There have been some misconceptions regarding what Strive Masiyiwa meant by ‘shutting down’ his Facebook page. There have been assumptions or insinuations that he is going to literally shut it down. There have also been assumptions or insinuations regarding the ‘why’ as well. In pursuance of clarifying all these aspects that is where this article comes in. I shall explain that in detail and making reference to what he has said lately.
It Is Not A Literal Shutdown
When you hear the term ‘shutdown’ you would think that it means a literal shutdown i.e. deleting the page. Well, that is not the case and I guess it has always seemed unlikely he would do that. It not being a literal shutdown is clearly laid out in what he said on the 20th of December 2021:
“I have set the end of February 2022, to close down the platform…The platform will be maintained for you to reference, and check on, but I will no longer have a regularly active Facebook account”
His Rationale Behind The ‘Shutdown’
There have been all sorts of assumptions as people have tried to figure out why he is shutting it down. I will not go into some of those assumptions but rather let me show you his actual rationale. What he said again on the 20th of December 2021 is instructive in that regard. Here is what he said and I totally understand what he means by this:
“…if I keep this platform going, then it stops being helpful to young entrepreneurs. They must go out and make it happens themselves, once I have taught them the principles of how it works. That I have done. Everything I ever said will always be available as reference material. But I am done now. New challenges await me too.”
Regarding Him Leaving Facebook To Boost Activity On Sasai
One of the assumptions that have been made on why Strive Masiyiwa is leaving Facebook pertains to Sasai. Many people have assumed that because it seems logically plausible. In case you are not aware of the assumption in question, let me break it down:
Strive Masiyiwa has somewhere close to 6 million Facebook followers. That is a huge following and his following has largely been quite active. On the other hand you have Sasai, which essentially is his baby. Sasai has evolved over the years to become a formidable social media platform and more. So, most people thought that maybe he is migrating to Sasai to boost activity on Sasai. How exactly?
Well, his followers on Facebook have been actively involved on his page. His followers appreciate his content because of its practical relatability and applicability. Thus, it is hypothetically possible that the majority of his followers would follow him to Sasai. Logically, that sounds sensible but that is not really why he is leaving Facebook.
Let us explore some of the things he said in January 2022.
“Those of who have been on this platform for more than 2 years know that one of my most important new businesses is Sasai Fintech, which launched the Sasai App – Africa’s first Super. I used to blog on it quite a lot when it started because I wanted you to follow the processes of launching and developing this type of business…When I finally retire from Facebook, I will still occasionally post things through Sasai, but not as often.”
This debunks the assumption that him leaving Facebook is for Sasai’s sake. If it was for Sasai’s sake then we would have seen him encouraging his followers to follow him on or to Sasai. Additionally he would have also continued posting regularly on Sasai as he did on Facebook. However, he clearly stated that even on Sasai he will not be posting as often.
What’s Next Then?
He has highlighted what will happen next in some of his posts and comments this year. On the 22nd of February he indicated that his final post would be on the 28th of February. He also said:
“The site will remain up, and you can continue to use it for reference. My Facebook page will remain open, and I might occasionally send you a message on something important. This is also to ensure that we do not get fake accounts established…The most important thing for me is that you continue to go back and read the materials and comments from the past, because they will remain forever CURRENT, because my main interest was to teach you principles.”
On the 27th of February 2022, he said the following:
“If you have never said anything, now is the time to say something. This is the last post. After tomorrow, I will no longer comment, but the platform will still be up for you to reference. If there is something I have to say on a major issue, I will say something here or on Sasai.”
He also went on to add that how the page will be managed given the new era:
“This platform remains open. My team will continue to manage it to ensure it is not abused or misused, which means that they will block anyone who uses it for the wrong reasons.”
In his closing words he urged everyone to commence their studies of what he has written over the years. He encouraged them to go back to the beginning and go over it again and again. He underscored that in doing so there is a blessing for them. Let me also add that it is rare and special what Strive Masiyiwa has done with his Facebook page. He could have chosen to monetize his knowledge and experiences by charging people through writing books, doing masterclasses, creating courses, and so much more. So many other successful entrepreneurs do that all over the world. However, he simply chose to share his knowledge and experiences for no charge. This is will forever be an iconic part of his illustrious legacy.
I agree. We need to have our own local softwares tailored for local people. Facebook can decide to shutdown in Zimbabwe
5M followers is enough to run a global advertising business and earn enough resources for onward tech development. It is worth taking a risk to develop an African platform. Then in addition to other platforms.
Thank you for the feedback Denver. We really do need local solutions that will also cater our specific needs and idiosyncrasies.
Hmm… I think the man of his calibre has made impact in his life on Facebook, he has mentored, encouraged and some of us have growned in his tulege… Yes, indeed, he is so influential such a man cannot stay on one place, one needs to revolve to make room for himself as he expands… Surely, Sasai will make impact in Africa as our OWN African social media it came at the right time as time such as this… King Live #Chief… Where ever You Go We’ll Follow You…
I’m not anonymous.. my name is Thembisile Mlambo Mutlanyana…
It’s a good experiment
I don’t think if people will feel comfortable with Sasai environment. That environment is mediocre. There’s nothing so special about that platform. It serves the same mission as social media gaints. So encourage Strive Masiiwa to be innovative first before he try to market the product. Otherwise he’s a baby when it comes to products launch. He should learn from Steve Jobs of Apple.
Wow!!! This humble soul it was surely God’ sent to our lives. He became father the fatherless, mentor, teacher, he truly inspired us to his teachings and advice when needed. He was like taken upon himself on developing and helping us to expand and grow in his knowledge of doing things. There’s no one like him that I encountered in my life, #Chief we appreciate whatever you impacted and instilled in our lives may the Almighty keeps on protecting you and your family…