People
Mukete Dynasty: The Richest Anglophone Family
The MUKETE family is a dynasty that has been established for over a century, starting with the late Nfon Abel MUKETE, who was the father of Nfon Victor MUKETE, the Paramount Chief of the Bafaw, who was a Senator from the Southwest Region, and the former PCA of CAMTEL, who passed away in 2021.
Nfon Victor MUKETE was the father of seven children:
- Godfrey MBE MUKETE: CEO of MUKETE ESTATES Ltd, he is the first African graduate from the prestigious Yale University in the United States.
- Jacob DIKO MUKETE: Division Chief at the African Development Bank (ADB), Vice-President of the Rwanda Finance Limited Board, Non-Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank Cameroon, and Chairman of its Governance Committee. He is also a lawyer admitted to the bar in London and Cameroon.
- Colin EBARKO MUKETE: Chairman of the Board of MTN CAMEROON, he is also a member of the Advisory Board of International Mining & Infrastructure Corporation, a mining company listed on the London Stock Exchange, where he became a shareholder in 2015. He has also served as CEO of SPECTRUM.
- EKALE MUKETE: A lawyer, he is the Mayor of Kumba I and the General Director of Forest Industries.
- John AKPO MUKETE: CEO of AMTRADE.
- EKOKO MUKETE: He has held numerous positions, including CEO of CAMALCO CAMEROON; Administrator of the API; Vice-President of the Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Crafts (CCIMA); Senior Advisor to GLOBELEQ CAMEROON; Executive Chairman of UNILOG CAMEROON; Director of African Atlantic International Maritime Ltd; Chairman of UBA CAMEROON for 13 years and UBA Congo Brazzaville; Honorary Consul of Turkey; Senator for the South-West region and the new Supreme Chief of the Bafaw.
- Abel MUKETE: He is the eldest sibling. A former deputy, he is an entrepreneur and businessman, spending most of his time in the United States.
The MUKETE sons have all attended prestigious international universities in the United States and England.
The story of this family began in 1910 when Abel MUKETE established a farm. In 1928, it was named “A. Mukete and Sons Plantations” (now known as Mukete Plantations Ltd. and Mukete Estates Ltd.), focusing on the cultivation of oil palms, rubber trees, and cocoa plants. During the 1970s, with funding from the French Central Fund for Economic Cooperation, Godfrey MBE MUKETE expanded the land and diversified the crops. Their plantations employ around 700 people.
Later on, they diversified their business activities with Colin EBARKO purchasing 30% of the shares in MTN Cameroon for 43 billion FCFA. They invested in communication by establishing an advertising agency (SPECTRUM) and a group of television channels (STV1, STV2, BOOM TV).
The MUKETE family also owns numerous real estate properties. They are known for their strong entrepreneurial spirit. According Forbes magazine, the Mukete family net worth was estimated to exceed $400 Million, with Colin EBARKO MUKETE at the forefront.
Beyond their business successes, it is important to note that the MUKETE princes form a united and solid block, brothers who have maintained the family spirit instilled by their father, Nfon Victor MUKETE. They are regularly present at their lavish residence in Kumba to discuss family matters and, of course, business.
Nfon Victor MUKETE had a significant influence in the political arena. The MUKETE family is the only family in Cameroon that combines economic, political, and traditional power.
A Geneva court has found Cameroon’s first daughter Brenda Biya gu!lty of defamation, which is considered a criminal offense, according to Dencia.
For those unfamiliar with the the story, Dencia, a Cameroonian singer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer based in the US, has been pursuing legal action against Brenda Biya since 2021. This legal battle stems from derogatory remarks Brenda made on her Snapchat four years ago, using terms like “sc@mmer,” “fr@ud,” “fraudulent,” and “little c0ke wh0r€.”
Dencia shared this:
“Brenda BIYA has been found gu!lty of defamat!on in Geneva which is a crim!nal offens£. I will formally address this matter in a press conference next week. This case has been ongoing since 2021. I am pleased that justice will be served, as this case will set a significant precedent. It is a victory for every African, every hardworking African girl, and every Cameroonian who has been oppressed by Brenda Biya or any politician. This is truly a David and Goliath moment. As I have said before, I do not care how many years it takes or how much it costs; I will see this through. This is just one b@ttle; the w@r is still ahead.”
The Forbes’ top 30 richest people in francophone sub-Saharan Africa, featured nine Cameroonians; none of them is yet billionaire in US dollars as compare to Neighboring country Nigeria. Topping the list is business tycoon Baba Danpullo with an estimated net worth of $950 million.
Here are the nine richest Cameroonians, according to Forbes Africa.
1. Baba Danpullo – Net Worth: $950 Million
Source of Wealth: Tea Estates, Telecom
Business mogul El Hadj Baba Ahmadou Danpullo is the wealthiest Cameroonian, with a fortune estimated at 561 billion FCFA.
The richest man in Cameroon owns 40% of telecom company Nexttel-Cameroun, the tea production company (Cameroon Tea Estates) and Ndu Tea plantation. He holds 11% of the cotton development company SODECOTON (Société de Développement du Coton du Cameroun), and in the airport services sector in the country.
2. Paul Fokam – Net Worth: $650 Million
Source of Wealth: Banking
The fortune of Paul Fokam Kammogne founder of financial services provider, Afriland First Bank is estimated at 375 billion FCFA.
3. Samuel Foyou – Net Worth: $410 Million
Source of Wealth: Beer
Businessman and industrialist Samuel Foyou has an estimated net worth of 250 billion FCFA. Some of his investments includes Société brasserie Samuel Foyou (Brasaf S.A) and Société camerounaise de savonnerie (SCS).
4. Colin Mukete – Net Worth: $370 Million
Source of Wealth: Diversified
From the Mukete dynasty, which reigns over the chiefdom of the city of Kumba. Colin Mukete has an estimated fortune of 225 billion FCFA. The son of the senator Senator Victor Nfon Mukete is involved in television (STV, Boom TV). He is the CEO and Chairman of Spectrum Group; which includes one of the largest advertising agencies in the country. Working with big advertisers like Guinness Cameroun, and MTN Cameroun among others.
5. Nana Bouba – Net Worth: $310 Million
Source of Wealth: Diversified
A veteran industrialist, Nana Bouba Djoda, a native of Adamaoua has an estimated net worth of 188 billion FCFA.
6. Sylvestre Ngouchinghe – Net Worth: $260 Million
Source of Wealth: Seafood
Senator Sylvestre Ngouchinghe has a fortune estimated at 158 billion FCFA. He is best known as owner of fish import company, Congelcam SA. The company is involved in the importation, distribution and sale of seafood products; with over 2,000 employees.
7. Kate Fotso – Net Worth: $255 Million
Source of Wealth: Cocoa, Diversified
Kate Fotso, the richest woman in Cameroon has a net worth of 155 billion FCFA. The wife of late billionaire Andre Fotso is the managing director of Telcar Cocoa LTD, Cameroon’s leading cocoa export company.
8. Sohaing Family – Net Worth: $215 Million
Source of Wealth: Diversified
The Sohaing family has a fortune estimated at 130 billion FCFA. André Sohaing was a Cameroonian businessman and politician. He died on July 23, 2015 in Bayangam; where he had been mayor since 1997.
9. Kadji Family – Net Worth: $210 Million
Source of Wealth: Beer
The Kadji family has a fortune of 128 billion FCFA. Prolific businessman Joseph Kadji Defosso made his wealth through Kadji Group and the brewing company UCB. Kadji Defosso died in 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa at the age of 95.
Source: Forbes Afrique
Four Africans fell off Forbes’ 2020 list. Per country ranking, Egypt and South Africa are tied with five billionaires each, followed by Nigeria with four and Morocco with two. Forbes found one billionaire each from Algeria, Angola, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Isabel dos Santos, worth $2.3-billion and Folorunsho Alakija who is worth $1.1-billion are the only women on the top 20 wealthiest in Africa.
Here we look at the first 10 richest people in Africa:
1- Aliko Dangote – Net Worth: $10.3 Billion
Source of Wealth: Cement, Sugar, Flour
For the eighth year consecutively, Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote is the richest person in Africa. His net worth is estimated at $10.3 billion. Dangote made his fortune through commodities; sugar, flour and cement through the Dangote Group.
Last year the Nigerian businessman’s wealth dropped by $2 billion. Due to a roughly 20% drop in the stock price of Dangote Cement.
2- Mike Adenuga – Net Worth: $9.2 Billion
Source of Wealth: Telecom, Oil
Africa’s second richest man, Mike Adenuga built his fortune through Nigeria’s third largest mobile phone operator, Globacom and oil production company, Conoil Producing. The billionaire started his career distributing soft drinks and selling lace.
3- Nicky Oppenheimer – Net Worth: $7.3 Billion
Source of Wealth: Diamond
South Africa’s richest man, Nicky Oppenheimer inherited his family’s fortune. In 2012, he sold his share in the diamond firm DeBeers for $5.1 billion. His net worth is estimated at $7.3 billion, down from $7.7 billion a year ago.
Nicky Oppenheimer founded South Africa’s aviation company, Fireblade Aviation which operates chartered flights. He also owns over 720 square miles of conservation land across South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
4- Nassef Sawiris – Net Worth: $6.3 Billion
Source of Wealth: Construction, Chemicals
Richest man in Egypt, Nassef Sawiris is also from Egypt’s wealthiest family. He made his wealth through construction industries and one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers. He has investments in cement giant Lafarge Holcim and Adidas. Sawiris has a net worth of $6.3 billion.
5- Johann Rupert – Net Worth: $5.3 Billion
Source of Wealth: Luxury goods
Chairman of Swiss luxury goods firm Compagnie Financiere Richemont. Johann Rupert has a net worth of $5.3 billion. The luxury company is best known for brands like Cartier and Montblanc. Other investments includes Remgro and Reinet, an investment firm in Luxembourg.
6- Issad Rebrab – Net Worth: $3.7 Billion
Source of Wealth: Food
The boss of Algeria’s biggest privately owned company, Cevital. Issad Rebrab made his fortune through sugar , home appliances, steel and mineral water. His company, Cevital owns one of the world’s largest sugar refineries. The richest man in Algeria has an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion.
7- Naguib Sawiris – Net Worth: $2.9 Billion
Source of Wealth: Telecom
Also from Egypt’s wealthiest family, Naguib Sawiris is the brother of Nassef Sawiris; Africa’s fourth richest person. He made his fortune in telecom, selling Orascom Telecom in 2011 to Russian telecom company VimpelCom.
8- Strive Masiyiwa – Net Worth: $2.7 Billion
Source of Wealth: Telecom
In 1998, telecom tycoon, Strive Masiyiwa created mobile phone network Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. He now owns just over 50% of the company which is part of Econet Group. He has a net worth of $2.7 billion making him the richest man in Zimbabwe.
9= Patrice Motsepe – Net Worth: $2.5 Billion
Source of Wealth: Mining
In 2008, Patrice Motsepe became the first black African to featured on Forbes billionaire list. He is the founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, a mining company which is part of his investment company African Rainbow Capital. He also has shares in financial service Sanlam and owns the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.
9= Koos Bekker – Net Worth: $2.5 Billion
Source of Wealth: Media, Investments
South African media mogul, Koos Bekker made his wealth through Naspers, a newspaper publisher; the company also invested in Chinese Internet company Tencent in 2001 which became the most profitable of all his investments.
10= Isabel dos Santos – Net Worth: $2.3 Billion
Source of Wealth: Investments
Isabel dos Santos is richest woman in Africa and the daughter of former President of Angola, Jose Eduardo dos Santos. She made her fortune through Angola’s state oil company Sonangol, telecom and cable TV firm Nos SGPS. She has an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion.
10= Mohamed Mansour – Net Worth: $2.3 Billion
Source of Wealth: Diversified
Mohamed Mansour heads the family conglomerate Mansour Group, founded by his father Loutfy in 1952; the company has over 60,000 employees. The company’s dealership is one of General Motor’s biggest distributors. The former Egyptian Minister of Transportation also has investment in Caterpillar equipment. His brothers Yasseen and Youssef Mansour are also billionaires.
Source: Forbes Magazine
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