- Harare car dealers say they lost a major client after Wicknell Chivayo's reported death in a helicopter crash on September 30
- Chivayo had gifted more than 300 luxury vehicles and distributed an estimated US$47 million (KSh 6.10 billion) before his death
- Dealers who supplied bulk orders of Toyota Fortuners and Aquas say they are now struggling to reconcile books on vehicles already delivered
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Harare's luxury car trade is reeling after the reported death of Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, with multiple dealers now facing significant unpaid balances for vehicles they had already handed over.
Source: Instagram
Chivayo, widely known as Sir Wicknell, died on 30 September in a helicopter crash in rural Marondera while travelling from his home in Chikomba district, Mashonaland East.
His wife Lucy Muteke, two pilots and an aide also perished in the accident. He was among the most recognisable figures in Zimbabwe's luxury vehicle market, having built a public image around high-profile philanthropy and the gifting of expensive cars to musicians, lawyers, politicians, religious leaders and social media followers.
Chivayo's spending scale
Before his death, the businessman had reportedly given away more than 300 luxury vehicles, with some accounts placing the number as high as 3,000 cars distributed over two years.
The total value of vehicles and cash gifts was estimated at approximately US$47 million (KSh 6.10 billion). His trademark move was directing beneficiaries to collect cars from dealers with the words "your car is fully paid," a phrase he frequently accompanied with social media videos showing recipients posing beside gift-wrapped vehicles.
His final public posts, also dated 30 September, followed the same pattern, announcing top-of-the-range SUVs for two lawyers alongside "small petty cash" of US$250,000 each.
Dealers left in financial limbo
Much of Chivayo's vehicle supply ran through Exquisite Car Sales in Harare, with distribution reportedly handled by a man known as Victor Matiyenga. Other cars were sourced from showrooms along Robert Mugabe Road in Eastlea and in Braeside.
Demand was consistently strong for Toyota GD6 Fortuners, each valued at around US$70,000 (KSh 9 million) as well as Toyota Aquas, Land Cruisers and Mercedes-Benz models.
Suppliers would sometimes pool stock to fill bulk requests, including orders for 100 Toyota Aquas and 50 Toyota Fortuners at once, with vehicles typically selected for low mileage, some under 20,000 kilometres.
The arrangement worked because payments generally arrived within two months, making Chivayo a reliable and sought-after client.
According to a report by The Standard Zimbabwe published on 11 October 2026, that reliability has now given way to uncertainty. Dealers say the amounts owed run into millions of dollars across several showrooms combined.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Chivayo's bulk buying had created a secondary market, with dealers purchasing stock from one another to meet his large orders, meaning the debt chain now spreads across Harare's broader car trade.
With their biggest customer gone and estates and legal processes yet to resolve outstanding deals, suppliers who had come to depend on his constant demand are now facing the difficult task of recovering money for vehicles that have already left their forecourts.
Details of Chivayo's security team
We also highlighted facts about Chivayo’s six-man South African security team, who travelled to Harare to attend the late businessman’s burial.
One bodyguard shared a tender moment with Chivayo’s young daughter, while the team’s journey honoured a bond strengthened by the luxury cars he had bought them.
Source: TUKO.co.ke