STRIVE Masiyiwa the billionaire founder of Econet Wireless has stepped down from the telecommunications giant’s board of directors effective February 1.
He has been on the board since inception of the company in 1993.
In a statement released Friday, Econet Wireless’ board and management expressed gratitude to Masiyiwa whose leadership they credited for the company’s growth.
“It is through his leadership, dedication and perseverance that the company has grown to become one of Zimbabwe’s largest and most successful businesses,” reads the statement signed by group company secretary Charles Banda.
“The Board and management takes this opportunity to express their appreciation to Mr. Masiyiwa for his entrepreneurial leadership and his unwavering commitment to the company and his philanthropy that has changed the lives of so many in Zimbabwe and across Africa.”
Masiyiwa’s conglomerate has grown to be one of Africa’s largest employer with interests spanning across the continent.
His telecommunications, banking and other businesses place him in the top 10 of Africa’s richest people.
His philanthropic work has also not gone unnoticed on the globe. He sits on a number of respectable boards which include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, National Geographic, Unilever, Netflix, has been on the The Rockerfeller Foundation and is the only African member of the United States Holocaust Memorial.
