3 Zimbabweans bigshots join Ramaphosa at Joburg AI Summit

Three of Zimbabwe's most prominent business leaders have become the centre of a lively social media debate after appearing alongside South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Google Cloud Summit in Johannesburg, as anti-immigration protests unfolded across South Africa.

Videos from Wednesday's summit showed President Ramaphosa walking with Strive Masiyiwa, James Manyika and Ralph Tendai Mupita, all Zimbabwean-born executives leading some of Africa's largest technology and telecommunications businesses.

The footage quickly spread across social media platforms, coinciding with demonstrations in several parts of South Africa calling for stricter action against undocumented foreign nationals.

Protesters accused foreign nationals of taking jobs, placing pressure on public services and contributing to crime, while organisers called for tighter border controls, mass deportations and greater employment opportunities for South African citizens.

According to 2024 figures released by Statistics South Africa, South Africa is home to an estimated 3.9 million migrants, with Zimbabweans forming the country's largest migrant community.

The juxtaposition of anti-immigration protests and the prominent role played by Zimbabwean executives at a major technology summit quickly became a topic of discussion online.

One social media user wrote: "South Africans are marching against immigrants while their President walks with three Zimbabweans to talk about the future of AI."

Another posted: "You can't chase immigrants and then invite them to build your economy."

The three executives are among Africa's most influential corporate leaders.

Masiyiwa founded Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and through Liquid Intelligent Technologies has built one of the continent's largest digital infrastructure businesses.

Manyika serves as Senior Vice President at Google, where he oversees key artificial intelligence initiatives, while Mupita is President and Chief Executive Officer of MTN Group, Africa's largest mobile network operator, serving approximately 290 million subscribers across multiple markets.

Speaking during the summit, Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged South Africans' constitutional right to protest but stressed that the country also requires skills, investment and innovation from across the continent to support the growth of its digital economy.

The debate comes amid heightened tensions over immigration in South Africa, where high unemployment, pressure on public services and broader economic challenges have fuelled calls for tougher enforcement of immigration laws.

The viral images from Johannesburg have, however, prompted renewed discussion about the contribution of migrants to African economies, particularly in sectors such as technology, telecommunications and investment.