The telecom behemoth Econet Wireless appointed Sarah Masiyiwa as an alternate director alongside her elder sister, Elizabeth Tanya.
Sarah’s appointment to the company’s board under her new role took effect on the 1st of October 2025.
She has joined her sister, Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa, in the same role, who has been a full director since April 2022, as reported by Billionaires.Africa.
The move strengthens the hold of the Masiyiwa family’s Econet organization, founded by their father, Strive Masiyiwa.
Econet noted back in September, when the move was first initiated, that Sarah would bring a level of “investment strategy and business development” to the company to help it scale further.
She boasts considerable expertise in economics, journalism, and oversight positions in global media, which the company believes would be pivotal in her leadership role.
With a background in banking, international finance, and social entrepreneurship, she has led initiatives in education, philanthropy, and technology through platforms like Higherlife Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, and Simba Education.
Her expertise in innovation and social impact aligns perfectly with the company’s commitment to both digital transformation and community development.
With both appointments, the family has consolidated its influence over the company, now holding two seats on the board of directors.
The appointments also highlight Strive Masiyiwa’s withdrawal from leadership in the company to focus on the growth of a new phenomenon sweeping the tech space: AI.
Strive Masiyiwa’s focus on AI
Recent reports show that Zimbabwe’s richest man, Strive Masiyiwa, has taken a keen interest in the proliferation of AI.
This is highlighted by major investments in the field, given his plans to build five artificial intelligence (AI) factories across Africa within the next year, as part of a $720 million investment through his company Cassava Technologies.
The factories are set to be built in Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
The objective, according to Masiyiwa, is to lessen dependency on foreign cloud providers by providing major African markets with access to their own cutting-edge AI infrastructure.
The Zimbabwean billionaire described his plan as part of Cassava’s “Sovereign AI Cloud” strategy, which aims to allow African countries to host and run their own AI systems locally.
In recent years, he has expanded Cassava from telecoms into cloud computing, fintech, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
Many African universities, researchers, and startups have already booked space to use this computing power.
