- Wicknell Chivayo pledged 15 brand-new 2026 Toyota Fortuners worth KSh 155.7 million to members of the Johane Masowe church just days before his death
- The luxury vehicles were collected on September 30, the same day the Zimbabwean tycoon died in a helicopter crash, with some recipients learning of his death mid-distribution
- Car dealers who had handed over vehicles on credit now face uncertainty over payments running into millions of dollars across several Harare showrooms
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The final days of Zimbabwean tycoon Wicknell Chivayo were marked by a signature act of extravagance — one that turned bittersweet when 15 Toyota Fortuners landed in the hands of church members on the very day their benefactor lost his life.
Source: UGC
Chivayo died on September 30 in a helicopter crash, but not before setting in motion one of his most lavish gift runs.
Five days earlier, on September 25, he had publicly announced that 15 members of the Johane Masowe church from Domboshava, Chiweshe and Mrewa would each receive a brand-new 2026 Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 alongside a cash gift.
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Each vehicle was valued at US$70,000 (KSh 9,081,100), bringing the combined cost of the cars alone to US$1.2 million (KSh 155.7 million).
Each recipient also received US$5,000 (KSh 648,650) in cash, pushing the total value of that single pledge to approximately US$1.275 million (KSh 165.4 million).
"Your 15 BRAND-NEW 2026 TOYOTA FORTUNERS 2.4 GD6 have arrived," Chivayo wrote at the time of the announcement.
Questions over the timing of the handover
A dealer who spoke to MyZimbabwe confirmed that the 15 vehicles were collected on the day of the crash. Some of the recipients reportedly only heard about Chivayo's death while the distribution was already underway, turning what should have been a celebration into a moment of shock and grief.
The gifts were part of a broader pattern of extraordinary generosity that Chivayo had become known for across Zimbabwe.
According to The Standard Zimbabwe, he had gifted more than 300 vehicles and over US$47 million (KSh 6.09 billion) in cash over time.
Even on the morning of the crash, his final social media posts featured top-of-range SUVs gifted to two lawyers, along with what he described as "small petty cash" of US$250,000 (KSh 32.4 million) each.
Car dealers now face uncertainty
Behind the spectacle, however, a more sobering picture has emerged. Dealers who supplied the vehicles did so on the understanding that Chivayo would take delivery first, with payment to follow within roughly two months.
With his sudden death, those arrangements have collapsed, leaving showrooms across Harare unsure of where they stand. The amounts owed reportedly run into millions of dollars spread across several dealerships.
Much of the supply chain ran through Exquisite Car Sales, with a contact named Victor Matiyenga at the centre of the operation.
Chivayo's well-known instruction to those seeking luxury cars was simply "Go and see Victor," a phrase that became shorthand for his enormous appetite for gifting.
The circumstances surrounding the collection of the Fortuners on the day of Chivayo's death have left many with unanswered questions about the full extent of outstanding obligations and what happens to those caught in the middle.
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