Shepherd Bushiri was born 20 February 1983. He is also known as Major 1 or Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, is a Christian preacher, motivational speaker, author and businessman from Malawi. He founded and leads a Christian non-denominational evangelical church known as the Enlightened Christian Gathering. The church has headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa with branches in other African countries and around the world. Tens of thousands of people are attracted to the church every day.
He describes the church as a Prophetic Ministry based on the principle that “God cares and loves people and wants to speak directly to them.”Bushiri also runs a global investment company, Shepherd Bushiri Investments, based in Sandton near Johannesburg, with interests in mining, real estate, an airline and other entrepreneurial enterprises. According to Bushiri, he ventured into business to support his family as he does not believe the church must support his family.
Shepherd Bushiri is now known as one of the wealthiest pastors in the world and one of the most affluent people in Africa.
Bushiri is mentored by multimillionaire businessman and leader of Good News Church in UK, Prophet Uebert Angel. Bushiri is said to be the most celebrated and popular Spiritual Son of Prophet Angel. Angel has other Spiritual sons including, but not limited to, Africa-based Romeo Marom, Bulgaria-based miracle worker Maksim Asenov, leader of Imperial City Church, Isaiah Brian Sovi and South Africa-based Apostle Miz Tancred.
The Enlightened Christian Gathering is reported as one of the fastest growing churches in Africa and the world.
Bushiri is the founder of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG). He has established and leads churches in South Africa, Malawi, Ghana, South Sudan and other countries. He has been interviewed for television by the BBC, and received coverage also in Al Jazeera, New African, Nigerian Tribune, and African Leadership magazine.
Bushiri’s services attract over 100000 viewers via his personally owned television station, social media and in-person attendees. His largest gatherings are held on New Year’s Eve at FNB Stadium, South Africa with over 95000 attendees both in 2016 and 2017. The FNB Stadium is the largest stadium in Africa.
On the night of 28 December 2018, three people died and nine others were injured during a stampede at the ECG Church caused by people trying to avoid a thunderstorm. Bushiri’s spokesman Maynard Manyowa told media that “The ECG Church is not his [Bushiri’s] church, it belongs to South Africa and South Africans.” Manyowa also said that the deaths were “not his [Bushiri’s] problem, but a problem that the church must deal with.”
His church gatherings have not always been well received with the one extreme protest being the destruction of “overflow tents” by arson in February 2020.
Shepherd Bushiri’s company, SB Investments (Pty) Ltd, is an international investment company, based in Sandton near Johannesburg, with interests in oil, mining, real estate, transportation and the hospitality industry. On 20 February 2018, Bushiri launched one of his hotel investments, a multimillion-dollar property in South Africa. SBI has a special interest in supporting governments including economies of fragile state countries. In 2017 Bushiri was hosted by the Vice President of South Sudan – Dr James Igga, Reserve Bank Governor and Finance Minister during which a business deal was signed in the area of infrastructure and development. In 2018 Shepherd Bushiri was given the prestigious award and induction into the CEO Hall of Fame by the African Leadership Magazine.
Shepherd Bushiri has been involved in many charitable works around the world, including work in Malawi, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa. He formed a humanitarian organization called “Shepherd Bushiri Foundation” with Duncan Zgambo as the CEO, where he provides for the needy and less privileged. He provides charitable donations including livelihood support; educational support for orphans; humanitarian relief in the form of food subsidies.
In 2017, he took maize to Lilongwe and spent K85 Million in Malawi Charity. He has invested in young people through his sports academy and through Major 1 Records which sponsors and show-cases up-and-coming music artists. On 18 July 2018, Nelson Mandela Day, Bushiri launched an Africa-wide school adoption program with donations to a local school. The event was attended by Senior Government Officials from the South Africa Ministry of Education.