Business & founders stories across Africa
Section
Builders who started years ago and became giants.
Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867, the first child in her family born into freedom, Madam C. J. Walker built a cosmetics and hair-care business for Black…
Starting with fortified wine in Naivasha in 1997, Tabitha Karanja adapted to new taxes, switched to spirits, then beer, and built Keroche Breweries.
From his family’s hotels in Durban, Sol Kerzner built the Southern Sun group, Sun International and Sun City, then took the model to Mauritius and Connecticut.
Born to parents who were the children of slaves, John H. Johnson built the Johnson Publishing Company into one of the most influential Black-owned media businesses…
A salesman who repaired and sold gas cylinders, Chris Kirubi began buying run-down buildings in the early 1970s. He later chaired companies and held large stakes…
From selling lace and soft drinks to leading the first Nigerian company to strike oil in commercial quantity, Mike Adenuga’s climb runs through oil and telecoms.
A Sudanese-born engineer, Mo Ibrahim founded Celtel when banks would not back African telecoms, and later set up a foundation focused on leadership and governance.
Born in Agbor, Jim Ovia worked his way from a clerk’s desk in Lagos to founding Zenith Bank in 1990, and later a university and a…
From a small gift and a pot of marmalade to the first food-processing factory in the Gold Coast, Esther Ocloo became a pioneer of microlending for…
From executive secretary to fashion house founder to holder of an offshore oil licence, Folorunso Alakija’s career shows how many chapters one business life can have.
Born in Jos, Tony Elumelu turned a struggling Nigerian bank profitable, led United Bank for Africa into 20 countries, then set up a foundation to back…
Born in Singida in a mud house, Mohammed Dewji graduated from Georgetown in 1998, returned to run the family company, and grew MeTL from 30 million…
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