Though Zimbabwe has experienced the worst political and monetary crisis in human history, the country has started to recover, with its economy feeding off mining, agriculture and tourism.
Due to the country’s lucrative mining sector, among others, it is not surprising to see that Zimbabwe has a high amount of billionaires. Here are the 10 richest men in Zimbabwe.
Strive Masiyiwa is the richest man in Zimbabwe
1. Strive Masiyiwa
Strive Masiyiwa fought through government opposition to launch a private mobile phone network Econet Wireless Zimbabwe in 1998. He owns 52% of ZSE listed Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, which is part of his larger Econet Group (Headquartered in Mauritius).
Born on the 28th of January, 1961, Strive is a London based Zimbabwean entrepreneur with an estimated worth of $1.3 billion making him the richest man in the country.
2. John Bredenkamp
Born in South Africa in 1940, John Bredenkamp moved to then Rhodesia with his family when he was a child. He was orphaned on his birthday: upon returning home from a bike ride, he discovered that his father had shot his mother and sister and then himself.
He founded the Casalee Group of companies in 1976, which was primarily a leaf tobacco merchant company, eventually becoming the fifth-largest tobacco merchant in the world and effectively making Bredenkamp one of the richest people in Zimbabwe in the 90s. His net worth is $793,000,000
3. Nicholas Van Hoogstraten
Born in Shoreham-by-Sea, England in 1945, Nicholas van Hoogstraten is currently the third richest person in Zimbabwe. He began selling stamps to collectors which he claimed to be worth as much as $30,000.
At 14, he began wearing a suit to school and reportedly excused himself from class to read the Financial Times. He has since gone on to become a highly successful property, becoming Britain’s youngest millionaire with a portfolio of more than 300 properties. He later emigrated to Zimbabwe and by 2013 owned over 1,600 square miles of land. He has a net worth of $750,000,000
4. Billy Rautenbach
With a net worth of $743,000,000, Rautenbach built his business empire expanding to more than 12 countries on the continent including DRC, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola and Mozambique with Sabot as the cash cow.
Billy Rautenbach’s business ventures include car manufacturing, farming, wildlife safaris, cobalt and diamond mining (through Central African Mining & Exploration Company) and trucking.
5. Zed Koudounaris
Zinona Koudounaris, better known as Zed, has served as Non-Executive Director of Innscor since 1996, which he co-founded with Michael Fowler. They are majority shareholders in other ZSE listed companies in Padenga, Colcom, Axia Holdings, Simbisa Brands and National Foods.
Innscor has interests in Profeeds, ProBrands, NatPak and Irvines. The organization is among the most successful conglomerates in Zimbabwe. He has a net worth of $734,000,000.
6. Ken Sharpe
Born in 1973, Kenneth Raydon Sharpe is the Executive Chairman of West Properties Company. He started his entrepreneurial journey in 1990 when he established a confectionery and food distribution business which, ultimately, became the West Group.
His company partnered the City of Harare in developing Harare Sunshine Bazaar, Mbudzi Peoples’ market and is building Shawasha Mall in Mbare. He has a net worth of $690,000,000
7. Sam Levy Family
Best known for constructing the Sam Levy’s Village shopping mall in Borrowdale, a suburb of Harare, Sam Levy was a self-made millionaire businessman and property developer. His properties generate an estimated income of $20 million per year. When he died in 2012, he left his wealth to his 4 children who now run the estate. He has a net worth of $677,000,000.
8. Michael Fowler
Michael Fowler is a Zimbabwean entrepreneur who co-founded the Innscor Africa Limited with Zed Koudonaris in 1997. They are majority shareholders in other ZSE listed companies such as Padenga, Colcom, Axia Holdings, Simbisa Brands and National Foods. He has a net worth of $645,000,000.
9. Ian Saunders
Spotting a huge net worth of $590,000,000, Ian Saunders has held many technical and managerial roles in South Africa and Zimbabwe and has more than 20 years’ experience in the mining industry.
He has since gone on to hold a seat on five corporate boards, most notably at New Dawn Mining Corp where he is also President and CEO (since 2006 and 2008, respectively). He founded ZSE listed Falcon Gold which owns Dalny mine, Venice Mine and Golden Quarry.
10. Charles Davy
Closing our list today is millionaire Charles Davy. Charles Davy owns some 1,300 square miles of land in the Lemco Safari Area or about 0.09 per cent of all agricultural land in Zimbabwe. Ніѕ hunting buѕіnеѕѕ made hіm the wеаlthу mаn bу thе lаtе 1990ѕ.
Ніѕ buѕіnеѕѕ рrоvіdе еmрlоуmеnt to аrоund 600 blасk fаmіlіеѕ. He makes a lot of money by running hunting safaris which, in 2005, were reported to typically cost £660 (about $802 today) per day to shoot lions, elephants, leopards and buffalo on 24-day expeditions.
So there you have it! Zimbabwe’s 10 wealthiest men.
