26 Aug 2026

Tanzanian billionaire and Pan-African business leader, Mr Mohammed Dewji has expressed interest in investing in Botswana, describing the country as strategically positioned to serve as a gateway to the southern African market.

Mr Dewji, who is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist, met President Advocate Duma Boko on Tuesday, where he shared his business journey and outlined potential areas of investment in Botswana.

According to Forbes, Mr Dewji has a net worth of US$2.1 billion. He is the president of MeTL Group, a Tanzanian conglomerate founded by his father in the 1970s.

Mr Dewji said his business interests span 48 areas of manufacturing, with the group also involved in export and import activities. He said MeTL Group occupied a significant share of the Tanzanian market and was the country’s second-largest employer after government.

He said the group’s key areas of investment included textiles, agriculture, logistics and distribution, and natural resources, while its wider portfolio covered energy, petroleum, insurance, mobile telephony, trading, real estate, mining, and food and beverages.

He expressed admiration for Botswana’s economic and political environment despite its relatively small population, saying its geographical position could make it an important springboard into the southern African market.

“Botswana, with a small population, should join hands with strategic investors to invest in the continent,” he said.

Mr Dewji said Botswana needed strategic partners capable of unlocking the country’s geographical advantage and connecting it more effectively with regional markets.

President Boko welcomed the interest, saying it was gratifying to see Africans taking the lead in transforming the continent.

He said the participation of African developers, entrepreneurs and innovators was critical to Africa’s development.

President Boko, however, acknowledged that government processes could sometimes be slow, thereby affecting business agility.

He said government was working to address such challenges and ensure that investors were not required to move from office to office when establishing businesses in Botswana.

President Boko further said government was committed to working within strict timelines and reducing bureaucracy to create a more conducive environment for investment.

Mr Dewji, a former member of Parliament in Tanzania, is also the founder of the Mo Dewji Foundation (MDF), a non-profit organisation involved in education, access to clean water, health and community development.

He also owns a 49 per cent stake in Simba Sporting Club. ends