Top Business Leaders in Uganda

Marcopolis ranked the top business leaders in Uganda. The ranking is based on an executive survey with the top businessmen as part of the business report on Uganda. Businessmen Sudhir Ruparelia, Karim Hijri and Mohammed Hamid are leading the list.

The research team asked the interviewees, who they think were the five top business personalities in Uganda. The interviewees anonymously nominated a total of 15 leaders.

Out of the 15 personalities nominated by our interviewees, 10 leaders were a common vote amongst them, with 5 of the top businessmen standing out from the group and emerging as the leading business figures in Uganda.

The List

#1 – Sudhir Ruparelia is a Ugandan business magnate and investor. He is the founder of Ruparelia Group, one of Uganda’s largest conglomerates. His investments are mainly in the areas of banking, insurance, education, broadcasting, real estate, floriculture, hotels and resorts. The Group owns more than 200 commercial properties.

#2 – Karim Hijri is a businessman, hotel owner and entrepreneur in Uganda. Regarded as the main force behind the presence of Dembe Group of Companies, he is reported to be one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. Dembe Group is a conglomerate that includes a radio station, an automobile dealership, a finance and insurance business, an amusement park and a chain of hotels.

#3 – Mohammed Hamid is one of the most successful businessmen in Africa. He is the chairman and majority shareholder in the Aya Group, a business conglomerate based in Uganda. The Group is involved in food processing, investments, transportation, real estate development, hospitality, mining and merchandising, among others.

#4 – Charles Mbire is a businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist in Uganda. His investments are in telecommunications, finance, energy, real estate, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness and transportation. He was reported to be one of the wealthiest indigenous Ugandan. Charles Mbire is the current chairman of MTN Uganda, one of the top companies in the country.

#5 – Sikander Lalani is a businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist. Lalani has built a steel-manufacturing conglomerate in Uganda, with installed production capacity of 72,000 metric tonnes annually. His businesses are organized into the Roofings Group. Since its creation several decades ago, the Group has become an East African giant, with revenues of more than $80 million annually.

#6 – Gordon Wavamunno is a Ugandan entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist. He is one of the country’s most prominent and successful entrepreneurs. He is the founder of Spear Motors Limited, a prosperous car dealership which is popular for being the largest Mercedes Benz dealership in the East Africa region.

#7 – Mukesh Shukla is a businessman, entrepreneur and politician in Uganda. His businesses are organized under the Shumuk Group of Companies, a successful company specialized in aluminium household utensils.

#8 – Patrick Bitature is a Ugandan businessman and entrepreneur. He is the chairman of Simba Group, an East African conglomerate, with interests in telecoms, energy production, mining, media, real estate, travel and leisure. Some of the companies in the group include Simba Telecoms, Kampala Protea Hotel, Eletromaxx, Simba Mining, Simba Dairy Farm and Tororo Solar Power Station, among others.

#9 – Amos Nzeyi is a prominent Ugandan businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist. He is the current chairman of the board of directors of Crown Beverages Limited, a blue chip beverage company manufacturing premium carbonated soft drinks including Pepsi, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Sting, Evervess and Nivana Mineral Water.

#10 – Aaron Mukooza is among the richest people in Uganda. Not so much is known about him but he is estimated to be worth $200 million. His large investments heavily span across the media, together with the banking sector.

Our interviewees considered a number of Ugandans, however chose their nominees based on their influence and power in the country. Their innovation, inspiration, wide-range endeavors, and philanthropy have been recognized by the business world. Their strong work ethic and genuine impact on the Ugandan people have landed them on the list of Marcopolis’ top businessmen in the country.