with operations in telecommunications, fintech, and renewable energy across the continent and beyond. Masiyiwa channels his wealth into philanthropy through the Higherlife Foundation, focusing on education and healthcare, and has become a vocal advocate for vaccine equity and good governance. His story is one of defiant creation, proving that business can be a force for both connectivity and social change in emerging markets.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Strive was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Strive Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Strive's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded and chairs Econet Global, a multinational telecommunications and technology group operating in over 20 countries.
- Won a landmark constitutional case against the Zimbabwean government to secure a private telecom license in 1998.
- Co-founded the philanthropic Higherlife Foundation, which has supported the education of over 250,000 African children.
- Played a key role in African COVID-19 response efforts as a founding member of the African Union's Vaccine Acquisition Task Team.
Did You Know?
He was a refugee for a time during the Rhodesian Bush War, fleeing to Zambia.
Forbes first listed him as a billionaire in 2014.
He is a member of the Giving Pledge, committing to donate the majority of his wealth.
His first business venture at age 24 was an electrical contracting firm.
““The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.””
