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My story

I build without borders — because that's how I had to start.

I'm a British-Zimbabwean entrepreneur, and my life has been one long lesson in turning constraint into momentum: from Harare, to a computing degree in Belgium, to arriving in the UK as a refugee, to chairing a group of companies. The thread through all of it is simple — talent is everywhere, opportunity isn't, and entrepreneurship is how you close the gap.

Barney Kavai, entrepreneur and Group CEO of GHS Group Holdings Barney Kavai speaking at an event
The journey

From Harare to a multi-sector group

  1. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe

    I grew up in Zimbabwe with an early love of computing and a conviction that talent is everywhere — but opportunity isn’t.

  2. 2006–10

    Bachelor of Computing

    I earned my BSc at Belgium Campus iTversity — and, on the side, started discovering and helping African music talent online.

  3. 2009–13

    Music industry beginnings

    I helped shape the early Zimdancehall movement, brokering the Red Rat × Winky D "Rize Up Zimbabwe" collaboration — my first taste of building something from nothing.

  4. 2010

    I arrived in the UK as a refugee

    I landed in Britain at 24 with a degree, no network and no safety net — and a determination to build a life here.

  5. 2013

    BMK Management & RIZE

    I founded my first consultancy and launched RIZE, the social enterprise I still chair, to back young entrepreneurs across Zimbabwe and the diaspora.

  6. 2014–15

    MBA at Bournemouth

    I completed an MBA in Strategy & Entrepreneurship Management, putting structure around the operating playbook I’d been building by instinct.

  7. 2018

    I founded GHS

    GHS began trading in Bournemouth and grew into GHS Group Holdings — healthcare, medical supplies and cleaning under one roof.

  8. 2020

    60+ staff, a decade in

    Within ten years of arriving I was employing more than sixty people, spinning up new services fast during COVID and earning national press.

  9. 2023

    Entrepreneur of the Year

    I was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards — recognition for the whole team behind the journey.

  10. Now

    Building across borders

    I’m pursuing a DBA at Heriot-Watt and building ventures in preventative healthcare (GHS Medical Hub), phygital precious metals (Kavai), blockchain & AI (Great Dyke), agriculture (Brookview) and a golf brand (Tribal) — while advising others through Edusyms and RIZE.

The credentials behind the instinct

Built on rigour, not just hustle

Chartered Manager (CMgr FCMI)

I'm a Chartered Manager — the highest status in the management and leadership profession — and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, its most senior grade of membership.

CQC Registered Manager

In healthcare I'm a Care Quality Commission (CQC) Registered Manager and Nominated Individual — personally accountable for the quality and safety of the care GHS delivers.

Academic foundation

A BSc (Hons) in Computing from Belgium Campus iTversity, an MBA in Strategy & Entrepreneurship from Bournemouth University, and a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) in progress at Heriot-Watt.

🏆 Entrepreneur of the Year — Zimbabwe Achievers Awards 2023
Beyond business

Where I give my time

Non-Executive Director

Dorset Race Equality Council (DREC)

Advocating for equality, social inclusion and workplace diversity.

Non-Executive Director

International Care Network (ICN)

Supporting asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants to rebuild their lives.

Advisory Board — Business Strategy & Ecosystem Partnership

Edusyms

An education-technology company building an operating system for education and skills development across the African continent.

I also chair the RIZE Organisation, the social enterprise I founded in 2013 to support young entrepreneurs across Zimbabwe, South Africa and the diaspora.

Want the long version?

I speak regularly about resilience, diaspora entrepreneurship and scaling in hard sectors — and mentor the founders coming up behind me.