African Entrepreneurs

Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong  (born July 29, 1952) is a South African-American  billionaire  surgeon, businessman,  media mogul , and  bioscientist . He is the inventor of the drug  Abraxane , which became known for its efficacy against  lung ,  breast , and  pancreatic cancer . Soon-Shiong is the founder of  NantWorks , a network of health and technology startups; an adjunct professor of surgery and executive director of the Wireless Health Institute at the  University of California, Los Angeles ; and a visiting professor at  Imperial College London  and  Dartmouth College . Soon-Shiong has published more than 100 scientific papers and has more than 230 issued patents worldwide on advancements spanning numerous fields in technology and medicine. Soon-Shiong is the chairman of three non-profit organizations: the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, which aims to fund research and erase disparities in acce...

Chris Kirubi is a Kenyan businessman, entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist. He is a Director at Centum Investment Company Limited, a business conglomerate, in which he is the largest individual shareholder. He was born in 1941. Chris Kirubi is the chairman and a shareholder of Haco Tiger Brands (a joint venture with Tiger Brands SA, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange). He is also CEO of Capital FM and holds large equity stakes in Nairobi Stock Exchange listed  investment firm  Centum, UAP Insurance and the Kenyan franchise of DHL. Furthermore, he is a shareholder in Nairobi Bottlers, a bottling franchise for Coca-Cola. CHRIS KIRUBI EARLY LIFE Chris Kirubi was born poor, lost both parents very early, and had to start working during school holidays to supplement the needs of his brothers and himself. Upon graduation, he worked for Shell, as a salesman, selling and repairing gas cylinders.  According to him, the pennies he earned from this job c...

Flora Mutahi  is the  Founder and CEO Melvin Marsh International, Chair Kenya Association of Manufacturers (2016 to July 2018), Vice Chair COMESA Business Council, Patron Women in Manufacturing, Head of the Anti-Counterfeit Agency (July 2018 to date), Member of Board the United Nations Global Compact, Director Export Promotion Council Kenya, Director Azizi Realtors Limited, Director Jubilee Insurance Company          (Kenya) Flora holds a BSC (specializations in business, accounts, and finance) from the United State International University, UK and an Executive MBA from University of Cape Town. Like most people in their early ages, Flora had a hard time picking the ideal career path for her. But, she could not hide her interests in the business world. During a past interview, Flora stated that her passion for entrepreneurship began at a tender age. In between her school holiday breaks, Flora would buy clothes from abroad and sell them to her...

Folorunso Alakija  (born 15 July 1951) is a Nigerian  billionaire  businesswoman. She is involved in the fashion, oil, real estate and printing industries. She is the group managing director of  The Rose of Sharon Group  which consists of The Rose of Sharon Prints & Promotions Limited, Digital Reality Prints Limited and the executive vice-chairman of  Famfa Oil Limited . She also has a majority stake in DaySpring Property Development company. Alakija is ranked by  Forbes  as the richest woman in Nigeria with an estimated  net worth  of $1 billion. As of 2015, she is listed as the second most powerful woman in Africa after  Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala  and the 87th most powerful woman in the world by  Forbes . Folorunsho was born on 15 July 1951 to the family of Chief L. A. Ogbara in  Ikorodu ,  Lagos State . She attended her Nursery education at Our Ladies of Apostles, Lagos from 1...

Ntsele is an astute hustler whose aptitude for entrepreneurship was first cultivated in family businesses, then honed on the streets and finally mastered in the boardroom. He grew up helping his hawker aunt and shopkeeper uncle with their businesses in Soweto and says he was already financially independent in high school – making money as a newspaper vendor. He could even afford to buy himself a car when he was in matric. All this pointed to success on a bigger stage. Celebrated township businessmen such as Richard Maponya, Jabu Vilakazi and Dr Nthato Motlana were an inspiration to many kids in Soweto. Ntsele remembers that these businessmen had big houses “with indoor bathrooms” at a time when such conveniences were rare in the community. He wasn’t just business-savvy – he was politically conscious too. His neighbourhood, Orlando West, was a hive of political activity that would witness some of the most significant events in the history of apartheid SA. Ntsele says he knew whe...

Alhaji   Aliko Dangote   GCON  (born 10 April 1957) is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who is the founder and chairman of  Dangote Group , an industrial conglomerate in Africa. He has an estimated net worth of  US$ 13 billion (May 2020), as of May 2020, making him the  85th wealthiest person in the world  and the  richest person in Africa . Aliko Dangote, an ethnic  Hausa  Muslim from  Kano ,  Kano State , was born on 10 April 1957 into a wealthy  Muslim  family, the son of Mohammed Dangote and Mariya Sanusi Dantata, herself the daughter of  Sanusi Dantata . He is the great-grandson of Alhaji  Alhassan Dantata , the richest West African at the time of his death in 1955. Dangote lives in  Lagos . He was previously married, and has three daughters including  Halima Dangote , and one adopted son. The Dangote Group was established as a small trading firm in 1977...

Strive Masiyiwa  (born 29 January 1961) is a London-based Zimbabwean  billionaire  businessman, and philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of the telecommunications, technology and renewable energy company  Econet Global . He has won numerous accolades and gained international recognition for his business expertise and philanthropy, and is considered one of Africa's most generous humanitarians. Masiyiwa has used his wealth to provide scholarships to over 250,000 young Africans over the past 20 years through his family foundation.  He supports over 40,000 orphans with educational initiatives, as well as sponsoring students at universities in America, The United Kingdom, and China.  Over the last few years, Masiyiwa has devoted his time to mentoring the next generation of African entrepreneurs on Facebook.  Facebook has identified his platform as having the most engaged following of any business leader in the world. Strive ...