As a global business leader, African philanthropist, anti-corruption activist, and mentor to thousands, Strive Masiyiwa is a vibrant example of someone who has little doubt about what motivates him, what he hopes to accomplish, and what sort of example he wants to set for others along the way. His is a character forged by struggle and perseverance against corruption, and shaped by a deep faith that guides him on the world stage as he looks to bring about positive change to his home continent. Egon Zehnder's Xavier Leroy had the pleasure of speaking with Masiyiwa in London during a brief pause in a schedule bursting with business and philanthropy interests.

Xavier Leroyr: You recently suggested that people should stop considering Africa as “exotic” and see it more as a place for doing business …

Strive Masiyiwa: Africa is indeed open for investment. This does not mean we don’t need aid in other things. But when you come to Africa to do business, it makes sense to evaluate the opportunity in the same way you would evaluate an investment in Asia, or an investment in Latin America or Europe. That is what we do as a company.

On the other hand, there are some very real challenges in Africa. Is doing business in Africa about turning these problems into opportunities?

There are challenges everywhere, Africa included. And keep in mind that Africa is composed of 54 sovereign nations. Yes, we have the challenge of Ebola. But not in the whole of Africa; it is a problem in three very small African countries. So Africa has its challenges, but it is not a country; it is a continent. Africa has the same contrasts, it has the same challenges as any other continent, and if you go there knowledgably, do your homework, do your work, you can mitigate risks – and you can find opportunities. As a serious businessperson looking to enter the market in Africa, you have to know the differences in identity between South Africa and Nigeria, between Egypt and Morocco. Otherwise, you’re going to get yourself into big trouble.

Clearly Econet has a major advantage there. Given the global scale of your operations, would you still describe Econet as an African company?

For sure. We are very much an African company with a global perspective, much like Apple is an American company with a global outlook. We look at the opportunities globally, but we have very specific knowledge of the African continent, and we take advantage of that.

National Healthcare Trust Zimbabwe’s work with mobile healthcare clinics in Zimbabwe (above). The Higher Life Foundation (founded by Strive Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi Masiyiwa) plays a pivotal role in education and healthcare support in countries where Econet has an operation in Africa.

How have your African roots shaped your mission and philosophy as an entrepreneur?

I come from telecommunications, which is my core interest and my core business. So I was very fortunate that my skills and knowledge of the industry coincided with the revolution in the technology, and we were able to do some pretty spectacular things as an industry, which I think others will find difficult to duplicate. When I entered this industry back in 1993, the vast majority of the African population – 70 percent or more – had never heard a telephone ring. Today, 70 percent of Africans own a phone. That is a revolution. So as an entrepreneur, my philosophy has always been about reaching out to meet the needs of people. What do people need, and how we can respond to those needs? From there, everything takes care of itself. And I make a distinction between what people want and what people need. It is great when you can give them what they not only want but also need, because someone may want a piece of jewelry, but they may not need it. At this stage, I am more inclined to respond to needs.

What innovations are coming out of Africa that are also relevant on a global level?

In Africa, a company such as ours often has to innovate out of necessity. As we have to do things from scratch, we have managed to leapfrog traditional technologies. In general, African companies demonstrate far greater adaptability to technological change than companies in some developed markets. Consequently, you will see companies come out of Africa that will be world champions thanks to this practical approach to innovation.

As an African, do you feel leaders in the private sector there have specific responsibilities?

That is very much the case. When you do business in Africa, you must also be cognizant of the fact that Africa is a young continent. Sixty percent of the population are under the age of 30. It is a continent of young people looking for employment opportunities, looking to be inspired. This can be a dividend for the world; it can also be a major problem for the world. We are right now at that juncture where we can choose. Soon, we will not be able to choose. So those who are in leadership positions must always be aware of this.

I believe that, as a business leader, I must dedicate as much time as I can to showing young people the way, because there aren’t a lot of successful African business leaders for them to look up to – yet. It is a much greater burden for us than, say, for my colleagues in Europe, because you have had 200 years of corporate leaders that people can evaluate and look at. We have maybe fifty years by comparison, and far fewer role models from whom young people can try and learn something.

One area of Strive Masiyiwa’s engagement: deployment of Liquid Telecom Fibre as a part of building Africa’s digital future.

What would you say is your specific contribution to closing the leadership gap that exists in Africa?

When others look back at my business career one day, I hope they will see that I sought to emphasize the need for a boundary between business and politics – that you don’t go into politics so that you may prosper in business. Or use your business to advance politics. In my case, for example, I don’t fund political parties. I always keep a clear line. I also want people to be aware that leadership in today’s world is not just about political leadership. There are many types of leaders – business leaders, religious leaders, cultural leaders. When we recognize this, we are stronger as a society.

When too much focus is placed on the man in office, the president or the prime minister, then you have unreasonable expectations of this one person. When are we going to learn that if you do that, you’re only going to be disappointed? And I don’t think it’s only an African phenomenon. We all put too much emphasis on political leaders.

I think we’ve got to draw from a broader spectrum of leadership. Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a great moral leader, but he is not in politics. And he knows where the dividing line is. When religious leaders start declaring themselves politicians as well – that’s when we encounter problems. We need to be aware of where the dividing lines are. Otherwise people will go into business or politics with the intention of advancing the interests of their family or their tribe or region. Then we run into trouble again.

So I try to carry that message; to say that there is a place for business leaders at the table in the conversation about how we take our societies forward – but as business leaders.

You were able to get all of Africa’s major mobile operators together in one room to create an SMS campaign in response to the Ebola crisis.

Yes, and it wasn’t easy because we are fierce competitors! We organized a summit of leading business people from the African continent, meeting in Ethiopia – 37 African businesses were represented. All the mobile operators were there, and we were fired up to do some good together. Everyone pledged to give at least US $ 1 million. And so, in a half hour, we raised more than US $ 30 million.

To raise additional money, we decided to talk to all of our customers and ask them to donate via their phones. Our SMS campaign is taking place in 39 countries. This has never happened in Africa before. We have 66 African celebrities, from NBA All-Star players to soccer players, singers, and dancers, and political celebrities. They recorded messages encouraging people to make donations. It is the biggest crowd-funding campaign in African history.

This initiative – Africa Against Ebola – appears to be a new vision for African cooperation, as well as a model for leadership coming from the private sector.

The private sector is very much leading the way in response to the threat of Ebola. We now have a special foundation led by business people that funds over 1,000 healthcare workers from a dozen African countries to respond to Ebola.

Hopefully, we’ve created a template that will empower Africans, so the next time they won’t feel that they need to wait for people from the West to come and solve the problem. Yes, we still need them. But now we can partner and solve some of our own problems.