S1 E4: Strive Masiyiwa’s Battle: Econet vs. the Monopoly

Strive Masiyiwa’s Battle: Econet vs. the Monopoly

A David-and-Goliath story from Zimbabwe. Entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa fought the government telecom monopoly for years to secure a mobile license. After a four-year court battle, Masiyiwa’s Econet Wireless finally won the license in 1998voanews.com, breaking the state’s stranglehold. This episode would be a dramatic narrative of perseverance: courtroom showdowns, political pressure, and the eventual launch of Econet – which became Zimbabwe’s leading mobile company. It’s a tale of how one man’s vision and refusal to give up opened an industry, with Econet later expanding to other countries. (This also sets the stage for Econet’s later rivalries with other operators in Africa.)