ZIMBABWEAN TYCOON’S CUSTOM $550,000 ROLLS-ROYCE ARRIVES AFTER BURIAL

A custom-built Rolls-Royce Phantom ordered by late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has arrived in Harare weeks after he died in a helicopter crash, a final delivery for a man whose extravagant lifestyle and luxury car collection made him one of the most talked-about figures in southern Africa.

The development was reported by Zimbabwean media on Friday, ValidViewNetwork reports .

THE DELIVERY

The luxury vehicle, valued at upwards of $550,000, arrived in Harare on October 23, 2026, more than three weeks after Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, died in a helicopter crash near Marondera on September 30.

The couple were buried on October 8 .

According to Zimbabwean publication Humanitarian Post, the Phantom was already in international transit when the businessman died, with customs clearance completed after his death.

The car arrived in a large wooden crate .Chivayo had commissioned the vehicle months earlier, selecting bespoke finishes and personalised number plates bearing “Wicknell” and “Chibaba”.

THE LUXURY COLLECTION

The Phantom was intended to join a collection that included a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Bentley Bentayga, two Lamborghini Urus SUVs, Mercedes-Maybach GLS600 and Range Rover Autobiography.

Chivayo’s spending extended beyond personal purchases. He frequently gifted expensive vehicles to musicians, religious leaders and political figures.

THE DEBT QUESTIONS

His luxury car purchases have come under scrutiny following revelations about outstanding payments to several dealerships.

According to Zimbabwean publication ZimLive, three luxury car dealerships in Harare were owed a combined $5.1 million for vehicles supplied to Chivayo before his death.

Faramatsi Motors accounted for the largest outstanding balance at $2.4 million, followed by Exquisite Cars at $1.4 million and Enterprise Car Sales at $1.3 million.

Sources familiar with the transactions said Chivayo obtained vehicles on credit, usually settling payments within three months, although Exquisite Cars owner Victor Vikela disputed the debt figures and said his company had written off any outstanding balance .

WHO WAS WICKNELL CHIVAYO?

Chivayo, popularly known as Sir Wicknell, was a prominent Zimbabwean businessman whose interests in energy infrastructure and government contracts attracted public scrutiny.

Through Intratrek Zimbabwe, he secured a contract worth more than $170 million to develop a 100-megawatt solar power plant in Gwanda, southern Zimbabwe.

However, project delays triggered legal disputes and raised questions about his government dealings ..

He maintained connections with influential African political figures, particularly Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose ruling ZANU-PF party he supported.

He also publicised encounters with several African leaders, including Kenya’s William Ruto, Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and others .

WHY IT MATTERS

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The arrival of Chivayo’s Rolls-Royce after his death is a surreal coda to a life defined by excess.

He ordered a car he would never drive. He built a collection that is now the subject of a debt dispute. He cultivated relationships with presidents and prime ministers, and he died in a helicopter crash at the age of 40.

For his family, the car is a reminder of a man who lived large and died young.

For his creditors, it is an asset in an estate that may be smaller than it appeared. The Phantom has arrived. The man who ordered it has not.

And the questions about his debts, his deals, and his legacy remain unanswered. ValidViewNetwork reports.