The listing shows that Mr Dewji has maintained his position as the youngest billionaire with unchanged fortune of $1.6 billion as compared to outcome of the 2020 evaluations.
Dar es Salaam. Businessman Mohammed Dewji on Saturday announced his plans to increase the number of people directly and indirectly employed by his companies from 32,000 to 100,000 by end of 2021. Mr Dewji who is famously known as ‘Mo’ was speaking to The Citizen when commenting on the recently released Forbes’ ranking of Africa’s billionaires listing in 2021.
The listing shows that Mr Dewji has maintained his position as the youngest billionaire with unchanged fortune of $1.6 billion as compared to outcome of the 2020 evaluations.
Speaking to The Citizen, he said his intention was to collaborate with the government in building and promoting the economy of the country and individual citizens.
“Currently, I’m focused to promoting employment by increasing the number of my employees from 32,000 to 100,000 reaching end of the year,” he said.
He said was impressed by recognition and motivations he was getting from the Forbes’ rankings of Africa’s billionaires listings, hence encouraging him to invest on development of the country and its people.
“I’m working shoulder on shoulder with President John Magufuli’s government that has been making encouraging industrial reforms in the country,” he said.
According to him, the government reforms have increased opportunities for people to start industries, disclosing that his target was to start five to 10 factories by end of 2021.
He reiterated the promise he made in a group of world riches that he will sacrifice 50 percent of his wealthy to the poor, saying once blessed by God people are supposed to remember the needy.
Forbes’ ranking of Africa’s billionaires listing of 2021 shows that the Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote is still Africa’s richest man with a fortune of $12.1 billion, according to the Forbes ranking.
Last year, Mr Dewji who is the CEO of Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (MeTL) had a fortune of $1.6 billion, some $300 billion less as compared to $1.9 billion recorded in 2019.
However, he cited the decline to long term investment in the agro-business.
Mr Nassef Sawiris, “a scion of Egypt’s wealthiest family,” according to Forbes, comes second in the list, after Mr Dangote with $8.5 billion real time net worth as of yesterday.
Nicky Oppenheimer & family comes of South Africa comes third with $8.0 billion fortune and Johann Rupert & family emerged fourth with $7.2 billion wealth.
Mr Mike Adenuga, regarded as Nigeria’s second richest man, comes third in the list with real time net worth of $6.3 billion, down from $7.7 billion last year.
