Dewji emerges top entrepreneur

Dar es Salaam. A France-based organization has named businessman and chief executive officer for Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (MeTL) Mohammed Dewji as the winner of the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year – Business Africa’ Award.

Movement of the Enterprises of France (Medef) named Mr Dewji as so during a forum in Paris on Wednesday this week, the organization said in a statement yesterday.

The Medef – which organized the first ever Forum on Youth and Entrepreneurship Africa, in partnership with the Choiseul Institute; awarded Mr Dewji for the commendable impact he has had in driving business that is emblematic of Africa’s progress and success in this generation.

Established in 1988, Medef is the largest employer federation in France with large companies such as Total, BNP Paribas, AXA Group, Micheln and L’Oreal as members.

The statement noted that during the judging process, Mr Dewji spoke at length about how he plans to support the needs of the continent through private sector-led development. “Long-term sustainable development is what will keep the private sector thriving in Africa. And in order for this to happen, private companies need to begin by including the poor as producers, suppliers, employees and consumers similar to how MeTL Group is doing in Tanzania,” the statement reads, quoting Mr Dewji.

According to the statement, Mr Dewji urged France to start to see non-francophone, East Africa as equally attractive investment destination because of the rapid growth rates and political stability in the region while also acknowledging President John Pombe Magafuli’s anticorruption war.