*Strive Masiyiwa Champions Lifelong Learning as Key to Personal and Business Growth*

By Ross Moyo

*Strive Masiyiwa Champions Lifelong Learning as Key to Personal and Business Growth*

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe founder and prominent entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa has advocated for lifelong learning as the most effective approach to personal growth and professional success — regardless of one’s background, age, or industry.

Posting on his official Facebook page, Masiyiwa wrote:

“#LifelongLearning is the best approach.
The secret of making progress is to get started…”

Masiyiwa, who is also the founder of Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Cassava Technologies, shared insights from his personal journey and reading habits, highlighting the profound influence of literature on his thinking. He cited one of his favourite books:

“The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African” — the 1789 autobiography of a young African boy captured into slavery, who later educated himself, became an author, an entrepreneur, and a leading figure in the fight against slavery.

“I have always found his story incredibly inspiring,” Masiyiwa said. “Equiano overcame immense odds, teaching himself to read and write as an adult. By the age of 44, he published his autobiography, which had a significant impact on the abolition movement.”

Drawing parallels to modern life, Masiyiwa emphasized that education is not confined to formal schooling.

“Being educated has nothing to do with going to school — and certainly not with when you left school,” he said. “You can decide at almost any point in your life, if you are healthy, to learn about anything — and at your own pace.”

He shared a personal anecdote from his business journey: feeling out of depth during financial presentations, he enrolled in an accounting and finance course in his 30s to fill the knowledge gap.

“I didn’t learn accounting in school, and I felt uncomfortable when accountants were presenting. So I took action — and I loved it.”

Masiyiwa also recalled meeting a South African executive on a London street carrying a pile of books. The man, who lacked formal education growing up, told him he took time off every year to study and was now pursuing a PhD — proving that determination and persistence make formal education accessible at any age.

Encouraging others, Masiyiwa reminded his followers that with the availability of online learning platforms, gaining new skills is more accessible than ever.

“You don’t have to go to London or anywhere else. You can enrol in online courses and learn from the comfort of your home,” he said.

His core message: Don’t let your past or current circumstances limit your future.

“If you feel your education is inadequate for what you want to achieve, try to address it. Don’t disadvantage yourself by making excuses for something within your control to fix.”

Masiyiwa’s reflections underscore a powerful principle: Knowledge is not static, and learning never stops