Strive Masiyiwa is one of Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs, a generous humanitarian and philanthropist. Born in Zimbabwe in 1961, Masiyiwa’s family eventually moved to Zambia where he grew up. Driven by purpose after university education in the UK, he returned home in 1984 after 17 years.
After working briefly as a telecoms engineer for the state-owned telephone company, he quit his job and set up his own company with the equivalent of US$75. In five years, he had emerged as one of the country’s leading industrialists, having built a large electrical engineering business. When he set out to diversify into telecom to help build the telecommunications industry in Zimbabwe, his journey was met with fierce opposition from the Mugabe-led government, claiming monopoly in telecom.
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Indeed, Strive Masiyiwa saw something that his government could not see which was why the government’s refusal to him, “must surely rank amongst the greatest follies in the world of business: They could have owned the Econet
Wireless Group, but instead they declared war on me!” he said.
Today, Strive is the most successful Entrepreneur to emerge from Zimbabwe. His influence spans Africa and the entire globe. Econet Wireless is easily Zimbabwe’s most successful corporation with a subscriber base of over 6 million and magnetizing investors worldwide. Headquartered in Johannesburg, it has operations across Africa, Europe and Asia.
Over the last few years, Masiyiwa has devoted his time to mentoring the next generation of African entrepreneurs on his Facebook page. Facebook has identified his platform as having the most engaged following of any business leader in the world. In today’s video, you will learn at least 7 valuable life lessons from Strive Masiyiwa, a man who have strived to live up to his first name.
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Be Unapologetically Relentless on what You Believe is Right
Masiyiwa has met with fierce competition more than most entrepreneurs. When he lost his court cases for a telecoms license to the Zimbabwean government in 1994, he pushed further by appealing to the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe. He could have easily avoided this battle by accepting prevailing corrupt practice at the time, but according to him, he wanted to prove that “it’s possible to do business successfully in Africa without being corrupt”. And this has been his mantra till today. Four years later, at the brink of bankruptcy, he won the case.
Being in court with the government would have looked like an impossible and already lost case. But perseverance brought victory. Never allow yourself to become a “grasshopper in your own eyes,” even if others see you as nothing more or less. Masiyiwa has come to relish obstacles and challenges. To him, challenges are opportunities in disguise.
Watch the rest of Strive Masiyiwa’s Ultimate Life Lessons in the Youtube video below. Play a part in your friends’ lives today by sharing this video and what you know now with them.
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Until next time, YOUR SUCCESS MATTERS!
