Tanzania's Mohammed Dewji remains East Africa's wealthiest individual according to the 2019 Forbes Billionaires List, with a net worth exceeding Sh100 billion. The survey reveals Egypt as Africa's top producer of billionaires, tallying six figures, followed by South Africa with five and Morocco with two. Tanzania, Angola, Zimbabwe, and Swaziland each contributed one billionaire to the global list.
Dewji, CEO of METL, a Tanzanian conglomerate established in the 1970s by his father, operates across textiles, flour milling, beverages, and edible oils in six African nations. The businessman gained international attention in 2018 after a 10-day kidnapping ordeal in Dar es Salaam. Globally, Jeff Bezos retained the top spot with a $139.6 billion fortune, having founded Amazon in 1994 from his Seattle garage.
Forbes' methodology relies on stock prices and exchange rates as of February 8, 2019, acknowledging rapid wealth fluctuations. The list excludes multigenerational family wealth unless directly tied to a founder, requiring a minimum $1 billion net worth. Notable examples include Japanese investor Tsuyoshi Matsushita and Singapore's Forrest Li, whose fortunes shifted dramatically within weeks of the survey.
