(Last Updated on December 17, 2020 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – Zimbabwean born telecom mogul and philanthropist Strive Masiyiwa has been appointed to the Netflix board, becoming the first African to sit on the board of the content streaming giant.
The appointment is part of the strategic actions taken by company to expand into the African market.
On Wednesday, the Netflix chairman and co – Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings said Masiyiwa’s entrepreneurial experience across Africa was going to bring valuable insight to the organisation which already has over 190 million subscribers across the globe.
“We are delighted to welcome Strive to the Netflix board, 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 Hastings.
Masiyiwa’s appointment means Netflix still has one black director following the departure of Susan Rice who is set to join President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
Masiyiwa is the founder and executive chairman of Econet Global which has vast business interest in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.
He is also known for his philanthropic work and this year donated Intensive Care Unit ventilators to assist his home country, Zimbabwe in the fight against the Covid -19 pandemic.
