Zimbabwe’s richest man, Strive Masiyiwa, has ignited widespread debate after issuing what many see as a pointed critique of the country’s flamboyant “Zvigananda” class — a group of politically connected businessmen whose public displays of wealth have become a defining feature of Zimbabwe’s social media landscape. Although Masiyiwa did not mention any names, his remarks have been widely interpreted as a veiled rebuke aimed at high-profile figures such as Wicknell Chivayo, Kuda Tagwirei, Scott Sakupwanya, Paul Tungwarara and several others who have come to symbolise the nation’s culture of conspicuous consumption.
In Zimbabwean popular discourse, the term Zvigananda has evolved into a label for individuals who flaunt immense riches through fleets of luxury vehicles, designer fashion, expensive beverages, lavish international holidays, and extravagant philanthropic gestures often conducted in front of cameras. On platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, these personalities routinely showcase their latest purchases and high-end lifestyles, cultivating an image of power, dominance and limitless financial muscle.
Masiyiwa’s Comment Sparks Claims He Mocked Zvigananda
However, behind the glitz lies a trail of controversy. Many of the individuals associated with Mbinga Culture — the social trend that elevates gaudy wealth as a symbol of success — are tied to opaque business dealings, questionable government tenders, and patronage networks with links to senior officials in the ruling ZANU–PF party. These connections have fuelled perceptions that their wealth is neither transparent nor entirely earned through conventional entrepreneurship.
Wicknell Chivayo has long been at the centre of high-profile scandals, most notably the botched Gwanda Solar Project, which saw millions of dollars disbursed without meaningful progress on the ground. He has also been linked to irregular multimillion-dollar procurement contracts through the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA). Scott Sakupwanya, a gold dealer and politician, has himself been associated with shadowy artisanal mining syndicates and featured prominently in a BBC investigative documentary exposing Zimbabwe’s illicit gold trade. Similarly, businessman Kuda Tagwirei has been sanctioned by the United States on allegations of corruption linked to state capture, particularly through monopolistic access to fuel, agriculture, and Command Agriculture supply chains. Paul Tungwarara, another member of the elite circle, is widely associated with luxury real estate acquisitions and political patronage.
These individuals have become the poster faces of a broader cultural phenomenon in which wealth is displayed publicly, aggressively and unapologetically — despite persistent questions about its origins and sustainability. It was against this backdrop that Masiyiwa’s remarks landed with such force.
Posting on his official Facebook page, the Econet Wireless founder urged young Zimbabweans to avoid idolising personalities whose success is measured primarily by the extravagance they display online. Masiyiwa described social-media-driven luxury exhibitions as “conspicuous consumption,” emphasising that genuine success is often quiet, disciplined and unglamorous.
“Whilst I will never be one to tell someone else how to spend money they have honestly earned,” he wrote, “I do need to point out one thing to those who look at such displays of wealth as proof that someone is actually ‘doing well’… let alone to use it as a benchmark of what is expected of you as an entrepreneur to ‘show’ that you are doing well. It actually means nothing at all, and it only fools those with little understanding of what real success looks like.”
To strengthen his point, Masiyiwa shared personal anecdotes about his interactions with global billionaires whose lifestyles were remarkably modest compared to the heavily stylised images projected by Zimbabwe’s Zvigananda class. He recalled visiting one billionaire’s home and being struck by the simplicity of their appearance: the man routinely wore the same jersey — complete with a hole in the elbow — while his wife’s only jewellery was a plain gold wedding band.
He recounted another instance in which a billionaire’s assistant had to buy him a last-minute shirt from an ordinary supermarket before a major public function, underscoring the indifference many truly wealthy individuals have towards designer labels or ostentatious fashion.
“To the truly wealthy, luxury brands and all that stuff don’t really matter,” Masiyiwa noted. “Conspicuous consumption — or the need for it — will destroy your capacity to build a truly successful business that contributes to your country’s development.”
Masiyiwa urged parents, students and aspiring entrepreneurs to prioritise long-term investments, education, discipline and financial planning rather than chasing social media validation. He stressed that meaningful success is built slowly, often in silence, and warned that excessive showmanship can undermine both credibility and future growth.
“There is a long road ahead for a lot of you,” he cautioned, “so avoid ‘conspicuous consumption’.”
Although Masiyiwa did not single out any individuals, Zimbabweans online quickly connected the message to the country’s highly publicised “mbingas.” His comments have since sparked intense public discussion about the sources of wealth in Zimbabwe, the responsibilities of the affluent, and the growing influence of social media in shaping distorted perceptions of success.
