Strive Masiyiwa now Zimbabwe’s first billionaire!

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 14^th 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.

Below are Africa’s billionaires and their ranking:

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