Wicknell Chivayo dies at 43: How Zimbabwe’s ‘Sir Wicknell’ built his fortune

For years, Wicknell Chivayo was difficult to miss.

He was the businessman posing beside Rolls-Royces and private jets, handing out expensive cars to musicians, church leaders and football figures, appearing alongside presidents and talking openly about deals running into millions of dollars.

On Wednesday, September 30, that public story took a sudden turn.

Zimbabwean authorities confirmed that a helicopter crashed in Marondera Rural, east of Harare, at about 5pm, with no survivors.

The government initially said a high-profile businessman and other passengers were aboard but did not release their names.

Zimbabwean media subsequently identified Chivayo and his wife, Lucy “Lulu” Muteke, among the victims.

Police identification was still awaited in the first hours after the crash.

From wages clerk to Intratrek

Chivayo was born in 1982 and became a household name through Intratrek Zimbabwe, the energy and infrastructure company he founded.

His own account of his beginnings is that he left school while young after the death of his father and started work as a wages clerk at a bus company at about 15.

Zimbabwean reporting has also documented a period in which he operated as an illegal foreign-currency dealer before moving into formal business.

Intratrek's defining project was the 100MW Gwanda Solar Project, awarded through Zimbabwe Power Company.

The project was initially valued at about US$172 million and became embroiled in years of delays, financing disputes and litigation.

Chivayo and Intratrek were acquitted in 2023 on a US$5.6 million fraud case connected to the project.

The Gwanda project had, remarkably, returned to the headlines shortly before his death.

On September 10, 2026, Zimbabwe's government issued Intratrek a Notice to Proceed, directing it to complete the solar plant within 24 months under a restated EPC agreement.

The cars made him famous

Business contracts built the fortune; social media made Chivayo a celebrity.

His gifts became a recurring spectacle in Zimbabwe. He distributed luxury vehicles and cash to entertainers, religious organisations, sports personalities and political-linked figures, often announcing the gifts himself online.

In 2025, the Herald reported a birthday giveaway worth about US$5.3 million, including vehicles and cash donations to political, religious and other organisations.

Football was another major part of his public footprint.

He backed clubs including Highlanders and Scottland, with Highlanders receiving a reported US$1 million sponsorship package for the 2026 season, alongside a luxury team bus.

A businessman with political access

Chivayo's proximity to political power was equally visible.

In Zimbabwe, he was repeatedly photographed with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other senior officials.

In Kenya, his relationship with President William Ruto drew attention after several public encounters in 2026, including a visit to State House and a widely circulated video of Ruto driving him to a helipad at the President's private residence in Kilgoris.

His business interests also crossed into Kenya. Reports in June linked his company, IMC Construction Kenya, to a proposed Sh375 billion JKIA expansion with Chinese partners.

Kenya's Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir subsequently disputed the reported arrangement and said tenders were still being evaluated, illustrating how contested the project's details were.

Chivayo's history also included a 2004 theft conviction, while later cases produced acquittals, including the Gwanda fraud proceedings.

His wealth, government-linked contracts and public spending consequently remained subjects of scrutiny throughout his career.

At 43, Chivayo leaves behind a public record that stretched from energy projects and infrastructure to football, philanthropy and political access - a life lived unusually loudly, and one that ended suddenly in the skies above Marondera.