Strive Masiyiwa ranks #12 among the Top 20 Most Influential Africans in the 2025 list produced by The Africa Report, which includes luminaries such as Aliko Dangote (#1, Nigeria), Elon Musk (#2, South Africa/USA), and Koos Bekker (#3, South Africa) .
He appears in segment with other leaders across business, innovation, arts, media, and politics, including Chimamanda Adichie, Trevor Noah, Abiy Ahmed, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Winnie Byanyima.
Why Strive Masiyiwa Made the List
Telecom & Tech Innovation: As founder and executive chairman of Econet Global and Cassava Technologies, Masiyiwa has driven digital and fintech transformation across Africa .
Global Leadership: He serves on numerous prestigious boards Netflix, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Geographic Society and international advisory councils on climate, AI and development .
Philanthropy: Through the Higherlife Foundation (with his wife Tsitsi), he has funded more than 250,000 scholarships, supported orphans in education, and invested massively in health, leadership and rural development across Africa .
Recognition: Forbes estimated his net worth at around $2.7 billion as of January 2025 , and he was also featured in TIME’s Top 100 philanthropists of 2025 as a trailblazer alongside his wife.
The Top 20 Influencers>
The full top‑20 blend includes prominent executives, thinkers, artists and political figures such as Aliko Dangote (Nigeria), industrialist, Elon Musk (South Africa/USA), entrepreneur, Koos Bekker (South Africa), media pioneer, Chimamanda Adichie (Nigeria), writer, Trevor Noah (South Africa), entertainer, Strive Masiyiwa (Zimbabwe), tech & philanthropy leader,Winnie Byanyima (Uganda), activist & diplomat.
Strive Masiyiwa’s inclusion at position #12 underscores his significant continental and global impact in business innovation and social development.
His combination of entrepreneurial success, global boards, and massive philanthropic footprint stand in contrast with his ranking alongside celebrities, political leaders, and cultural figures.
His record of education-first philanthropy, board-level influence in global institutions, and pioneering in telecom/AI make him a uniquely multidimensional leader.
