If Africa does not yet have its Mark Zuckerberg (the founder and CEO of the social network Facebook), the boom of new technologies (NICT) recently experimented by the continent has allowed some pioneers and net entrepreneurs Africa to make a fortune. Specialists in online sales, digital communication or internet service provision, these personalities who are revolutionizing the African web are attracting more and more attention and funding from investment funds and global technology giants.
10 millionaires to watch closely
The American magazine Forbes has just published a list of “10 million net Africans to watch closely.” Unsurprisingly, this list is essentially English speaking with representatives mainly from South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. This dominance reflects the economic weight and the lead taken by these countries in the field of ICTs, although from Senegal to Cameroon, many startups and Internet companies are also participating in the technological revolution in Africa.
Abasiama Idaresit (Nigeria) is the founder and executive director of Wild Fusion, one of the leading digital marketing agencies in Africa. Established in 2010, Wild Fusion is present in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. The company recorded a turnover of $ 6 million in 2012.
Adii Pienaar (South Africa) runs Woothemes, a company specializing in the production of themes and plugins for WordPress and Tumblr’s online content management platforms. Woothemes has annual revenues in excess of $ 3 million.
Ayisi Makatiani (Kenya) created Africa Online, one of the continent’s leading Internet service providers, in 1994. He now heads Fanisi Venture Capital Fund, a $ 50 million investment fund that funds projects in Africa. from the east.
Gary Levitt (South Africa) is the founder and main shareholder of Mad Mimi, a mailing service created in 2008. The company has nearly 150,000 professional users and sends 1 billion messages per month. It employs 20 people and has $ 6 million in annual revenue.
Herman Heunis (Namibia) is the founder of MXit, the largest social network and the first instant messaging service in Africa. MXit, which has nearly 10 million regular users, was sold in 2011 to the South African investment fund World Of Avatar for more than 50 million dollars.
Jason Njoku (Nigeria) is the founder of iRokoTV, the largest distributor of Nigerian films in the world. IrokoTV allows subscribers to access online new Nigerian and Ghanaian movies for a monthly subscription of $ 5. The company, which has more than 500,000 subscribers, was able to raise almost $ 12 million from private investors.
Justin Clarke (South Africa) & Carey Eaton (Kenya) are co-founders and major shareholders of One Africa Media (OAM). Valued at $ 80 million, OAM is Africa’s largest online classifieds provider across multiple specialty sites.
Njeri Rionge (Kenya) made his fortune co-founding Wananchi Online, a leading provider of internet and telephony services in East Africa. In 2011, the company sold 50% of its shares to the US group Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) for $ 26 million.
Ronnie Apteker (South Africa) founded Internet Solutions, South Africa’s first Internet service provider, in 1993. Four years later, he sold the company for $ 65 million. Ronnie Apteker, who continues to invest in numerous online businesses, has also participated in the production and writing of a dozen films.
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