It has been a while since I talked about anything on Strive Masiyiwa. In the recent groundbreaking development, Strive Masiyiwa has been added to the Netflix board of directors. This was aimed at replacing Susan Rice who has since left the board to pursue her responsibilities in Joe Biden’s administration. Susan Rice has an impeccable career; from 2009 to 2013 she was the US ambassador to the United Nations. From 2013 to 2017 she was US National Security Advisor. In Joe Biden’s administration, she shall serve as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

A Brief Overview Of What Netflix Is All About

It is possible that some of you might not be familiar with what Netflix is really about. According to Netflix’s website, “Netflix is a streaming service that offers a wide variety of award-winning TV shows, movies, anime, documentaries, and more on thousands of internet-connected devices. You can watch as much as you want, whenever you want without a single commercial – all for one low monthly price. There’s always something new to discover and new TV shows and movies are added every week!

In terms of the cost of access, you can choose from a wide range of fixed monthly fee packages. These packages span from US$7.99 to US$11.99 a month. The great thing is that there are no hidden or additional costs that will pop up at some point. If you are interested in learning more about how you can enjoy Netflix, log onto the website.

Remarks By Netflix Co-Founder And CEO

The co-founder and CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, had this to say about the development:

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.

Remarks Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos

I’m thrilled to have Strive join our board as we expand more across Africa and the world.

Strive Masiyiwa’s Remarks Regarding His Appointment

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.”

In Addition To A Long List Global Roles

As you well know, Strive Masiyiwa is the Executive Chairman of Econet Global. Other than that serves on the Board of directors for iconic entities such as National Geographic Society, Bank of America, and Unilever. He also used to serve on the Board of directors for the Rockefeller Foundation.

Some Noteworthy Insights

A Strategic Appointment

The appointment of Strive Masiyiwa to Netflix’s board is not just a random thing. I am quite sure it is meant to tap into and leverage the vast muscle Strive Masiyiwa wields. Think of it, Netflix has roughly 190 million subscribers worldwide. Evidently, this is a small number in comparison to the total number of internet users globally. Globally there are roughly 4.6 billion active internet users. Of those 4.6 billion, 526 million are from Africa. Around 871 million people in Africa are yet to be connected to the internet. A lot is being done in Africa to get more and more connected though. Thus when you look at the 526 million and more that will be connected you see how important Africa is to Netflix. Traditionally Netflix has been focused mainly on the US and European markets but they are now more interested in other markets such as Africa and Asia. This is where Strive Masiyiwa comes in.

Strive Masiyiwa’s Econet Global empire is key to getting more customers to use Netflix in Africa. He has internet service providers, mobile network service providers, banking services, and mobile money services, amongst many under his empire. Do not also forget that Masiyiwa has Kwese iflix which remained operational even after the demise of Kwese TV. It is so apparent that he has a lot to bring to the Netflix table.

Probably A Game Changer For Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, many people would love to access Netflix. However, the currency issues which require one to have a foreign currency account stifle many. Masiyiwa’s inclusion in the board could open opportunities for payment options that are flexible for Zimbabweans. This is just me thinking but I believe we could see some benefits coming our way. We might even also get an open door for local Zimbabwean content to find its way to Netflix. I guess we shall see as time goes on.

I have to also highlight that his appointment has been received with mixed feelings. I will not delve into that because it opens up some very controversial discussions. Time will tell on whether or not his appointment is a great thing for Zimbabwe, Africa and the world at large. This of course does not nullify the fact that his appointment to the Netflix board is iconic, congratulations to him! Anyways, what are your thoughts on this development? Kindly share with us in the comments below.