Business & founders stories across Africa
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Builders who started years ago and became giants.
After nine years running Checkers from 4 stores to 85, Raymond Ackerman bought the first four Pick n Pay stores and built them into a national…
A co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, Sheila Johnson later started Salamander Hotels and Resorts and became a leading donor to education and women’s causes.
The Econet founder saved 75 dollars from his salary to start a company, won a landmark Zimbabwean court ruling on telecoms licensing, and went on to…
From a dry-cleaning business to the Rembrandt Group, Anton Rupert built a business empire that also funded education, art and conservation.
From a radio job in high school to a production company and her own television network, Oprah Winfrey built one of the most recognised media brands…
A chartered accountant from Yaba College of Technology, Fola Adeola ran GTBank for twelve years, then turned to mentoring founders and building Nigeria’s internet cable.
Managing individual shafts under contract in the 1980s, Bridgette Radebe went on to start Mmakau Mining, a firm exploring and producing platinum, gold and chrome.
From a Detroit family of eight children to the founder of Motown, Berry Gordy signed acts including the Supremes and Marvin Gaye and ran the highest-earning…
A trainee actuary at 22, Adrian Gore founded Discovery as a medical insurer. It became a diversified financial services group.
Refused a clothing licence under apartheid, Richard Maponya built a dairy, shops and dealerships in Soweto, and opened Maponya Mall in 2007.
A Harvard-trained lawyer from Baltimore, Reginald Lewis moved to the other side of the deal table, and went on to become the first African American to…
A lawyer who became the first black partner at Bowman Gilfillan, Patrice Motsepe began with contract mining, then bought marginal gold shafts and built a mining…
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