A new paradigm has emerged among Africa’s industrial elite. The era of being a “net consumer” of global technology and commodities is being replaced by a aggressive drive toward computational and resource sovereignty. From Strive Masiyiwa’s AI factories to Femi Otedola’s total banking pivot, the continent’s wealthiest are betting on high-stakes structural shifts rather than mere survival.
1. Strive Masiyiwa: The $720M “Sovereign AI” Pivot
In late 2025, Strive Masiyiwa executed a strategic transition from telecommunications to foundational AI infrastructure. Partnering with Nvidia, Masiyiwa’s Cassava Technologies is building a network of AI Factories across five key hubs: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco.
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The Goal: Reducing Africa’s dependence on foreign cloud providers by giving local startups access to high-performance Nvidia GPUs.
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The Philosophy: Masiyiwa argues that Africa must produce solutions, not just consume them.
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The Quote: “Entrepreneurs must train like soldiers; we fight in the conditions, not because of the conditions.”
2. Patrice Motsepe: The $1.01B Copper and Fintech Play
Patrice Motsepe spent 2025 repositioning his empire, African Rainbow Capital, away from traditional gold mining and toward the “Green Economy” and global digital banking.
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Commodity Pivot: Through Harmony Gold, Motsepe completed a $1.01 billion acquisition of copper assets in Australia, betting that copper will account for 40% of his production by 2035 due to its role in electric vehicles and renewable energy.
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GoTyme Expansion: His digital bank, TymeBank, has rebranded as GoTyme and expanded into the Philippines and Vietnam, with a planned New York listing by 2028.
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Impact: A $234.8 million Property Impact Fund was launched to address social infrastructure and housing shortages in South Africa.
3. Abdul Samad Rabiu: Loyalty as a Strategic Asset
While others focused on external expansion, BUA Group Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu focused on internal resilience. In December 2025, he executed an unprecedented $20.7 million (₦30 billion) reward program for 1,768 long-serving employees.
| Reward Category | Impact |
| Top Tier Grants | Five staff members received $690,000 (₦1 billion) each. |
| Salary Intervention | Approved a 50% salary increase across the group to combat inflation. |
| Market Valuation | BUA Foods became the first Nigerian firm to hit a $6.9 billion market cap. |
“Enduring businesses are built by people, not just assets.” — Abdul Samad Rabiu
4. Femi Otedola: The $750M Geregu Exit & FirstBank Reform
Femi Otedola concluded 2025 with one of Nigeria’s most decisive “capital reallocations.” On December 29, 2025, he sold his majority stake in Geregu Power Plc for $750 million to concentrate entirely on the financial sector.
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The Banking Pivot: Otedola increased his stake in FBN Holdings (FirstBank) to over 18%, investing $220.7 million of his personal capital.
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Governance Reforms: As Chairman, he is leading a “clean-up” of the institution to meet the CBN’s new $344.8 million capital requirement.
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The Philosophy: His 2025 book, Making It Big, advocates for leaving family out of business to ensure professional longevity.
5. Naguib Sawiris: The Gold “Comeback King”
As of January 12, 2026, Naguib Sawiris has reclaimed the title of Egypt’s Richest Man with a fortune of $9.2 billion. His strategy centers on Geographic Hedging and the “La Mancha” gold fund.
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Gold Surge: Capitalizing on record global gold prices, Sawiris sold a 3.5% stake in Endeavour Mining for $437 million in early January 2026.
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Exploration Push: He is currently working with Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum to accelerate gold exploration in the Western and Eastern Deserts.
