Prominent Tanzanian businessman and billionaire Mohammed Dewji, popularly known as Mo, was named winner of the Industrialist of the Year Award of the 2023 All-Africa Business Leaders' Awards (AABLA).
The AABLA management congratulated Dewji and his company, Mohamed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (METL), the largest privately owned conglomerate in the country. The conglomerate operates in at least six states across the continent, running a range of businesses.
METL Group has investments in manufacturing, including food and beverages, agriculture, insurance, real estate, transport and logistics. It is particularly active in textile manufacturing, flour milling, beverages and edible oils.
Dewji is the owner and CEO of METL Group, which was founded by his father, Gulamabbas Dewji, in the 1970s.
Following the event, the businessman stated that he was "deeply humbled" to receive the 2023 AABLA award for Industrialist of the Year. He thanked Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan for creating a friendly and positive business environment that allows industrial development across the country.
"I express my gratitude to Tanzania's president [...] for building a supportive and positive business environment in Tanzania, which is enabling significant industrial development nationwide," Dewji said.
He noted that Tanzania is safe for investments as the government managed to create reliable and transparent systems. The Industrialist of the Year also congratulated other winners of the 2023 AABL awards, urging them to continue investing in the economy of African countries and boosting the continent's development.
Dewji is the country's only billionaire, who signed the Giving Pledge in 2016, pledging to contribute at least half his fortune to philanthropic causes. According to Forbes Magazine, he is Africa's 13th richest person with a total fortune of $1.5 billion.