From Farm Worker to CEO: Moreboys Munetsi’s Journey to Building a Multinational Company
Ten years ago, Moreboys Munetsi was a farm worker in rural Kadyamadare, Murewa, struggling to make ends meet and unsure where his next meal would come from. Facing extreme poverty and limited opportunities, he moved to South Africa, taking on double shifts at farms and construction sites, later training as a security guard. Determined to support his family back home, he sacrificed comfort and education, even attending night school before dropping out due to ridicule.
Munetsi’s drive led him to the insurance sector, where he honed his skills and nurtured a dream of starting his own company.
Today, Moreboys Munetsi is the founder and CEO of Great Hope, a multinational repatriation and insurance company operating in Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Starting with a single pickup truck, he handled everything himself—from transporting and dressing deceased bodies to hiring mortuary space—before building a trusted enterprise. Since 2021, Great Hope has facilitated repatriation across 15 African countries, partnered with major companies like Discovery and 1Life, and grown to employ over 50 people. Munetsi continues to expand his services, including insurance and investment products, while aiming to create more opportunities for young entrepreneurs across the continent.
Humble Beginnings
Born on December 6th in the 1980s in Kadyamadare, Murewa, Moreboys Munetsi grew up in an impoverished household with seven siblings. With his parents often unable to raise school fees, he survived on menial jobs as a herd boy, uncertain of his future.
Driven to find greener pastures, Munetsi escaped to South Africa, where he worked double shifts at farms and construction sites for as little as R200. The driving force was to change the situation back home.
"Growing up in poverty actually motivated me to be focused here in SA. I took the responsibility of making sure that I had to sacrifice staying in a shack so that I would send money every month."
Despite the hardships, he decided to go to night school to write his matric. Although he was mocked for learning with students half his age, he persevered and passed. This resilience eventually led him to study for an LLB at the University of South Africa, becoming a qualified lawyer registered with the Law Society of South Africa.
The Entrepreneurial Journey
After working as a security guard earning R1500 per month, Munetsi joined the insurance business through a Zororo Phumulani initiative in 2012. It was here that he developed a passion to start his own empire. Though his first attempt failed, forcing him back to farm work, he never gave up on his dream.
After saving enough money, Munetsi founded his first successful business, MFS Tracker, a company that tracks lost vehicles. This venture was the first step in building his business empire.
Gallery from Field trips Around Zimbabwe
Building the Great Hope Empire
Today, Munetsi runs Great Hope, a repatriation and funeral services expert registered in Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The company started with just one pickup truck.
"I was using it to carry dead bodies and drive to Zimbabwe. I was doing everything from removing, dressing and driving the hearse. I didn’t have an office to operate from."
Since 2021, Great Hope has been trusted to handle repatriations to more than 15 African countries. The company now employs over 50 people and has a clientele of more than 7,000 members. It has also expanded into life insurance, car insurance, and investment policies, enjoying partnerships with established companies like Discovery and 1Life.
David (Sales)