US Yale University honours Masiyiwa




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Econet Wireless Group Chairman, Strive Masiyiwa has received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Yale University, USA.

The university’s principal governing body, Yale Corporation awards honorary degrees to individuals for their outstanding achievement and contributions to society, and Masiyiwa’s work has not gone unnoticed.

Those previously honoured include Martin Luther King, Jr., Frank Lloyd Wright, Hilary Clinton, Benjamin Franklin and Wangari Maathai to name just a few.

Masiyiwa is one of Africa’s leading shapers and seasoned leaders, with his visionary leadership and fortitude manifesting in the Econet Group’s success story in Africa and the world.

“Strive Masiyiwa you see opportunities others miss, demonstrate courage of your convictions at every turn. Great Visionary. Bold Business leader. Devout Philanthropist. Your innovation and generosity has transformed a continent and improved countless lives,” said Yale Corporation President, Peter Salovey during the degree awarding ceremony in New Haven, Connecticut.

Masiyiwa was named among the world’s top 50 greatest leaders by Fortune Magazine in 2014 and 2017 as well as one of Africa’s 10 Most Powerful Men in Africa by Forbes.

Together with his wife, Tsitsi, Strive started Higherlife Foundation, a non-profit organisation on a mission to invest in Africa’s people – our human capital – to drive Africa’s prosperity.

The Foundation has since 1996 supported over 250,000 African orphans by providing them with scholarships, access to quality education and lifelong development.

The Foundation’s portfolio has since expanded to include impact investments in leadership development, gender equality, healthcare and sanitation, education, job creation and entrepreneurship, and rural transformation

Masiyiwa is a member of the SMART Africa board, where he contributes to digital transformation strategy throughout the African continent.

He also serves on the boards of Unilever and the National Geographic Society; chairs the board of AGRA, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa; and sits on the global advisory councils of Stanford University and the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations.

He has also served on two United Nations (UN) commissions; the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity and Sustainable Energy for All.