Strive Masiyiwa

Strive Masiyiwa (born 29 January, 1961) is a London-based Zimbabwean billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of international technology groups Econet Global and Cassava Technologies. As of 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth at US$2.2 billion. Quotes Too many people think they run into failure that they’re done. Vision is what we hold onto. If we’re doing what God is calling us to, we are not losing anything. Cultures matter when we grow a business or organization. Multiculturalism begins with the way we think and thinking differently. Values are universal. Just because you have differences doesn’t mean you can’t embrace and work together across cultures and differences. You haven’t been to a country until you have been in the home of someone who lives there. If your business or vision solves a problem, people will seek it out. If you want to be a success, find a human need and reach out and solve it. Meeting a need changes the way people see themselves and changes the way they live. We’re raising kids to not only think for themselves but think for us as parents. You can mentor all you want but if you don’t model it, I won’t see. A dream often dies when it is shared with people who have not seen what you see. Building anything always takes longer than you think. A great vision is only as good as your ability to deliver daily wins. Consistency is the bridge to each short-term win that finally leads to the great vision. If you know how to do things you will always have a job. *If you know why you, you will always be the leader. Your people must believe in you. The best of our people are volunteers, whether we pay them or not. If you want to know who someone is, watch how they treat people they don’t need. The opportunity is in the problem. The moment I see a problem, I immediately begin to think about the opportunities that can be created by trying to solve it. When you are in a business, you must join associations, (both local and international), so that you can exchange ideas, with people from the same industry, including your competitors. This is how you “benchmark”. Before you dash off to implement something, try and find out what others have done, or not done. This is really how you should be using tools like the Internet. A vision on its own is not enough. Hard work and dedication are required to make that vision a reality.” Being promoted to a top position in your organization, or even being elected to public office, does not suddenly endow you with financial literacy, if you did not acquire and develop it, earlier in your life. Entrepreneurship without skills limits your growth potential. The worst “financial” decision you can ever make in your life, is to steal something. The second is like it, and that is to cheat someone. Even, if it would appear that you were never brought to account for it. Humility is that quality which enables you, to self assess, or even to accept criticism from others. It is also that quality, which enables, you to change course, if the direction you are taking is not yielding the desired results. Whether you’re a farmer, builder or engineer, the opportunities are equal: Just add a little. innovation. There is more to literacy than ‘reading’ and ‘writing’. Keeping proper, written records, is key to your success. Keep the records safe, and always have copies If you are working or you are running a business you have to set aside time and money to invest in your continued formal education and skills acquisition. You cannot get big and successful in business, without an ability to forge strong partnerships The most important thing in business is to know your partner If we tackle corruption, no child would sleep hungry, there would be no injustice, every child would be in school. The most powerful force against corruption is one person saying ‘no’. You can only find opportunities if you are looking for them. If you are to be an effective “nation builder”, make it your business, to understand what is “really” happening in the economy, both nationally and globally. Always try and benchmark yourself, among the best in the world Sit Down and Calculate the Cost First, Don’t Just Start. Attitude determines your altitude, if you have a bad attitude, even if you are way up there, you will come crashing down, and if you are still trying to take off, a bad attitude, will keep you on the ground, revving your engines but going nowhere. If you say someone is good, at something, what is your benchmark? Who are you comparing them with? When evaluating capability, or success, in anything, don’t listen to mumbo-jumbo rubbish. An Organisation That Does Not Invest In Itself, Has No Future. Integrity is better capital than money. You can accumulate it just like money, and you can use it just like money, but it goes further, and is enduring. No matter what business you are in, and no matter how small or mundane, the activities, there must be “continuous” investment in it. I always say to my business colleagues that you are not committed [to end corruption] until you speak out against it. The most powerful force, against corruption begins with one person, saying ‘NO’. If you want to be successful, you’ll need many specialised business skills, but probably the most important one will surprise you: it’s the capacity to READ! Yes, READ! When I look back at my own entrepreneurial career of almost 40 years, the biggest breakthrough came when I realised that raising money was a skill… an acquired skill. You are not born with it! As an entrepreneur, you must be conscious that every day you must negotiate with someone. We must use technology to address every day challenges of ordinary people. The most valuable employee is one who knows he or she comes to work to compete for business (irrespective of what they do for the company). Live your life as though everything you ‘say’ is being recorded somewhere, and you may be called to account for it one day… It’s not just a spiritual thing, anymore. Intergrity is better than capital or money. You can accumulate it just like money, and you can use it just like money, but it goes further and is enduring. If we tackle corruption, no child would sleep hungry, there would be no injustice, every child would be in school. The most powerful force awinst corruption is one person saying no. Attitude determines your altitude, if you have a bad attitude, een f you are way up there, you will come crashing down. You can only find opportunities if you are looking for them. A vision on its own is not enough. Hard work and dedication is required to make that vision a reality. Entrepreneurship without skills limits your growth potential. Whether you are a farmer, builder or engineer, the opportunities are equal: Just add a little innovation. We Africans are able to build companies that can operate in the global environment. If you begin to think business whether you own it or work for it like you would a well managed sports team you will learn a lot of very interesting lessons. The worst financial decision you can make in your life, is to steal something. The second is like it,and that is to cheat someone. Even, if it would appear that you were never brought to account for it. It certainly drives my values but I see that as manifest in my approach to things like corruption. I will not allow it within the organization and I've had many issues, as you know, where I have responded to very aggressively over corruption in different countries In an interview No I’m not an idealist in fact, if it’s an ideal that I cannot implement, I leave it to the philosophers. I'm about execution that’s what I'm about. I get things done. So If I cant go out and do it then I move on. In an interview External links Category:1961 births Category:Living people