Tanzania's richest man Mohammed Dewji makes TIME100 Philanthropy list for tackling poverty in Africa

Mohammed Dewji has made TIME's 2026 list of the world's 100 most influential philanthropists, recognized for two decades of giving that has taken him from parliamentary donor to foundation builder to one of Africa's most prominent names in structured philanthropy.

TIME named Dewji to its TIME100 Philanthropy list under the category of tackling poverty, a label that tracks closely with the mission of the Mo Dewji Foundation, which he established in 2014 after stepping back from a 10-year stint in Tanzania's parliament. The foundation focuses on education, healthcare and clean water access, and has funded more than $5 million in programs across Tanzania.

The Tanzanian billionaire, who runs MeTL Group, one of East Africa's largest conglomerates, has been deliberate about separating personal wealth from personal need. In 2016, he joined the Giving Pledge, the initiative co-founded by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, committing to donate well over half of his net worth. He is the first Tanzanian and one of only three Africans to have made the pledge.

Dewji's giving started before the foundation existed. During his decade as a member of parliament for Singida, he funded schools, wells, farming equipment and an eye care unit at a local hospital out of his own pocket. When he left politics in 2014, he channeled that impulse into a formal structure.

"All these material comforts that surround us are temporary accessories," Dewji said when he signed the Giving Pledge. "This is why I decided a long time ago that I do not need any more personal wealth."

The foundation's work spans patient assistance programs, health facility grants, school refurbishment, educational scholarships, agribusiness community projects and an entrepreneurship program offering financial literacy training and interest-free loans to young small business owners in Tanzania.

Dewji's ability to give at scale is built on the commercial engine he runs. MeTL Group employs more than 34,800 people and contributes roughly 4 percent of Tanzania's GDP. Dewji grew the group's revenues from $30 million to over $1.5 billion between 1999 and 2018, building out operations across manufacturing, agriculture, trading, finance, real estate, transport and beverages.

Forbes values his net worth at $2.1 billion in 2026, making him Africa's youngest billionaire at 50. He has appeared on the Forbes cover three times and was named Forbes Africa Person of the Year in 2015. The TIME100 Philanthropy recognition adds a new dimension to a public profile built largely on business performance, placing him alongside global names including Rihanna, Chance the Rapper and Steven Spielberg on this year's list.