Which business sectors have provided the top richest Zimbabweans? ICT, Mining, FMCG, Agriculture, Real Estate and Manufacturing. Which sector provided the fastest billionaire? It is the ICT through Strive Masiyiwa and this sector is likely to add more millionaires and billionaires-this is a global trend!
Below we feature the top 10 as compiled by Forbes.
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the South African continent. The country is known for its diverse wildlife, national parks, forest reserves, safari, dramatic landscape, waterfall etc. Its capital is Harare which is the most populous and largest city of the country.
Zimbabwe has 16 official languages. The country has experienced the worst political and monetary crisis in the world history. But it is gradually recovering with recently having the $28 billion GDP. The economy of the country majorly depends on mining, agriculture and tourism sector. The country has the most lucrative mining sector as it has the world’s largest platinum reserves. The Marange field is the largest diamond producing field in the world. Zimbabwe is a country which is not only rich with natural resources but also has many billionaires. Here, let’s look at a few 10 richest people in Zimbabwe in 2018.
10. Charles Davy:
He was born in 1952. He owns around 1300 square miles of land by starting the business of hunting safaris. He did lot of hard work to earn the position in the world. His hunting business made him the wealthy man by the late 1990’s. His business provided employment to around 600 black families of an economically ruined country. Hi estimated worth is $540 million.
8. Michael Fowler:
He is a Zimbabwean entrepreneur. He founded the Innscor Africa limited along with the partner Zed Koudounaris. The business was started as a chicken shop which later converted into a large manufacturing and sale of FMCG Company. The business was also expanded globally from Zimbabwe to all over the world. His fortune is estimated to be $645 million. Along with his partner, he was also involved in the controversy of transferring the funds into overseas accounts.
7. Sam Levy Family:
He was a Zimbabwean property developer and businessman best remembered for his construction of shopping mall “SAM LEVY’S VILLAGE” in Harare. He was a self made man. He is and was one of the richest people in Zimbabwe at the time of his death. He was born on 9 October, 1929. In the year 1960, he founded the Macey’s Stores limited- a supermarket group. He was majorly into super market businesses. He died from cancer on 5 June, 2012. After his death, he was honoured with a lifetime achievement award as one of the most influential and successful Zimbabwean entrepreneur. His total worth was said to be $677 million. After his death his elder son took over the business.
6. Ken Sharpe:
His real name is Kenneth Raydon Sharpe. He was born in 1973. He is the founder and chairman of West Group of companies. He started his career in 1990 by starting a confectionery business which later on becomes the West Group. His total worth is approximately $690 million. A miraculous incident happened with him- He met with an accident while doing skiing where his brain got 60% cavity and he has only 3% survival rate still he miraculously survived and woke up from coma on his daughter’s birthday.
5. Zed Koudounaris:
Zed is a Zimbabwean entrepreneur who co-founded the Innscor Africa Limited with Michael Fowler. His total fortune is estimated to be $734 million (£603 million).
4. Billy Rautenbach:
The mega rich mogul, tycoon and financier made around $75 million in three weeks through some shady deals facilitated by the government of Mugabe in the year 2014. It shows how wealthy he will be. His total treasure is worth around $740 million (£608 million). Billy is mainly into the business of trucks, mining, car manufacturing, agriculture etc.
3. Nicholas Van Hoogstraten:
He was born in 1945 in England. His treasure is worth $750 million (£616 million). He started his career at the age of 11 with selling the stamps from his personal collections to noted collectors. At the age of 17 he joined merchant navy only for a year. Later he started the property business. By the age of 28 he became the youngest millionaire of Britain. He immigrated to Zimbabwe and owned several businesses and more than 1600 square miles of land. He is also the owner of mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2. John Arnold Bredenkamp:
A former Zimbabwean rugby player and businessmen was born on 11 August, 1940. He was orphaned in childhood; from there on he worked very hard and after graduation joined a tobacco company. After working there for several years he later founded the Casalee Group of companies in Belgium. It was a leaf tobacco marketing company also involved in general trading and barter deals. As per “The Guardian”- Bredenkamp has an estimated worth of $793 million (£700 million) which he has earned from tobacco trading, diamond mining, and sports marketing in 2016.
1. Strive Masiyiwa:
Born on 29 January, 1961 is a London based Zimbabwean entrepreneur and businessman who tops the list of being the richest person of Zimbabwe with an estimated worth of $860 million. He is the founder of the organization “Econet Wireless”. The company is an international telecommunications group with operations in more than 20 countries. He has been rewarded and recognised globally for his philanthropic activities and is considered as the biggest humanitarian and philanthropist of Zimbabwe. Over the last 20 years, his organisation has helped more than 100,000 African students by providing them scholarships.
