Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwe's richest man, honored with Harvard's top award in African and African American studies

Omokolade Ajayi -
Key Points
  • Strive Masiyiwa receives Harvard's W. E. B. Du Bois Medal, joining past honorees like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Maya Angelou for his cultural contributions.
  • The W. E. B. Du Bois Medal honors individuals enriching African and African American studies, highlighting Masiyiwa's initiatives in education and public health.
  • With a net worth of $1.8 billion, Masiyiwa's investments span Econet Wireless and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, enhancing digital infrastructure across Africa.

Zimbabwe’s richest man, Strive Masiyiwa, has been awarded the prestigious W. E. B. Du Bois Medal by Harvard University, recognizing his substantial contributions to African and African American history and culture.

This honor places him among a distinguished group of past recipients, including NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, late Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, boxing icon Muhammad Ali, and late American memoirist Maya Angelou, who received the award posthumously.

The W. E. B. Du Bois Medal is Harvard's highest accolade in African and African American studies, awarded to scholars, artists, writers, journalists, philanthropists, and public servants whose work has enriched the field. Masiyiwa’s selection underscores the impact of his initiatives in advancing cultural and educational opportunities for Africans and the African diaspora.

A legacy of recognition

Masiyiwa's latest accolade adds to his extensive collection of honors. He was recognized in 2011 by The Times of London as one of the 25 Leaders of Africa's Renaissance. In 2014, Fortune Magazine named him one of the 50 most influential business leaders globally, and he has been cited among the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine.

In recent years, Masiyiwa, along with his wife, Tsitsi, has focused on public health challenges, taking a leading role in combating HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malnutrition, and COVID-19. Their charitable efforts through the Higherlife Foundation support orphaned and underprivileged children across Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi, and Lesotho.

Leadership in health and agriculture

In his capacity as the African Union’s Special Envoy for COVID-19, Masiyiwa played a vital role in managing the continent's pandemic response. His contributions to agriculture and food security were also recognized with the Norman E. Borlaug World Food Prize Medallion, awarded for his leadership as Chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

As the only African member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience and a participant in two UN Advisory Panels, Masiyiwa's influence extends well beyond business. In December 2020, Bloomberg named him one of the 50 most influential people in the world, and in 2021, Fortune Magazine listed him among the World's 50 Greatest Leaders for his pivotal role in the African Union's COVID-19 response and vaccine acquisition.

Masiyiwa was also honored in 2022 as UK Spear's Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year, and in April 2023, he became an International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an organization founded in 1780 to honor excellence and leadership.

Financial success and entrepreneurial ventures

Strive Masiyiwa, with a net worth of $1.8 billion, is one of Africa's billionaires, thanks to his substantial stake in Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, a key part of his Econet Group. He also holds significant investments in EcoCash, a mobile money transfer service.

Masiyiwa's portfolio includes a stake in Liquid Intelligent Technologies, which provides fiber optic and cloud services to telecom companies across Africa. A subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, Liquid operates an extensive 110,000 km fiber broadband network, establishing itself as a leading digital infrastructure provider on the continent.

Under Masiyiwa's leadership, Liquid has forged strategic partnerships, including one with U.S.-based Globalstar to enhance 5G connectivity in Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf. In 2023, Liquid expanded by acquiring Cairo-based cloud and cybersecurity firm Cysiv MEA, extending its reach into the Middle East.