When it came to spending money, especially on the finest of things it can buy, few were as transparent as Zimbabwean tycoon Wicknell Chivayo.
For years, “Sir Wicknell”, as he calls himself, has loved to boast about his riches via Instagram. Still, while he is open about how he spends his money, the Zimbabwean tycoon was less so about how he makes it, as he faces scrutiny over the source of his wealth in a country where life is a daily struggle for most people.
His social media pages are awash with images and videos of top-of-the-range cars, luxury timepieces, fine dining and lavish holidays in dream destinations.
He often posed, in several African State Houses or their equivalents, with some of the continent’s most powerful leaders amid lucrative government contracts that had repeatedly attracted scrutiny.
He engrossed many by his habit of giving away cars along with wads of cash to those he deems patriotic – even presenting them to those he has never met As to the source of his money and how he made those friends, Chivayo, 43, kept his cards closer to his chest than a government guarding its most sensitive secrets.
The secrets are now buried after the Zimbabwean businessman and his wife were killed in a Wednesday helicopter crash that left six people dead.
His death brought down the curtains on an extraordinary public story of a man who had spent much of his adult life moving between courtrooms, boardrooms, churches, luxury hotels and State Houses.
Kenya’s Head of State William Ruto and his counterparts Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Cyril Ramaphosa South Africa, King Mswati III (Eswatini), Bola Tinubu (Nigeria), Hakainde Hichelima (Zambia), Daniel Chapo (Mozambique) and Peter Mutharika (Malawi) are among African leaders who made cameos in Mr Chivayo’s many social media posts.
President Ruto was the first of those leaders to send his condolences to Chivayo’s family and admirers through the social media platform X.
The money gave him access to friends in high places. The friends in high places gave him a relevance most African social media influencers only dream of.
There were the Rolls-Royces and Range Rovers, the private jet and helicopters, wads of cash, luxury watches and designer clothes.
But some saw him as Chivayo, the businessman whose government-linked contracts, political connections, criminal past and extravagant lifestyle made him a deeply polarising figure in several African countries.
To his admirers, he was a self-made businessman and philanthropist who had risen from humble beginnings and used his wealth to help others.
To his critics, he was a symbol of the nexus between political power, government contracts and unexplained wealth, with some opposition figures portraying him as a beneficiary of a system in which politically connected businessmen could prosper from public resources.
He was the managing director of Intratrek Zimbabwe and had built a high public profile through his philanthropy and displays of wealth on social media.
Among his best-known business ventures was a $172m ( Sh22.3 billion) solar power project awarded to Intratrek by the state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company. The project became the subject of years of legal disputes.
He also came under scrutiny over the procurement of materials for Zimbabwe’s disputed 2023 elections.
For senior political leaders, however, Chivayo was often presented differently, as a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and influential businessman who moved comfortably in the highest political circles.
King Mswati III facilitated a diplomatic Eswatini passport for Mr Chivayo on the strength of their friendship and association.
Long before Presidents were driving him to helicopters, Chivayo had already encountered the criminal justice system.
In 2005, he was sentenced by the High Court to five years in prison after being convicted in a money-laundering case involving R837,000 (Sh6.6million).
Two years of the sentence were conditionally suspended, leaving him to serve an effective three years at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
He pleaded not guilty and continued fighting the conviction after serving his sentence. The conviction was eventually overturned on appeal.
Billionaire Wicknell Chivayo condoles with President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the passing of her husband. Pool
Photo credit: Pool
Chivayo later founded Intratrek Zimbabwe, an energy and infrastructure company that won a major contract connected to the proposed 100MW Gwanda solar project.
The project became one of the defining controversies of his business career. Chivayo and Intratrek were charged with fraud and contravening foreign-exchange-control regulations in connection with the Zimbabwe Power Company contract.
In March 2019, however, the High Court quashed the charges and ordered the acquittal of Chivayo and Intratrek. The Prosecutor-General subsequently sought leave to appeal.
The legal battles did not end the questions about his wealth and business dealings. Instead, they followed him into the world of politics.
He repeatedly denied wrongdoing, and the allegations should not be presented as facts.
His extraordinary access to political leaders became one of the most visible aspects of his public life.
In Zimbabwe, he was closely associated with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling establishment.
His relationship with Dr Ruto became particularly prominent in Kenya. Chivayo made several visits to Kenya and was photographed with the President at State House and other locations.
In August, after attending the traditional engagement ceremony of President Ruto’s daughter Charlene at the family’s Intonna Heritage Farm in Kilgoris, Narok County, Chivayo recorded a video showing Dr Ruto personally driving him towards his helicopter.
Chivayo insisted that his relationship with the Kenyan President was personal and based on faith, respect and mentorship, and denied that he had used the relationship to obtain tenders or other favours.
For critics, however, such encounters raised questions about how businessmen acquire extraordinary access to political leaders and whether such relationships can blur the line between business, influence and political power.
If his political connections made him controversial, his philanthropy made him famous.
Chivayo turned giving into a public spectacle, buying luxury vehicles for musicians, church leaders, friends, lawyers and others who had caught his attention.
He gave away Toyota Land Cruisers, Range Rovers, Ford Rangers and other expensive vehicles, alongside huge amounts of cash.
For President Mnangagwa’s 83rd birthday, he presented ten Toyota Land Cruisers and ambulances.
He said his generosity was rooted in his faith and his own experience of growing up without financial privilege. Critics questioned the source of his wealth and whether such conspicuous philanthropy could create political influence.
Always, Chivayo maintained that giving was simply his way of appreciating people.
That philosophy was visible in his final social-media post, published at about 9.20 am on the morning of his death.
Eswatini’s King Mswati III and Wicknell Chivayo.
Photo credit: Pool
He announced that longtime legal associates would receive a 2026 Lexus GX 550 valued at US$220,000 (Sh28.5 million), a Range Rover Sport Autobiography and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.
He said the gifts were meant to recognise relationships that had survived decades, including his relationship with lawyer Wilson Tatenda Manase, whom he said had known him since 1998 when he was still renting a single room.
Hours later, he was dead.
Chivayo’s relationship with Sonja Madzikanda, with whom he had two children, eventually collapsed and became one of the most closely followed private disputes surrounding the businessman.
Ms Madzikanda pursued legal claims concerning their relationship, children, maintenance and property, and the dispute spilled into public view.
In April 2026, the High Court approved a consent arrangement under which Chivayo agreed to pay five million US dollars (about Sh630million) in maintenance of their children.
The court heard that some US$2.2 million (Sh285 million) had already been invested, while the remaining US$2.8 million (Sh363 million) was to be paid within 30 days.
The court granted Ms Madzikanda primary custody of the children, while Mr Chivayo retained parental rights and structured access.
The broader dispute continued, including litigation in South Africa over property and assets linked to Chivayo. An anti-dissipation order affected some of those assets, including restrictions concerning his private jet.
The personal battle contrasted sharply with the public image of a businessman who could announce seven-figure gifts and surround himself with luxury.
Chivayo eventually moved on. In March 2025, he married Lucy “Lulu” Muteke in ceremonies that included traditional and religious celebrations. Lulu would become part of his final chapter.
