Mohammed Dewji (Mo Dewji) President of MeTL Group and founder of Mo Dewji Foundation./PHOTO ; Mo Dewji Foundation
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In Tanzania’s commercial capital of Dar es Salaam, few names carry as much weight as Mohammed “Mo” Dewji.
Known as the man who turned a modest family business into one of East Africa’s largest industrial conglomerates, Dewji has also become one of the continent’s most visible philanthropists, a rare figure whose fortune and faith intersect in a very public commitment to social good.
For more than two decades, Dewji has straddled two worlds: corporate boardrooms that power the Tanzanian economy and villages where his foundation funds wells, classrooms, and hospital wards.
It’s a dual identity that captures both the promise and complexity of Africa’s emerging billionaire philanthropy, where business success and social ambition are increasingly intertwined.
From Family Business to Pan-African Powerhouse
Born in central Tanzania, Mo Dewji’s path was shaped by generations of enterprise.
His family, of Gujarati Indian descent, had settled in East Africa in the late 19th century as traders.
By the 1970s, the family had established Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (MeTL), which Dewji’s father, Gulamabbas Dewji, expanded through the turbulent socialist and liberalization periods
periods that defined Tanzania’s post-independence economy.
After studying international business and finance at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Dewji returned home to lead MeTL’s acquisition and revival of several struggling manufacturing firms, from textile mills to edible oil plants, giving the company a new industrial base.
Today, MeTL Group spans more than 30 companies in sectors ranging from agriculture, food processing, and logistics to finance, real estate, and energy.
The group employs an estimated 37,000–38,000 people and contributes roughly 3.3% of Tanzania’s GDP, according to company reports and government estimates.
Its operations extend into at least eight African countries, making MeTL one of the region’s most significant privately held conglomerates.
As of 2025, Forbes estimates Dewji’s net worth at $2.2 billion, ranking him as East Africa’s wealthiest individual and the 12th richest person on the continent.
He has appeared on the Forbes Africa cover multiple times and was named the magazine’s Person of the Year in 2015.
A Philanthropy Grounded in Local Realities
Dewji’s success has long been accompanied by a sense of obligation.
In 2014, he formalized his giving through the Mo Dewji Foundation (MDF), a platform designed to consolidate his charitable efforts in education, health, and water access.
Two years later, he became the first Tanzanian to sign The Giving Pledge, joining global billionaires who have committed to donating at least half of their wealth to social causes.
MDF operates with a distinctive model: all administrative costs are covered by MeTL Group, allowing 100% of external donations and program funds to go directly to community projects.
The foundation’s approach emphasizes long-term investments in human capital and essential infrastructure rather than short-term relief.
Education: Building Pathways for the Next Generation
Education forms the cornerstone of MDF’s work.
The Mo Scholars Program identifies and supports first-generation, high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds.
Since 2016, it has funded more than 250 university and college scholarships, covering tuition, housing, and living expenses across 21 Tanzanian institutions.
The program reports a 95% post-graduation success rate in employment or entrepreneurship.
Beyond scholarships, Dewji has funded the construction and rehabilitation of schools in his home region of Singida.
During his decade as a Member of Parliament (2005–2015), he supported efforts that expanded the number of secondary schools in the area from two to 17, while his foundation has sponsored more than 5,000 students at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
In 2024, MDF announced a partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Zanzibar campus to give Tanzanian students access to advanced training in artificial intelligence and data science, signaling the foundation’s growing focus on future-oriented education.
Water Access and Community Development
For many rural Tanzanians, clean water remains a daily challenge. MDF’s interventions in this area have been both practical and far-reaching.
Through its well-digging and water infrastructure projects, the foundation estimates that it has improved access for over 25,000 people.
Earlier, through Dewji’s NGO Singida Yetu, the team successfully lobbied the Tanzanian government to allocate $35 million to improve water infrastructure in the region.
Dewji personally funded the drilling of 45 wells across 20 villages, initiatives that continue to underpin community health and livelihoods.
MDF also provides small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs with tools and microgrants to boost local economic resilience, including donations of ploughs, seeds, and small business capital.
Health: Extending Care Beyond Urban Centers
Healthcare is another pillar of MDF’s work.
The foundation has supported medical outreach programs, equipment donations, and facility upgrades in underserved areas.
By its own reports, MDF has facilitated treatment for over 70,000 patients through various initiatives, from mobile health clinics to eye-care camps benefiting more than 1,500 individuals.
In Singida, MDF financed the construction of a specialized eye ward at the regional hospital and contributed to Tumaini La Maisha, a pediatric oncology ward.
The foundation has also provided financial assistance for surgeries and treatment costs for low-income patients, often partnering with local and international medical organizations.
A Global Outlook, Rooted in Africa
While most of MDF’s work remains in Tanzania, its vision has begun to extend beyond national borders.
One of its more unusual projects is a partnership with Georgetown University’s Pivot Program in the United States, an initiative that supports the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals into the workforce.
The foundation funds scholarships and mentorships for participants, 90% of whom have found employment after completing the program.
This outward-looking approach reflects Dewji’s belief that philanthropy should not be constrained by geography but guided by shared human challenges.
It also situates him among a growing number of African philanthropists from Nigeria’s Tony Elumelu to Kenya’s James Mwangi, who are blending business experience with structured giving to influence both local and global development agendas.
Between Charity and Systemic Change
Critics of billionaire philanthropy often question whether such giving addresses the root causes of inequality or simply redistributes resources within existing systems.
MDF’s work, though significant in reach, faces similar scrutiny. Publicly available data on program outcomes remain limited, and independent evaluations of its long-term impact are scarce.
Still, within Tanzania’s philanthropic landscape, where private foundations are relatively few and public funding gaps remain wide, Dewji’s foundation stands out for its scale and consistency.
Its blend of local embeddedness and corporate backing represents a new phase of African-led philanthropy: one that seeks to pair industrial wealth with inclusive growth.
A Philanthropy in Progress
Two decades after taking the helm at MeTL, Mohammed Dewji continues to navigate the delicate balance between profit and purpose.
His foundation has become a central channel for reinvesting private wealth into public welfare, signaling how African business leaders are redefining their social contracts.
Whether MDF’s model evolves into a fully transparent, impact-measured institution remains to be seen.
But for now, Mo Dewji’s experiment in philanthropy, equal parts faith, business logic, and civic duty, offers a glimpse into how Africa’s new generation of billionaires may choose to shape their legacies: not just by the empires they build, but by the communities they leave stronger.
