Leadership

Board & Executive Leadership

AgroStrong is led by a team that pairs deep African deal-making experience with hands-on operating discipline, a combination built to carry the business from its cattle-backed savings platform through to a public listing and beyond.

Chairman

Vhusi Phiri

The architect of AgroStrong's route to market, turning a diaspora investment thesis into a listed, cattle-backed savings and investments platform.

Co-founder of AgroStrong and CEO of BridgeFort Capital Group, steering the strategy that has carried AgroStrong from concept to a proposed ZEEX listing.
Built his commercial edge co-founding Cerrex Consulting and leading it to a successful sale to PwC, a track record of building and exiting value that now underwrites AgroStrong's growth strategy.
A leading voice for diaspora investment into Africa, with market knowledge spanning the continent built over years of hands-on deal experience.

QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Fellow Member, Institute of Bankers
Master of Philosophy in Development Finance, University of Stellenbosch
BBMIT (Hons) Business Management & Information Technology, Catholic University of Zimbabwe
Advanced Diploma in Banking (Retailing of Financial Services), Institute of Bankers
Diploma in Banking (Retailing of Financial Services), Institute of Bankers
Programme in Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management, UNISA
Management Development Programme, Mandel Zimbabwe

Executive Directors

Chief Executive Officer

Bekithemba Lloyd Nkomo

A boardroom-tested operator who has built and sat on more than 15 boards, now applying that discipline full-time to scaling AgroStrong.

Co-founder and CEO of AgroStrong, bringing more than 20 years of experience shaping, funding and growing businesses across Zimbabwe and Southern Africa directly into the day-to-day running of the company.
Founder and Chairman of Lloyd Corporate Capital, an investment advisory business delivering equity, debt and human capital to medium-sized businesses across Zimbabwe and sub-Saharan Africa.
Built out the group's reach further through Lloyd Crowdfunding, Lloyd Markets (a JSE share-trading platform) and Lactones Finance, a working-capital financier for medium and large enterprises.
Chairman and Non-Executive Director across more than 15 boards, including current roles at Old Mutual Investment Group (chairing the Audit, Risk & Compliance committee), the Ethical Leaf Tobacco Board and Open Factor Zimbabwe (Chairman), with past board service at CABS, Old Mutual Zimbabwe, Star Africa Corporation, African Sun Limited and Tongaat Hulett (Botswana).

QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Commercial and Court Aligned Mediation, UCT | MiM
Business Excellence Assessor, South African Excellence Foundation
Articles of Clerkship, Ernst & Young
B-Tech (Accounting), University of Zimbabwe
Member of the Institute of Directors, UK
Member of the Institute of Directors, RSA

Chief Financial Officer

Ignatius Muchenge

A credit and capital-markets specialist who has spent 15 years turning due diligence into funded deals across three markets.

Chief Financial Officer of AgroStrong Holdings Limited, bringing 15+ years in credit risk management, transaction advisory, corporate banking and microfinance directly to bear on the group's ZEEX listing readiness.
Multisectoral deal experience spanning due diligence, strategy, valuations, fundraising, and debt restructuring and recovery across Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.
Built his transaction skillset at Grant Thornton Botswana and BancABC Zimbabwe before founding Lincoln Capital as Board Chairperson and Non-Executive Director, where he developed value-chain financing strategies to derisk lending to SMEs.

QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

B.Com Banking (Honours)
CFA Charter

Non-Executive Directors

Non-Executive Director

Janice Rudo Sambaza

An infrastructure and deal-finance specialist turning two decades of capital-raising rigour into AgroStrong's own bankable growth story.

Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of AgroStrong since 2021, bringing 20+ years of fundraising, financial due diligence, valuations, deal origination and execution experience to the board.
Founder and Managing Director of Ivhu Advisors, a specialist infrastructure transaction advisory and project finance firm built to bridge Africa's infrastructure financing gap through bankable, investment-grade transaction structuring.
Built her transaction discipline over more than a decade at PwC in South Africa and Zimbabwe, spanning external audit, transaction services and reporting-accountant roles, before establishing herself as an independent corporate finance consultant and, later, deal principal.
Serves on the Finance and Infrastructure Task Force of the 2025 B20 South Africa, the G20's official business engagement group, contributing to policy recommendations on infrastructure finance and investment across Africa.
Recognised as a SAICA Top 35-under-35 finalist (2017) and Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (South Africa) Professional of the Year (2024); also founder of the Sovereign Strategy Institute and host of the Pamuuyu with Janice podcast.

QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Chartered Accountant (Zimbabwe), Chartered Accountant (South Africa)
Master of Business Administration, Gordon Institute of Business Science
Post-Graduate Diploma in General Management, Gordon Institute of Business Science
Post-Graduate Certificate in Auditing, University of Cape Town
Bachelor of Accounting Honours, University of South Africa
Zimbabwe Certificate in Theory of Accounting, Institute of Chartered Accountants in Zimbabwe
Bachelor of Accounting, University of South Africa

Non-Executive Director

Gift Chawasarira

The financial governance backbone behind BridgeFort's group of companies, bringing listed-entity discipline to AgroStrong's board.

Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of AgroStrong, bringing more than 18 years in financial services leadership, spanning enterprise risk management, internal and external audit, accounting and operational finance across insurance, health administration, property, collective investments, funerals and retirement funds.
Brings that cross-sector financial rigour to AgroStrong's board as Non-Executive Director, alongside his role as Group CFO of BridgeFort Capital Group.
Active industry contributor: former Trustee of the Afrocentric Health Limited Union Provident Fund and Treasurer of the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa (ABASA), Johannesburg Branch.

QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Chartered Accountant (South Africa)
Master of Business Leadership, University of South Africa
BCom (Accounting), Rand Afrikaans University
Certificate in Theory of Accounting, Rand Afrikaans University
Advanced Certificate in Auditing, Accounting Professional Training (Pty) Ltd

Independent Non-Executive Directors

Independent Non-Executive Director

Oliver Lutz

Twenty-five years structuring capital across African frontier markets, an independent voice bringing deal-tested rigour to AgroStrong's board.

Corporate finance and structured finance executive with 25 years of African frontier markets experience across investment appraisal, transaction structuring and M&A.
Executive Director and founder of Gravitas Advisors, an independent corporate and structured finance advisory boutique arranging structured finance solutions, including for agriculture and contract farming, and advising on regional M&A and property development transactions.
Currently Non-Executive Director of BridgeFort Capital Limited, alongside 11 years as Head of Group M&A and Transactions Advisory at Masawara PLC, a pan-African investment company, where he led capital raising, investment appraisal and M&A structuring at both holding-company and business-unit level.
Further senior experience includes Managing Director of Zimnat Asset Management, Executive Director of 4D Corporate Finance, and investment banking and corporate finance roles at NMB Bank and Sagit Stockbrokers.

QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Bachelor's Degree, Business/Commerce, University of South Africa

Independent Non-Executive Director

Sheila Lorimer

A governance and legal specialist with two decades at the top of company secretarial practice, bringing independent regulatory rigour to AgroStrong's board.

Brings more than two decades of legal, compliance and corporate governance expertise across insurance, mining, energy and financial services.
Until recently, Group Company Secretary at First Mutual Holdings Limited for 14 years (2012-2026), leading legal compliance and corporate governance across the group's insurance operations.
Prior experience as Non-Executive Director of TriStar Insurance Company Limited, and as Company Secretary & Legal at Bindura Nickel Corporation.
Earlier career includes Legal Manager at KPMG and Company Secretary & Legal at Mobil Oil (ExxonMobil).
A registered legal practitioner and Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute (UK).

QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Master of Laws (LLM), University of Cambridge
Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of KwaZulu-Natal (Cum Laude)
Bachelor of Arts, University of Natal
Fellow, Chartered Governance Institute (UK)
Registered Legal Practitioner

Independent Non-Executive Director

Sharon Bwanya

Nearly two decades of pan-African corporate law, governance and investment advisory, from Masawara's boardroom to AgroStrong's own.

Executive legal and business advisor with nearly 20 years spanning commercial law, investment management, corporate finance, operations and strategic advisory, with a global outlook built across Zimbabwe, South Africa, the UK, Germany and the US.
Served as Group General Counsel of Masawara Group, a pan-African investment holding conglomerate spanning eleven countries, as a member of the Group Executive Committee.
Previously Chief Operating Officer of the Nurture Group (Nurture Advisory, Capital and Asset Management), an Africa-focused private equity, financial advisory and investment management group.
Built her transaction practice over 12 years as Partner (Banking Law & Project Finance) at MawereSibanda Commercial Lawyers and on secondment to Mayer Brown International in London.
Currently Lead Advisor and Managing Director of Red Couch Advisory, with a board portfolio spanning ZSE-listed Masimba Holdings and Meikles Holdings (Audit Committee member on both) and Board Chair of ServCred Microbanco in Mozambique.

QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Master of Business Administration, Steinbeis University, Berlin
Bachelor of Laws (Honours), University of Zimbabwe
Financial Modelling and Analysis, University of Cape Town
Executive and Management Coaching, University of Cape Town
Discourses and Histories in Human Rights, University of Cape Town & Bard College, New York