Masiyiwa awarded Harvard’s highest honour

Strive Masiyiwa, the visionary entrepreneur and founder of the Econet Group, has been honoured by Harvard University for his extraordinary contributions to African and African American history and culture.

Masiyiwa was among eight distinguished individuals awarded the coveted W. E. B. Du Bois Medal at the ninth Hutchins Centre Honours, hosted by the Hutchins Centre for African & African American Research at Harvard University on Tuesday (October 1, 2024).

The W. E. B. Du Bois Medal is Harvard’s highest honour in African and African American studies. Masiyiwa and his fellow luminaries were celebrated for their exceptional work across various fields of endeavour and recognized for their efforts in advancing social justice.

Masiyiwa, known for his groundbreaking work in telecommunications and philanthropy, has left an indelible mark on Africa and beyond.

As the founder of pan-African and global companies Econet Group and Cassava Technologies, Masiyiwa has driven economic empowerment and prosperity across the continent through digital tools, technology, and connectivity. His business ventures span the globe, including operations in Europe, India, the Middle East, the UK, and the USA.

In his opening remarks, Henry Louis Gates, Jr, Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Centre, highlighted the honourees’ dedication to combating societal ills such as racism, sexism and xenophobia.

“The Hutchins Centre recognises the contributions of these eight Du Bois Medallists whose genius is evident not only in their respective fields but also in their unwavering commitments to combating racism, sexism, and xenophobia, to protecting the freedom of thought and expression, and to celebrating the rich history and cultures of people of African descent throughout our rich diaspora,” Gates said.

Glenn H. Hutchins, co-founder of North Island and chairman of the Hutchins Centre’s National Advisory Board, praised the honourees for their transformative impact across academia, business, and the arts.

“We honour an extraordinary group of individuals whose accomplishments have created new standards in academia, education, sports, the arts, entertainment, and business. In addition to celebrating their achievements, our awards ceremony seeks to share their example with the many students who are able to join us, plus the broader community, and beyond. This is a group that inspires us all to persist in our work of bending the arc of history toward justice,” Hutchins said.

Masiyiwa’s global leadership extends beyond business. He serves on the boards of Netflix Inc., the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and National Geographic Society, having previously held roles with organizations like The Rockefeller Foundation and Unilever Plc.

A champion of social justice and public health, Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi are committed philanthropists. The couple founded Higherlife Foundation in 1996, which has since awarded scholarships to more than 300 000 African youth.

Their efforts to tackle public health challenges have seen Masiyiwa play a leading role in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Ebola, malnutrition, and COVID-19. As the African Union’s Special Envoy for COVID-19, he spearheaded efforts to manage the continent’s response to the pandemic.

In recognition of his leadership in agriculture and food security, particularly as Chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Masiyiwa was awarded the prestigious Norman E. Borlaug World Food Prize Medallion.

Masiyiwa, a Zimbabwean by birth, who now resides in the UK, holds a BSc in Engineering from Cardiff University and honorary doctorates from several institutions, including Yale, Morehouse College, and Nelson Mandela University.

The 2023 honourees represent a broad spectrum of talents and achievements. Alongside Masiyiwa, recipients of the W. E. B. Du Bois Medal include Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee, Emmy Award-winning actor and director LeVar Burton.

Also recognized were Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar and co-founder of the African American Policy Forum, Kathy Delaney-Smith, Harvard University’s women’s basketball coach for 40 years, Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, and Francia Márquez Mina, Vice President of Colombia.

Earlier in the ceremony on Tuesday, Kenneth E. Reeves and Linda Sowell Jackson, founders of Harvard’s Kuumba Singers, were also awarded the Du Bois Medal, marking the 50th anniversary of the influential singing group.-ebsinessweekl