Masiyiwa joins the board of advisors of Laurel Strategies

Zimbabwean billionaire and Econet Group founder Strive Masiyiwa has been appointed to the Board of Advisors of Laurel Strategies, a global CEO advisory firm that counsels senior executives of Fortune 500 companies on strategy, crisis management, corporate reputation and governance.

The appointment, announced by Laurel Strategies in a formal statement, further strengthens Masiyiwa's growing influence in international business leadership and strategic advisory circles.

The firm said Masiyiwa's experience as a global entrepreneur and business leader would enhance its ability to advise chief executives navigating increasingly complex geopolitical, regulatory and operational environments.

Laurel Strategies provides strategic counsel to CEOs and boards across multiple industries, advising on issues ranging from stakeholder management and corporate communications to governance, board effectiveness and international expansion.

Masiyiwa's appointment reflects the evolution of his career beyond entrepreneurship into that of a trusted adviser to global business and political leaders.

Over the past decade, he has assumed several influential international roles, including serving as the African Union's Special Envoy during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he co-chaired the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT). The initiative secured approximately 220 million vaccine doses for countries across the continent during the global health crisis.

He also serves on the boards of several prominent international organisations, including Unilever, Netflix and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Masiyiwa was also co-chair of the inaugural US-Africa Business Summit alongside former United States President Barack Obama and is widely regarded as one of Africa's most influential voices in global business and investment.

His business journey began in Zimbabwe in 1993 when he founded Econet. However, the company's launch was delayed by a seven-year legal battle with the Zimbabwean government over the liberalisation of the country's mobile telecommunications sector.

After successfully challenging the government's monopoly in the Supreme Court in 1998, Masiyiwa launched Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, laying the foundation for what has become one of Africa's largest diversified technology groups.

Today, the Econet Group has interests spanning telecommunications, fintech, digital infrastructure, energy, agriculture and media across more than 20 African countries and several international markets.

Its subsidiaries include Cassava Technologies, a leading provider of cloud computing, digital infrastructure and fintech services, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, which operates one of Africa's largest fibre broadband networks, connecting more than 35 countries.

Masiyiwa relocated to the United Kingdom in 2000, citing security concerns, but has continued to focus much of his investment activity on Africa while becoming an influential advocate for entrepreneurship, education and economic development across the continent.

Through the Higherlife Foundation, one of sub-Saharan Africa's largest private philanthropic organisations, he has supported more than 250,000 children with scholarships, mentorship programmes and educational assistance in Zimbabwe and other African countries.

His appointment to Laurel Strategies formally recognises a role he has increasingly played over many years—providing strategic advice to multinational corporations, African governments and international institutions on investment, leadership and economic development.

For Laurel Strategies, the addition of Masiyiwa brings the perspective of an entrepreneur who has successfully built businesses in some of the world's most challenging operating environments while advising governments, multilateral institutions and global corporations on Africa's evolving investment landscape.