Econet’s Chimanikire clinches top award
ECONET Wireless Zimbabwe deputy chief executive officer Roy Chimanikire was named the overall Director of the year at the Institute of Directors Zimbabwe (IoDZ) 2022 Awards held in Harare recently.
Chimanikire also scooped the Director of the Year award in the Large and Listed Companies category.
e affable and fresh-looking executive thanked the Institute for promoting excellence and raising the standards of corporate governance best practice in Zimbabwe.
He also acknowledged his companys’ group CEO, Dr Douglas Mboweni, for his leadership and support, as well as the company’s management and staff, for their contribution in getting him this recognition.
“I would like to especially thank my group CEO, Dr Douglas Mboweni, for his strong leadership, and the entire Econet family — our management and staff. I also want to acknowledge the Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Board for its unwavering support of the company,” Chimanikire said.
e IoDZ’s Director of the Year Awards, which were introduced in Zimbabwe in 2005, recognise the achievement of a single individual in Zimbabwe, who has distinguished him or herself as a board member. e award is meant to recognise an individual’s contribution to his or her respective board’s direction, strategy, and corporate social responsibility.
is year’s awards event was running under the theme “ESG for Greater Transparency and Sustainability”.
Chimanikire, who also doubles as Econet’s finance director, was instrumental in helping the telecoms company achieve its corporate goals over the last decade.
During the period under review, Econet launched the country’s first high-speed Fifth Generation (5G) mobile broadband technology. 5G is a key digital infrastructure that is poised to position Zimbabwe as a digital economy, as well as enhance the country’s digital innovation and economic competitiveness.
In addition to contributing over ZW$31 billion to the fiscus through taxes, Econet also implemented various Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives in its quest to create a sustainable future in the communities it serves.
A qualified chartered accountant and a former senior partner at Deloitte & Touche who joined the Econet Group in 2009, Chimanikire is also a past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe.
He said the past two years have seen very difficult operating conditions in the country, forcing Econet to review its business model in order to respond to the changes in operating environment.
“In doing so, we have provided major societal and economic contributions to communities right across Zimbabwe at a critical time in our country,” Chimanikire said in his brief remarks after receiving the awards.
“At Econet, we remain committed in ensuring we maintain a sustainable business in a challenging operating environment, whilst enabling national development through technology.
“In pursuit of our sustainability agenda, we continue working closely with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure we are an empowering contributor to the social and economic development of the country.
“We continually hold ourselves accountable for our performance, celebrating our achievements but taking stock of the areas where we can do more.”
Chimanikire was appointed to the Econet Wireless Zimbabwe board in February 2016 as finance director. In 2020 he was appointed deputy CEO of the listed company.