Mohammed Dewji
Mohammed Dewji | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mohammed Gulamabbas Dewji May 8, 1975 Singida, Tanzania |
| Other names | Mo Dewji |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Politician |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Known for | Proprietor of MeTL Group, Member of Parliament for Singida Urban (2005–2015) |
| Notable work | Founder of Mo Dewji Foundation |
Mohammed "Mo" Gulamabbas Dewji (born 8 May 1975) is a Tanzanian billionaire entrepreneur and ex-politician. He is the proprietor of MeTL Group, a Tanzanian conglomerate initially established by his grandmother and later expanded by his father during the 1970s. Dewji represented his birthplace, Singida, as a Member of Parliament for Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) from 2005 until 2015. As of October 2024, his net worth is approximated at US$1.8 billion, positioning him as the 17th wealthiest individual in Africa and the continent’s youngest billionaire. In 2013, he became the first Tanzanian to appear on the cover of Forbes magazine.
Early life
Born in Singida as the second among six siblings to Gulamabbas and Zubeda Dewji, Mohammed comes from a Twelver Shias family of Gujarati Indian heritage that settled as traders in East Africa during the late 19th century. His family’s financial status was humble at his birth, and he narrowly survived a nuchal cord complication. By the time he was attending school, his father had successfully transformed their modest shop into a flourishing import-export enterprise.
Dewji’s primary education was completed at Arusha Primary School, followed by secondary schooling at the International School of Tanganyika (IST) in Dar es Salaam. In 1992, he enrolled at the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy in Orlando, Florida, then transferred to Trinity Preparatory School for eleventh grade, concluding his high school education at Saddle Brook High School in New Jersey.
He earned a bachelor's degree in international business and finance from Georgetown University in 1998, with an additional minor in theology.
Business
Upon graduating, Dewji assumed leadership of Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (MeTL), a commodities trading firm founded by his grandmother. Within two years, he advanced to the role of Chief Financial Officer. During the early 2000s, he leveraged opportunities presented by the Tanzanian government’s privatization of underperforming companies, acquiring them at low costs and restoring profitability by streamlining workforce expenses. Today, MeTL Group stands as Tanzania’s largest privately held conglomerate.
Under Dewji’s stewardship, MeTL’s revenue surged from $30 million in 1999 to over $1.5 billion by 2018. The conglomerate maintains diversified interests spanning manufacturing, agriculture, trading, finance, mobile telecommunications, insurance, real estate, transportation, logistics, and food and beverage sectors. Operating across 11 countries with a workforce exceeding 28,000 employees, MeTL aimed to expand employment to 100,000 staff members by 2021. Its business activities contribute roughly 3.5% to Tanzania’s GDP.
In 2019, Dewji’s net worth was valued at approximately US$1.9 billion by Forbes, ranking him as Africa’s 17th wealthiest person and its youngest billionaire as of 2018. His financial assets are managed through Zaoui & Co. and Mohammed Abrar Asif of HFPCG. Dewji made history as the first Tanzanian featured on the cover of Forbes magazine in 2013 and has been showcased three times overall. In recognition of his achievements, Forbes Africa named him Person of the Year in 2015.
Politics
At age 25 in 2000, Dewji contested for the Member of Parliament seat representing Singida Urban under the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). Despite winning preliminary votes, he was considered too young to assume office at that time. He later won the Singida Urban parliamentary seat during the 2005 multiparty elections with a commanding 90% majority and served until his resignation in October 2015.
Personal life
In 2001, Dewji wed his high school love, Saira; together they have three children and live in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He practices Shia Islam and belongs to the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamat, which follows the Twelver tradition.
Kidnapping
During his morning exercise on 11 October 2018, Dewji was abducted by armed assailants outside the Colosseum Hotel in Dar es Salaam. Although affluent, he typically did not employ personal security and was alone at the time. The kidnappers discharged firearms before taking him away.
By 13 October, law enforcement had detained over 20 individuals connected to the incident. Dewji’s family announced a reward of TSh (approximately US$440,000) for any information facilitating his recovery. On 20 October, Dewji made contact with his relatives to confirm his freedom near the Gymkhana grounds and expressed gratitude to Tanzanians via the METL Twitter account. Police stated he returned home on his own without a physical rescue operation; he mentioned that his captors spoke a South African language. Politician January Makamba noted visible rope marks on Dewji’s arms and legs. In a 2019 interview with the BBC, Dewji revealed no ransom was exchanged and credited his release to substantial media coverage and political intervention.
Wealth
Since Forbes launched its Africa’s richest list in 2011, Dewji has consistently been recognized as the wealthiest individual in both East Africa and Tanzania eleven times. In 2024, he ranked as the 1764th wealthiest person worldwide, 12th richest across Africa, and retained his position as East Africa’s and Tanzania’s richest with a net worth estimated at $1.8 billion.
Philanthropy
The Mo Dewji Foundation was established by Dewji in 2014. He also became a signatory of the Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least half of his fortune during his lifetime or through his estate. He is notably the first Tanzanian and among only three Africans to join this initiative.
Honours and awards
- 2012: Recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum
- 2014: Featured in Forbes Magazine's list of the 10 Most Powerful Men In Africa
- 2014: Named African Philanthropist of the Year by African Leadership magazine
- 2014: Included among Top 100 Young Economic Leaders by Institut Choiseul
- 2015: Awarded East African Philanthropist of the Year by All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA)
- 2015: Honored as Business Leader of the Year by African Business Magazine
- 2015: Selected as Forbes Africa's Person Of The Year
- 2016: Listed among Choiseul 100 Africa Economic Leaders for Tomorrow
- 2022: Received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University
See also
External links
- 1975 births
- Living people
- Chama Cha Mapinduzi MPs
- Saddle Brook High School alumni
- Tanzanian MPs 2005–2010
- Tanzanian MPs 2010–2015
- International School of Tanganyika alumni
- McDonough School of Business alumni
- Tanzanian politicians of Indian descent
- Tanzanian Shia Muslims
- Tanzanian billionaires
- Kidnappings in Tanzania
- People from Singida Region
- 21st-century Tanzanian businesspeople
- Gujarati people
- Trinity Preparatory School alumni