The 42-year-old is the chief executive and
leading shareholder of the MeTL Group, a family-owned Tanzanian conglomerate with operations in manufacturing, agriculture, haulage, storage distribution, trading, and real estate. It is one of the largest industrial conglomerates in east Africa, with annual revenues of $1.5 billion and a workforce of more than 20,000 people. Since MeTL Group already contributes 3.5% of Tanzania’s GDP, it is fast outgrowing national boundaries, working across 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Dubai. Dewji, who is popularly referred to as “Mo”,
is the third generation of a family of Tanzanian entrepreneurs. His grandmother owned a small trading shop which she operated out of her home in Singida, a sleepy town in Tanzania’s central region. From her modest residence, which was made from mud and sand, she peddled everything from sugar and rice to matchboxes and spices. “She was not particularly rich, but she was
very entrepreneurial and had a very strong work ethic,” Dewji says. “She would be the first to wake up very early
in the morning, clean the house, prepare food for the family and then open for business till the late evening.” His father, Gulam Dewji, would soon
take over the business, but adopted a more aggressive approach. He began importing soft commodities into Tanzania using family savings and credit facilities. By the mid-1970s, he had turned his mother’s shop into a thriving import-export business. Dewji often credits his father with providing
the business training pivotal to his success. “My father had been training me for business
since I was 11 years old. He taught me how to do business. I remember that even as a kid, whenever there was a school holiday, he would compel me to follow him to work. He would tell me ‘Mohammed, this is family business. You need to learn the ropes’.”
Top: Mohammed “Mo” Dewji, 42, is hailed as Africa’s youngest billionaire, worth $1.3 billion. He offers his entrepreneurial advice and positive views on life to almost half a million Twitter followers
ISSUE 72 | 2018
Playing a different game Dewji attended the International School of
Tanganyika in Dar es Salaam. At school, he and his siblings played tennis, football, and golf. Golf was his favourite. The young Dewji spent several hours every week on the city’s course.
CAMPDENFB.COM 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
