7 South Africans Listed On Forbes’ 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa 2016

Forbes has released it’s list of the 30 most promising entrepreneurs under 30 in Africa and five outstanding South Africans made it into the list. In last years list, six South Africans made it, so we take a look at some of the country’s young entrepreneurs who have seized opportunities and have taken over leadership in Africa’s growing business landscape.

The South Africans on the list are:

1. Bonolo Ramokhele, South African

CEO, LeoFortis Group

Ramokhele, 29, is a co-founder of LeoFortis Group, an investment holding company with investments spanning commodity trading, energy, telecommunications, engineering, and mining with a presence in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and South Sudan.

2. Lee Grant, South African

Founder, Leegra

Lee Grant, 32, is the founder of Leegra, a South African field marketing and promotions company engaged in sales, merchandising, promotions, product development and strategy. His company services a diverse range of blue-chip clients and multinationals from banking and insurance to fast-moving consumer goods and healthcare.

3. Neo Ramaphakela, South African

CEO, Seriti sa Bosotho

Ramaphakela, 32, is the founder of Seriti sa Basotho, a fast-growing construction company. He began the company in 2011 as a gate-making company but grew it over the last few years into a general facility management firm in South Africa. Seriti Sa Basotho has built several houses in South African townships and also handles painting, plumbing, paving, roofing, plastering, ceiling and renovations.

4. Tyrone Moodley, South African

CEO, Midbrook Lane (Pty) Ltd

Moodley, 30, is the CEO of Midbrook Lane (Pty) Ltd, a private investment firm. The Johannesburg-based firm typically invests in 7 to 12 private and publicly listed companies at a time with the aim of holding the investments over a minimum period of 10 years. Moodley also serves as a non-executive director of Conduit Capital, a JSE-listed investment company, making him one of the youngest serving board members of a company listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange.

5. Anda Maqanda, South African

Founder, AM Group

29-year-old Maqanda owns the AM Group – a provider of engineering solutions, focusing mainly on Engineering Consulting, Design and Construction of Electrical Overhead Power Lines, Renewable Energy, Automation and Research and Development.

6. Thato Kgatlhanye & Rea Ngwane, South African

Founders, Repurpose School Bags

South African entrepreneurs Kgatlhanye and Ngwane, both 23, co-founded Repurpose School bags. Repurpose collects and recycles plastic waste into school bags for poor South African students. The plastic bags feature a solar panel in the flap which get charged when the students walk to and from school. These charged solar panels help to provide lighting at night to the students to study. Rea Ngwane has since left Repurpose.