1. Marius Kloppers, CEO, BHP Billiton
Kloppers, 50, is the head of BHP Billiton, the worldâ??s largest
mining company. Born in South Africa, Kloppers studied Chemical
engineering at the University of Pretoria, earned his MBA at INSEAD and
completed his Doctorate at MIT. He worked at Sasol (SSL), Mintek and
McKinsey & Co, before joining global resources giant BHP Billiton in
1993. He became C.E.O in 2007. Few weeks after taking the reins of the
company, Kloppers launched an audacious takeover bid for rival mining
giant Rio Tinto. The deal fell through, but Kloppers has performed
remarkably well nevertheless: Last year, the company posted a $22.5
billion profit. BHP produces resources like aluminum, coal, nickel, iron
ore, oil, gas, copper and uranium from mines and facilities located on 6
continents.
2. Aliko Dangote, President, Dangote Group
Africaâ??s richest man is also one of its most influential business
leaders. The Nigerian-born commodities tycoon is founder and president
of the Dangote group- West Africaâ??s largest industrial conglomerate.
The Dangote group has manufacturing interests in sugar, flour and cement
across West, East and South Africa. His listed Dangote Cement accounts
for more than a quarter of the total market capitalization of the
Nigerian Stock Exchange. He is looking to list the company on the London
Stock Exchange next year. Last year, Nigerian President Goodluck
Jonathan conferred the tycoon with the national award of Grand Commander
of the Order of the Niger, (GCON), the countryâ??s second highest
national honor.
3. Brian Joffe, CEO, Bidvest Group
Meet the man who created the Bidvest Group- Africaâ??s closest
comparator to General Electric. Joffe, 65, founded Bidvest in 1988 with a
$1 million cash shell, and built the group into one of Africaâ??s
largest conglomerates. Today, the JSE-listed $7.2 billion (Market Cap)
international services, distribution and trading company operates on
four continents and employs over 100,000 people. The companyâ??s key
assets include Bidvest Freight- sub-Saharan Africaâ??s largest
privately-held freight management business, Bidvest Automotive, a
leading South African motor vehicle retailer, a thriving financial
services division and the worldâ??s largest foodservice outside North
America. Joffe, a trained Chartered Accountant is Chief Executive of the
company.
Jacko Maree, CEO, Standard Bank Group
Jacko Maree, 53, a former Rhodes scholar is the CEO of the Standard
Bank Group, Africaâ??s largest financial services conglomerate. The $23
billion (market cap) behemoth operates in 33 different countries
including South Africa, Nigeria, Turkey, Russia, Argentina and Jersey.
Maree is also chairman of The Banking Association (S.A.) and is a former
director of the International Monetary Conference. He has been named
South Africaâ??s most trusted CEO at least 3 times.
Cyril Ramaphosa, Executive Chairman, Shanduka Group
Ramaphosa, 59, is one of South Africaâ??s most powerful figures in
business and politics. His first taste of power was in the 1980s as a
trade union leader in South Africa when he founded the National Union of
Mineworkers to improve the rights of black African workers. In the
early 90s, he was elected as secretary general of the countryâ??s
leading political party, the African National Congress (ANC) and played a
key role in negotiating with the National Party during the countryâ??s
transition to democracy. He became a member of the countryâ??s
parliament in 1994 but resigned three years later to build a career in
business. Today, his privately-held and highly influential investment
holding company, Shanduka Group owns substantial stakes in South African
mining giant, Assore, Standard Bank, CocaCola Shanduka (a joint venture
with CocaCola), insurance, telecom and extensive real estate holdings.
Last year, he acquired the South African operation of American fast food
giant, McDonaldâ??s. Ramaphosa, a very senior member of the ANC is
frequently mentioned as a possible future president.
Raymond Ackerman, Founder, Pick n Pay
In 1966 and at the age of 35, Raymond Ackerman was fired from his
position as a Managing Director at South African food retailer,
Checkers. He used his severance pay to acquire four retail outlets in
Cape Town which traded under the name Pick n Pay. Under Ackermanâ??s
management, Pick n Pay grew from four retail outlets in Cape Town to 794
stores around Southern Africa, Mauritius and Australia. Current Market
Cap: $1.2 billion. Ackerman stepped down as Executive Chairman in 2010,
handing over the reins to his son, Gareth. Dedicated philanthropist:
Through his Ackerman Family Educational Trust, he supports about 60
students through the University.
Patrice Motsepe, Executive Chairman, African Rainbow Minerals
Motsepe, 50, trained as a lawyer at the University of Witwatersrand
then went on to become the first black partner at storied
Johannesburg-based commercial law firm, Bowman Gilfillan. He later
founded a small contracting business doing mine scut work before buying
low-producing gold shaft mines in 1994, and turned them profitable using
lean management style. Today, he is the Executive Chairman of the $5
billion (Market Capitalization) African Rainbow Minerals which produces
platinum, nickel, chrome, iron, manganese, coal, copper and gold.
Motsepe is also the largest individual shareholder at the company
Christo Wiese, Chairman, Shoprite
Christo Wiese is the chairman and largest individual shareholder of
Africaâ??s largest retailer, low-price supermarket chain Shoprite. He
also owns a controlling stake in discount clothes, shoes and textiles
chain Pepkor as well a significant shareholding in private equity firm
Brait. Wiese also has significant real estate holdings, and a stake in
Pallinghurst, a private equity firm focused on mining and solid
minerals.
Tony Elumelu, Executive Chairman, Heirs Holdings & The Tony Elumelu Foundation
In 1997, Tony Elumelu led a small group of investors to take over a
distressed medium-sized commercial bank in Lagos. He transformed the
bank into what we know today as the UBA Group- a $2 billion (market
capitalization) Pan-African financial services behemoth spanning 20
African countries with over $12 billion in assets and over 10,000
employees. In 2010, he stepped down as Chief Executive of the bank and
went on to found Heirs Holdings- an, African-focused holding company
which invests in African companies across important sectors of the
economy. He also founded the Tony Elumelu Foundation, an influential
non-profit which grooms and mentors business students from across the
continent, and equips them with the tools to succeed as Entrepreneurs.
Maria Ramos, CEO, Absa Group
Maria Ramos, 53, is one of the continentâ??s most respected public
administrators and business leaders. In 2009, she was appointed Chief
Executive of the Absa Group, South Africaâ??s second largest financial
services group by market capitalization. Before taking up the reins at
Absa, Ramos enjoyed a successful career in South Africaâ??s public
sector, including serving as the countryâ??s Director General for the
National Treasury, and most recently as Group Chief Executive of
Transnet Limited, the state-owned rail, pipeline and ports agency.
Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita, CEO, ArcelorMittal SA
51 year-old Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita heads the South African
operations of ArcelorMittal, the worldâ??s largest steel producer. These
are not particularly times for ArcelorMittal SA. The company is at risk
of facing a $390 million fine over charges of price fixing and the
South African government recently excluded the company from
participating in an infrastructure procurement program which could
benefit local manufacturers. Consolation: ArcelorMittal South Africa is
still the continentâ??s biggest steel company. Annual production
capacity: 7.8 million tons. Nyembezi-Heita started off as an engineer at
IBM's Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, before
proceeding to work for the company in South Africa. She had a stint as
CEO of South African financial services firm, Alliance Capital, before
joining Vodacom as head of its Mergers and Acquisition division. She
became CEO of ArcelorMittal SA in 2008. Also serves as Chairman of the
Bond Exchange of South Africa Limited and as a Non-Executive Director at
the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited and Old Mutual.
Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman, De Beers Group
South Africaâ??s richest man still remains Chairman of De Beers- the
worldâ??s largest producer of rough diamonds despite selling off his
familyâ??s 40% stake in the company last November to mining giant, Anglo
American. Oppenheimer remains committed to investing in Africa: His
family is a Joint venture partner with Singapore state investor Temasek
Holdings in Tana Africa, a private equity fund focused on the
agricultural and consumer goods sectors across Africa.
Johann Rupert, Chairman, Richemont, Reinet Investments SCA, and Remgro
South African Johann Rupert is chairman and chief executive of
Richemont, a Swiss luxury goods company which owns premium brands like
Alfred Dunhill, Cartier, Chloé, Montblanc and Chloé. Also owns online
fashion portal Net-a-Porter. In South Africa, Rupert owns significant
investment interests in mining, Tobacco, financial services and media
held through holding companies Remgro, Venfin and Reinet Investments
SCA. Rupert is chairman of all three companies. He has been Chancellor
of Stellenbosch University since 2009.
Manu Chandaria, Chairman, Comcraft Group
East Africaâ??s most venerable business leader is chairman of the
Comcraft group, a $2 billion industrial behemoth which produces steel,
plastics, and aluminum products from manufacturing facilities in 45
countries â?? 16 of which are in Africa. Total workforce: Over 40,000
people. Also Kenyaâ??s biggest philanthropist. His Chandaria Foundation
is active in over seven countries, and has given away millions to causes
in education, health and the arts. Chandaria, 83, holds the title of
the Elder of the Burning Spear, one of Kenyaâ??s highest civilian
honors.
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