By A Correspondent — Zimbabwe’s richest man, Strive Masiyiwa, has issued a thinly veiled critique of the country’s “Zvigananda” class, a group of wealthy businessmen known for flaunting controversial riches, in what many interpret as a direct jab at figures such as Wicknell Chivayo, Kuda Tagwirei, Scott Sakupwanya, Paul Tungwarara and others who dominate the nation’s culture of conspicuous consumption.
In Zimbabwean popular culture, Zvigananda has come to describe individuals who project immense wealth through fleets of luxury cars, designer clothes, foreign holidays, private jets, and extravagant giveaways — often shared on social media to cultivate an image of dominance. Many within this group are linked to politically connected deals, opaque government tenders, monopolistic privileges, or state patronage networks tied to ZANU–PF.
Wicknell Chivayo, for instance, has been at the centre of multiple procurement scandals — from the notorious Gwanda Solar Project to questionable procurement contracts awarded through the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA). Scott Sakupwanya, the gold dealer and politician, has been associated with the murky world of artisanal mining syndicates and was featured by the BBC in an exposé on illicit gold flows. Kuda Tagwirei, widely seen as the face of state-linked monopolies in fuel, agriculture, and Command Agriculture supply chains, has been sanctioned by the United States for alleged corruption linked to state capture. Tungwarara, meanwhile, has long been associated with luxury property acquisitions and political patronage.
These are the poster children of Mbinga Culture, where wealth is displayed publicly and unapologetically — despite lingering questions about its origins.
Against this backdrop, Masiyiwa’s commentary struck a nerve.
Writing on his official Facebook page, the Econet founder warned young Zimbabweans against idolising individuals who equate success with material display. He described social-media-driven ostentation as “conspicuous consumption,” insisting that genuine success rarely looks like what is portrayed online.
“Whilst I will never be one to tell someone else how to spend money they have honestly earned,” Masiyiwa 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 illustrate his point, Masiyiwa recounted encounters with real billionaires whose modesty contrasted sharply with the flamboyance of Zimbabwe’s Zvigananda class.
“One of the first dollar billionaires I met personally invited my wife and me to his home. His wife wore no jewellery except a simple gold wedding band. She didn’t even wear a watch. He wore the same jersey every day — it even had a hole in one elbow.”
He also described a trip with another global billionaire whose assistant bought him a last-minute shirt from a supermarket before a major public event — underscoring how little true wealth cares for branded spectacle.
“To the truly wealthy, luxury brands and all that stuff don’t really matter,” Masiyiwa wrote. “Conspicuous consumption — or the need for it — will destroy your capacity to build a truly successful business that contributes to your country’s development.”
He urged parents and emerging entrepreneurs to prioritise education, investment, and long-term planning instead of instant visibility.
“There is a long road ahead for a lot of you, so avoid ‘conspicuous consumption’.”
While Masiyiwa never named anyone, Zimbabweans quickly interpreted the message as a direct challenge to the country’s politically connected “mbingas,” whose displays of wealth — often acquired through controversial means — have become a defining feature of the nation’s socio-political landscape.