"Legend of Our Time": Wicknell Chivayo's Street Hustling Before Success Story Resurfaces After Death

• Wicknell Chivayo revealed how he hustled on the streets of Harare in a clip that resurfaced after his death
• Chivayo described watching his mother travel to South Africa to sell goods from buses just to keep the family afloat after his father died
• The clip from The Denny Show reignited conversation online about Chivayo's rags-to-riches journey from selling phones in the black market to boardrooms

Wicknell Chivayo, the Zimbabwean businessman who died in a helicopter crash, was not always surrounded by Rolls-Royces and high-end cars. A resurfaced podcast clip posted by @tadiim24 on 16 August 2026 pulled back the curtain on the man behind the money, and people could not stop watching.

The clip comes from The Denny Show, a podcast. In it, Chivayo sat down and spoke candidly about growing up poor in Zimbabwe with six sisters, no father, and a mother who had to hustle just to keep the lights on. He described how his mother would travel to South Africa, buy ladies' goods, and sell them back in Harare just to afford school fees and basic necessities. Watching her struggle, he said, changed something in him. He remembered promising her that things would be fine one day.

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By the time Chivayo finished school, his hunger to make money led him into the streets. He and his friends began buying and selling mobile phones, some of which turned out to be stolen goods. He admitted that police would come looking for them after phones were traced back through multiple hands. He said:

"We didn't kill people, but we were doing everything [to survive]."

The clip shared by @tadiim24 detailed that the turning point came through Wicknell's late father's connections. Business associates who had known and respected his father agreed to trust the young Chivayo. He began selling mobile phones legitimately, convincing sceptical clients that a device they could carry in their pocket and use without a landline was worth the price. From there, the business grew. He also spoke about how borrowing his uncle's Nissan Sunny gave him access to social circles he otherwise would not have entered, allowing him to build friendships and a reputation that eventually opened bigger doors. Watch the full resurfaced interview clip here:

Viewers applaud Wicknell Chivayo

The video struck a chord with Zimbabweans who grew up in the same era, and the comments reflected a mix of nostalgia, admiration and scepticism:

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@malloys wrote:

"From mobile phones? Why aren't others becoming famous like you? Not true 😂🥰💯"

@Vimby said:

"Legend of our time 🙏"

@Japhet Mpofu noted:

"People who don't think will still not take his story, especially those educated."

@Gijima Nyarugo said:

"Humble beginning, respect."

Other Briefly News stories about Wicknell Chivayo's family

• A Facebook post shared by Sonja Louise captured her travelling first-class with her two children, John and Atarah, shortly before news broke of Chivayo's death in the Marondera helicopter crash.
• An archived video captured the emotional moment the late Zimbabwean tycoon Wicknell Chivayo surprised his wife, Lucy "Lulu" Muteke, with a high-end Lamborghini at a car dealership showroom.
• A viral throwback clip showed the late businessman sharing a warm, playful moment inside a Rolls-Royce with his young children, joking about school runs, homework, and family holidays.

Source: Briefly News