Our Team

We are an operating and grant making foundation which embeds its staff in the communities it serves and 80% of our programmes are in the field. We have programming offices in 3 African countries: Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Burundi. Zimbabwe hosts our biggest operations with an operating office in every one of the country’s 10 provinces.

Our Team

We are an operating and grant making foundation which embeds its staff in the communities it serves and 80% of our programmes are in the field. We have programming offices in 3 African countries: Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Burundi. Zimbabwe hosts our biggest operations with an operating office in every one of the country’s 10 provinces.

Founders
Board Members

Board Members
Founders
Executives

Mrs. Tsitsi Masiyiwa | Co-Founder

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is an African philanthropist and social entrepreneur. She is the Executive Chair and Co-Founder of the Higherlife Foundation, whose primary goal is to invest in human capital development to build thriving communities and sustainable livelihoods.

To that end, Higherlife Foundation’s portfolio encompasses impact investments in education and leadership development, healthcare and sanitation, job creation, and rural transformation. As a result of her work and experience establishing and growing Higherlife Foundation over the last twenty years, Tsitsi has become an advisor and thought partner to universities, national leaders, and social entrepreneurs on issues of education, leadership development, and youth empowerment. Tsitsi is a founding board member of the African Philanthropy Forum and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Legatum Institute, the END Fund and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative.

Strive Masiyiwa | Co-Founder

Strive Masiyiwa is the Co-Founder of Higherlife Foundation. He and his wife Tsitsi Masiyiwa founded Higherlife Foundation in 1996. Strive is the Founder and Chairman of the Econet Group, a telecommunications and technology company with operations and investments in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, the UK, and USA.

Strive serves on several international boards including Unilever PLC, Netflix Inc., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and National Geographic Society, and sits on several Global Advisory boards including Bank of America, Bloomberg New Economy Forum, and Stanford University. He is a former board member of the Rockefeller Foundation for 15 years and Chairman Emeritus of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. He previously served on the Africa Progress Panel and juror on the Hilton Humanitarian Prize amongst many other pan-African and international roles over the years.

Mrs. Tsitsi Masiyiwa

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is an African philanthropist and social entrepreneur. She is Executive Chair and Co-Founder of the Higherlife Foundation, whose primary goal is to invest in human capital development to build thriving communities and sustainable livelihoods. To that end, Higherlife Foundation’s portfolio encompasses impact investments in education and leadership development, healthcare and sanitation, job creation, and rural transformation. As a result of her work and experience establishing and growing Higherlife Foundation over the last twenty years, Tsitsi has become an advisor and thought partner to universities, national leaders, and social entrepreneurs on issues of education, leadership development, and youth empowerment. Tsitsi is a founding board member of the African Philanthropy Forum, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Legatum Institute, the END Fund and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative.

Miss Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa

Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa is a social entrepreneur and advocate for youth-led social change. Elizabeth is the Executive Director of Delta Philanthropies and the co-founder & CEO of Simba Education, an African edtech company in early education. She serves on the board of Cassava Smartech, Ashesi Foundation and Higherlife Foundation where she leads the Office of Design & Innovation. She also sits on Harvard University’s Leadership Council for the Centre of Africa Studies and advises a number of entrepreneurship and philanthropy networks. Elizabeth co-manages a social impact investment fund that invests in initiatives that promote economic development in Southern Africa. Prior to her role, she was the analyst for UNICEF’s Innovation Venture Fund.

Mr. Bernard Chidzero

Bernard is a co-founder and a Managing Director at Agis Investments. Before starting Agis, Bernard was a Partner at the Monitor Group (later Monitor Deloitte) where he led the firm’s advisory activities in Africa. Prior to joining the Monitor Group, Bernard established and led the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Advisory Services for Sub-Saharan Africa.He was previously Senior Manager, Consumer Goods Practice at Arthur D. Little International Inc., based in Brussels where he developed and led strategy and organization engagements. He has also been a Marketing Manager, Nestlé Portugal and Brand Manager, Nestlé Canada, achieving record high market share, growth and profitability of brands under management in Africa.

Mrs. Natalie Jabangwe

Natalie Jabangwe is the Chief Executive Officer of EcoCash, which is the second-largest mobile financial service company on the African continent, serving in excess of 6 million individuals. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from Middlesex University, and an Executive Master of Business Administration- from the Imperial College London.In 2018, Natalie Jabangwe was nominated among the 100 Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum, a platform used to groom “the world’s brightest under 40 and most promising” future leaders. She was also a 2017 Fellow of The Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellowship Program.In November 2018, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres appointed her to the United Nations’ Task Force on Digital Financing of Sustainable Development Goals. Natalie is credited with developing Atlanta’s first information technology security policies in 2004.

Dr Luis Crouch

Dr. Luis Crouch is, on a part-time basis, a Senior Economist for the International Development Group (IDG) of RTI International. Until late 2017, he was IDG’s Chief Technical Officer and has also served as the group’s Vice President. Before that, he was Team Coordinator at the then Global Good Practices Group, at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). While not working for RTI he serves on a pro bono basis as advisors to various NGOs and international bodies and carries out some paid consulting work. He is a recognized international leader in providing high-level advice to governments involved in complex educational systems change. His areas of expertise include generation of the consensus and focus needed to make difficult choices, and spearheading the implementation of new and demanding changes. His work has recently focused on the improvement of reading in the early grades, where he has succeeded, along with a tight team of colleagues, in placing reading as a key focus of the international educational development agenda. More recently he has been working on reducing the repetition inefficiencies in education systems due to lack of solid foundations, including Early Childhood Education (ECD).

Mr. Douglas Mboweni

Douglas Mboweni is the current Chief Executive Officer of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. He was the successor of Strive Masiyiwa at Econet in March 2002 and has been at the helm of the company since then. Since taking over, Mboweni has overseen the growth of what is now the largest telecoms companies in the country, and the one of the largest companies by revenue and profit in Zimbabwe. At Econet, he was part of the pioneering teams that spearheaded Econet’s entry onto the international mobile market. He was an integral part of the team that launched the Mascom Wireless network in Botswana. Later, establish Econet in Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest mobile markets, where he helped set up Econet Wireless Nigeria (EWN). He was appointed CEO in 2002 and since then, he has steered the company into Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile phone operator, with a share of well over 73% of the mobile market.

Mrs. Tracy Mpofu

Tracy Mpofu is the Group CEO of Econet Wireless, a role she was promoted to in 2015 from Chief Operating Officer. Tracy Mpofu joined Econet Wireless in 2001 as Finance Director after having been with Coca Cola as Regional Finance Director and Ernst and Young. It is her leadership, commitment and integrity that has over the years guided the Wireless giant through numerous successful projects, including the establishment of Econet Wireless Operations in various countries.Tracy Mpofu is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Zimbabwe).

Dr Kennedy Mubaiwa | Chief Executive Officer

Dr Kennedy Mubaiwa is the Chief Executive Officer of Higherlife Foundation HQ in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an energetic leader known for translating vision and strategy into world-class execution and bringing together teams and networks to drive strong results. He has a proven executive management track record and 19 years of experience in healthcare and education. Kennedy has excellent stakeholder engagement capabilities critical in coordinating Public-Private- Philanthropy partnerships. Dr Kennedy is a medical doctor trained at the University of Zimbabwe and a qualified anaesthetist. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration.

Ms. Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa | Executive Director

Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa is a social entrepreneur and smartech executive. She is an Executive Director at Delta Philanthropies and the CEO of Akello, an African company transforming education with technology-based solutions. Elizabeth is a non-executive Director who serves on the board of Cassava Smartech, one of the largest companies listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and is a board member of Higherlife Foundation where she leads the Office of Design and Innovation. She is responsible for the education portfolio across the foundations and the Econet Group of Companies. Elizabeth is a board member of Ashesi Foundation, sits on Harvard University’s Leadership Council for the Centre of Africa Studies, and advises a number of entrepreneurship and philanthropy networks. She co-manages a social impact investment fund that invests in initiatives that promote economic development in Southern Africa.

Philani Nyatsanza | Chief Executive Officer

Philani is the Chief Executive Officer of Higherlife Foundation Zimbabwe, where he oversees and directs the overall strategic direction, developing high-quality business strategies and plans that align with both the short-term and long-term objectives of HLF. He also communicates HLF’s approach, values and culture across the organisation to ensure that its programs and operations are working following its overarching goals and objective of the organisation. Philani has 25 years of experience in cross-cultural youth development work in the context of the church and non-governmental organisations. He has developed training strategies for young people in multi-structured communities to enhance their social development in Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Sweden.

Patience Mutizwa | Chief Finance Officer

Patience Mutizwa is the Chief Finance Officer of Higherlife Foundation. In this role, she has overall accountability and responsibility for the financial management of the Foundation following the strategic plan and objectives approved by the Board. She has over 12 years of experience in external auditing, financial management, reporting and treasury management. She has a keen interest and passion for affording equal opportunities to disadvantaged children and promoting equal opportunity for all. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Zimbabwe and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting Science.

Chiedza Juru | COO – Programs

Chiedza Juru is a Chartered Accountant who is serving as Chief Operating Officer- Programs at Higherlife Foundation. In this role she is responsible for implementing programs which currently impact more than 15,000 scholarship recipients annually. She is the current Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Youth Council Board whose mandate is to advise government on the needs of youth for the purposes of availing opportunities for youth empowerment and youth participation. Chiedza is a Trustee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Vimbiso Scholarship Trust which provides scholarship assistance to disadvantaged students aspiring to be Chartered Accountants. She is also the Founder of Destiny Scholarship Trust which provides scholarship assistance to disadvantaged students in rural communities. Chiedza is a 2021 Public Service Fellow of the Southern Africa Apolitical Academy. As a Past Curator of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Harare Hub, Chiedza facilitated engagements for youth and policy makers including the first meeting for youths and the His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe; to ensure economic participation and inclusion of young people. Her passion is youth empowerment, girls’ empowerment and education.

Musa Muleya | COO – Shared Services

Musa has a diverse professional background, spanning Finance, Operations, and Risk Management. He holds an Honoured Degree in Finance, CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting, and is also Certified in Information Systems Audit and Risk Management. He is currently studying for a Masters In Business leadership (MBL) with the University of South Africa. He recently won the Risk Professional of the Year and Most Inspirational Member for the ISACA Zimbabwe chapter.

Board Members: Mrs. Tsitsi Masiyiwa | Co-Founder

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is an African philanthropist and social entrepreneur. She is the Executive Chair and Co-Founder of the Higherlife Foundation, whose primary goal is to invest in human capital development to build thriving communities and sustainable livelihoods.

To that end, Higherlife Foundation’s portfolio encompasses impact investments in education and leadership development, healthcare and sanitation, job creation, and rural transformation. As a result of her work and experience establishing and growing Higherlife Foundation over the last twenty years, Tsitsi has become an advisor and thought partner to universities, national leaders, and social entrepreneurs on issues of education, leadership development, and youth empowerment. Tsitsi is a founding board member of the African Philanthropy Forum and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Legatum Institute, the END Fund and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative.

Strive Masiyiwa | Co-Founder

Strive Masiyiwa is the Co-Founder of Higherlife Foundation. He and his wife Tsitsi Masiyiwa founded Higherlife Foundation in 1996. Strive is the Founder and Chairman of the Econet Group, a telecommunications and technology company with operations and investments in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, the UK, and USA.

Strive serves on several international boards including Unilever PLC, Netflix Inc., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and National Geographic Society, and sits on several Global Advisory boards including Bank of America, Bloomberg New Economy Forum, and Stanford University. He is a former board member of the Rockefeller Foundation for 15 years and Chairman Emeritus of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. He previously served on the Africa Progress Panel and juror on the Hilton Humanitarian Prize amongst many other pan-African and international roles over the years.
Founders: Mrs. Tsitsi Masiyiwa

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is an African philanthropist and social entrepreneur. She is Executive Chair and Co-Founder of the Higherlife Foundation, whose primary goal is to invest in human capital development to build thriving communities and sustainable livelihoods. To that end, Higherlife Foundation’s portfolio encompasses impact investments in education and leadership development, healthcare and sanitation, job creation, and rural transformation. As a result of her work and experience establishing and growing Higherlife Foundation over the last twenty years, Tsitsi has become an advisor and thought partner to universities, national leaders, and social entrepreneurs on issues of education, leadership development, and youth empowerment. Tsitsi is a founding board member of the African Philanthropy Forum, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Legatum Institute, the END Fund and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative.

Miss Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa

Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa is a social entrepreneur and advocate for youth-led social change. Elizabeth is the Executive Director of Delta Philanthropies and the co-founder & CEO of Simba Education, an African edtech company in early education. She serves on the board of Cassava Smartech, Ashesi Foundation and Higherlife Foundation where she leads the Office of Design & Innovation. She also sits on Harvard University’s Leadership Council for the Centre of Africa Studies and advises a number of entrepreneurship and philanthropy networks. Elizabeth co-manages a social impact investment fund that invests in initiatives that promote economic development in Southern Africa. Prior to her role, she was the analyst for UNICEF’s Innovation Venture Fund.

Mr. Bernard Chidzero

Bernard is a co-founder and a Managing Director at Agis Investments. Before starting Agis, Bernard was a Partner at the Monitor Group (later Monitor Deloitte) where he led the firm’s advisory activities in Africa. Prior to joining the Monitor Group, Bernard established and led the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Advisory Services for Sub-Saharan Africa.He was previously Senior Manager, Consumer Goods Practice at Arthur D. Little International Inc., based in Brussels where he developed and led strategy and organization engagements. He has also been a Marketing Manager, Nestlé Portugal and Brand Manager, Nestlé Canada, achieving record high market share, growth and profitability of brands under management in Africa.

Mrs. Natalie Jabangwe

Natalie Jabangwe is the Chief Executive Officer of EcoCash, which is the second-largest mobile financial service company on the African continent, serving in excess of 6 million individuals. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from Middlesex University, and an Executive Master of Business Administration- from the Imperial College London.In 2018, Natalie Jabangwe was nominated among the 100 Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum, a platform used to groom “the world’s brightest under 40 and most promising” future leaders. She was also a 2017 Fellow of The Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellowship Program.In November 2018, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres appointed her to the United Nations’ Task Force on Digital Financing of Sustainable Development Goals. Natalie is credited with developing Atlanta’s first information technology security policies in 2004.

Dr Luis Crouch

Dr. Luis Crouch is, on a part-time basis, a Senior Economist for the International Development Group (IDG) of RTI International. Until late 2017, he was IDG’s Chief Technical Officer and has also served as the group’s Vice President. Before that, he was Team Coordinator at the then Global Good Practices Group, at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). While not working for RTI he serves on a pro bono basis as advisors to various NGOs and international bodies and carries out some paid consulting work. He is a recognized international leader in providing high-level advice to governments involved in complex educational systems change. His areas of expertise include generation of the consensus and focus needed to make difficult choices, and spearheading the implementation of new and demanding changes. His work has recently focused on the improvement of reading in the early grades, where he has succeeded, along with a tight team of colleagues, in placing reading as a key focus of the international educational development agenda. More recently he has been working on reducing the repetition inefficiencies in education systems due to lack of solid foundations, including Early Childhood Education (ECD).

Mr. Douglas Mboweni

Douglas Mboweni is the current Chief Executive Officer of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. He was the successor of Strive Masiyiwa at Econet in March 2002 and has been at the helm of the company since then. Since taking over, Mboweni has overseen the growth of what is now the largest telecoms companies in the country, and the one of the largest companies by revenue and profit in Zimbabwe. At Econet, he was part of the pioneering teams that spearheaded Econet’s entry onto the international mobile market. He was an integral part of the team that launched the Mascom Wireless network in Botswana. Later, establish Econet in Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest mobile markets, where he helped set up Econet Wireless Nigeria (EWN). He was appointed CEO in 2002 and since then, he has steered the company into Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile phone operator, with a share of well over 73% of the mobile market.

Mrs. Tracy Mpofu

Tracy Mpofu is the Group CEO of Econet Wireless, a role she was promoted to in 2015 from Chief Operating Officer. Tracy Mpofu joined Econet Wireless in 2001 as Finance Director after having been with Coca Cola as Regional Finance Director and Ernst and Young. It is her leadership, commitment and integrity that has over the years guided the Wireless giant through numerous successful projects, including the establishment of Econet Wireless Operations in various countries.Tracy Mpofu is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Zimbabwe).
Executives: Dr Kennedy Mubaiwa | Chief Executive Officer

Dr Kennedy Mubaiwa is the Chief Executive Officer of Higherlife Foundation HQ in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an energetic leader known for translating vision and strategy into world-class execution and bringing together teams and networks to drive strong results. He has a proven executive management track record and 19 years of experience in healthcare and education. Kennedy has excellent stakeholder engagement capabilities critical in coordinating Public-Private- Philanthropy partnerships. Dr Kennedy is a medical doctor trained at the University of Zimbabwe and a qualified anaesthetist. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration.

Ms. Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa | Executive Director

Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa is a social entrepreneur and smartech executive. She is an Executive Director at Delta Philanthropies and the CEO of Akello, an African company transforming education with technology-based solutions. Elizabeth is a non-executive Director who serves on the board of Cassava Smartech, one of the largest companies listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and is a board member of Higherlife Foundation where she leads the Office of Design and Innovation. She is responsible for the education portfolio across the foundations and the Econet Group of Companies. Elizabeth is a board member of Ashesi Foundation, sits on Harvard University’s Leadership Council for the Centre of Africa Studies, and advises a number of entrepreneurship and philanthropy networks. She co-manages a social impact investment fund that invests in initiatives that promote economic development in Southern Africa.

Philani Nyatsanza | Chief Executive Officer

Philani is the Chief Executive Officer of Higherlife Foundation Zimbabwe, where he oversees and directs the overall strategic direction, developing high-quality business strategies and plans that align with both the short-term and long-term objectives of HLF. He also communicates HLF’s approach, values and culture across the organisation to ensure that its programs and operations are working following its overarching goals and objective of the organisation. Philani has 25 years of experience in cross-cultural youth development work in the context of the church and non-governmental organisations. He has developed training strategies for young people in multi-structured communities to enhance their social development in Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Sweden.

Patience Mutizwa | Chief Finance Officer

Patience Mutizwa is the Chief Finance Officer of Higherlife Foundation. In this role, she has overall accountability and responsibility for the financial management of the Foundation following the strategic plan and objectives approved by the Board. She has over 12 years of experience in external auditing, financial management, reporting and treasury management. She has a keen interest and passion for affording equal opportunities to disadvantaged children and promoting equal opportunity for all. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Zimbabwe and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting Science.

Chiedza Juru | COO – Programs

Chiedza Juru is a Chartered Accountant who is serving as Chief Operating Officer- Programs at Higherlife Foundation. In this role she is responsible for implementing programs which currently impact more than 15,000 scholarship recipients annually. She is the current Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Youth Council Board whose mandate is to advise government on the needs of youth for the purposes of availing opportunities for youth empowerment and youth participation. Chiedza is a Trustee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Vimbiso Scholarship Trust which provides scholarship assistance to disadvantaged students aspiring to be Chartered Accountants. She is also the Founder of Destiny Scholarship Trust which provides scholarship assistance to disadvantaged students in rural communities. Chiedza is a 2021 Public Service Fellow of the Southern Africa Apolitical Academy. As a Past Curator of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Harare Hub, Chiedza facilitated engagements for youth and policy makers including the first meeting for youths and the His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe; to ensure economic participation and inclusion of young people. Her passion is youth empowerment, girls’ empowerment and education.

Musa Muleya | COO – Shared Services

Musa has a diverse professional background, spanning Finance, Operations, and Risk Management. He holds an Honoured Degree in Finance, CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting, and is also Certified in Information Systems Audit and Risk Management. He is currently studying for a Masters In Business leadership (MBL) with the University of South Africa. He recently won the Risk Professional of the Year and Most Inspirational Member for the ISACA Zimbabwe chapter.

Section

Founders

Mrs. Tsitsi Masiyiwa Co-Founder

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is an African philanthropist and social entrepreneur. She is Executive Chair and Co-Founder of the Higherlife Foundation, whose primary goal is to invest in human capital development to build thriving communities and sustainable livelihoods. To that end, Higherlife Foundation’s portfolio encompasses impact investments in education and leadership development, healthcare and sanitation, job creation, and rural transformationAs a result of her work and experience establishing and growing Higherlife Foundation over the last twenty years, Tsitsi has become an advisor and thought partner to universities, national leaders, and social entrepreneurs on issues of education, leadership development, and youth empowerment. Tsitsi is a founding board member of the African Philanthropy Forum, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Legatum Institute, the END Fund and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative.

Strive Masiyiwa |Co-Founder

is the Co-Founder of Higherlife Foundation. Strive Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi Masiyiwa founded Higherlife Foundation in 1996.Strive Masiyiwa, the chairman and founder of Econet, a diversified telecommunications group,Strive Masiyiwa also serves on a number of international boards,including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Africa Against Ebola Solidarity Trust, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Global Advisory Board, the Africa Progress Panel, the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board for Sustainable Energy, Morehouse College and the Hilton Foundation’s Humanitarian Prize Jury.

Board Members

Mrs. Tsitsi Masiyiwa

Tsitsi Masiyiwa is an African philanthropist and social entrepreneur. She is Executive Chair and Co-Founder of the Higherlife Foundation, whose primary goal is to invest in human capital development to build thriving communities and sustainable livelihoods. To that end, Higherlife Foundation’s portfolio encompasses impact investments in education and leadership development, healthcare and sanitation, job creation, and rural transformationAs a result of her work and experience establishing and growing Higherlife Foundation over the last twenty years, Tsitsi has become an advisor and thought partner to universities, national leaders, and social entrepreneurs on issues of education, leadership development, and youth empowerment. Tsitsi is a founding board member of the African Philanthropy Forum, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Legatum Institute, the END Fund and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative.

Miss Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa

Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa is a social entrepreneur and advocate for youth-led social change. Elizabeth is the Executive Director of Delta Philanthropies and the co-founder & CEO of Simba Education, an African edtech company in early education.She serves on the board of Cassava Smartech, Ashesi Foundation and Higherlife Foundation where she leads the Office of Design & Innovation. She also sits on Harvard University’s Leadership Council for the Centre of Africa Studies and advises a number of entrepreneurship and philanthropy networks. Elizabeth co-manages a social impact investment fund that invests in initiatives that promote economic development in Southern Africa. Prior to her role, she was the analyst for UNICEF’s Innovation Venture Fund.

Mrs Natalie Jabangwe

Natalie Jabangwe is the Chief Executive Officer of EcoCash, which is the second-largest mobile financial service company on the African continent, serving in excess of 6 million individuals. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from Middlesex University, and an Executive Master of Business. Administration, from the Imperial College London.In 2018, Natalie Jabangwe was nominated among the 100 Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum, a platform used to groom “the world’s brightest under 40 and most promising” future leaders. She was also a 2017 Fellow of The Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellowship Program. In November 2018, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres appointed her to the United Nations’ Task Force on Digital Financing of Sustainable Development Goals. Natalie is credited with developing Atlanta’s first information technology security policies in 2004.

Mr. Bernard Chidzero

Bernard is a co-founder and a Managing Director at Agis Investments. Before starting Agis, Bernard was a Partner at the Monitor Group (later Monitor Deloitte) where he led the firm’s advisory activities in Africa. Prior to joining the Monitor Group, Bernard established and led the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Advisory Services for Sub-Saharan Africa. .He was previously Senior Manager, Consumer Goods Practice at Arthur D. Little International Inc., based in Brussels where he developed and led strategy and organization engagements. He has also been a Marketing Manager, Nestlé Portugal, Lisbon and Brand Manager, Nestlé Canada, Toronto achieving record high market share, growth and profitability of brands under management in Africa.

Mrs. Tracy Mpofu

Tracy Mpofu is the Group CEO of Econet Wireless, a role she was promoted to in 2015 from Chief Operating Officer. Tracy Mpofu joined Econet Wireless in 2001 as Finance Director after having been with Coca Cola as Regional Finance Director and Ernst and Young. It is her leadership, commitment and integrity that has over the years guided the Wireless giant through numerous successful projects, including the establishment of Econet Wireless Operations in various countries.Tracy Mpofu is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Zimbabwe).

Mr. Douglas Mboweni

Douglas Mboweni is the current Chief Executive Officer of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. He was the successor of Strive Masiyiwa at Econet in March 2002 and has been at the helm of the company since then. Since taking over, Mboweni has overseen the growth of what is now the largest telecoms companies in the country, and the one of the largest companies by revenue and profit in Zimbabwe. At Econet, he was part of the pioneering teams that spearheaded Econet’s entry onto the international mobile market. He was an integral part of the team that launched the Mascom Wireless network in Botswana. Later, he helped establish Econet in Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest mobile markets, where he helped set up Econet Wireless Nigeria (EWN). He was appointed CEO in 2002 and since then, he has steered the company into Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile phone operator, with a share of well over 73% of the mobile market. Econet has also become the biggest overall telecommunications company.

Dr Luis Crouch

Dr. Luis Crouch is, on a part-time basis, a Senior Economist for the International Development Group (IDG) of RTI International. Until late 2017, he was IDG’s Chief Technical Officer and has also served as the group’s Vice President. Before that, he was Team Coordinator at the then Global Good Practices Group, at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). While not working for RTI he serves on a pro bono basis as advisors to various NGOs and international bodies and carries out some paid consulting work. He is a recognized international leader in providing high-level advice to governments involved in complex educational systems change. His areas of expertise include generation of the consensus and focus needed to make difficult choices, and spearheading the implementation of new and demanding changes. His work has recently focused on the improvement of reading in the early grades, where he has succeeded, along with a tight team of colleagues, in placing reading as a key focus of the international educational development agenda. More recently he has been working on reducing the repetition inefficiencies in education systems due to lack of solid foundations, including Early Childhood Education (ECD).

Our Team