Netflix has appointed Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa to its board of directors. 

Masiyiwa is the founder and chairman of telecom and tech company Econet Group and becomes the first African board director for global streaming giant Netflix.

His appointment to the Netflix board comes only a week after former US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said she would relinquish her position on the Netflix board.

Rice is expected to join the administration of US President-Elect Joe Biden from January 20.

Masiyiwa has an estimated net worth of $1 billion and heads Econet which operates and has invested in 29 countries across the continents of Africa and Europe.

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The billionaire businessman launched mobile phone company Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in 1998 after a long drawn battle with Zimbabwe’s government-owned telecommunications operator.

“His entrepreneurship and vision in building businesses across Africa and beyond will bring valuable insights and experience to our board as we work to improve and serve more members all around the world,” said Netflix co-founder, chairman and co-CEO Reed Hastings in a statement.


“I’m thrilled to have Strive join our board as we expand more across Africa and the world,” added Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

“Netflix is at the forefront of bringing great entertainment from anywhere in the world to everyone in the world, and I look forward to working with the board and all stakeholders to continue its traditions of innovation and growth,” Masiyiwa said on his appointment.

Masiyiwa also sits on the boards of Unilever, National Geographic Society and offers board advisory services to Bank of America, the US Council on Foreign Relations, Stanford University and Prince of Wales Trust for Africa.

He is also the chairman emeritus of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and is the African Union Special Envoy to the continent’s COVID response.

Apart from heading Zimbabwe’s leading mobile operator Econet Wireless, he also founded pan-African broadband firm Liquid Telecom as well as its subsidiary Africa Data Centres.