Early Life
Mohammed Dewji, often known as Mo, was born in Singida, Tanzania, on May 8, 1975. His family had modest beginnings, with his grandmother and father operating a small trading business. He received his primary education in Arusha and completed his secondary education at the International School of Tanganyika in Dar es Salaam. For a time, he studied at the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy and attended Trinity Preparatory School in the United States. He then attended Saddle Brook High School in New Jersey before pursuing higher education at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a bachelor's degree in international business and finance with a minor in theology.
Rise to Success
After graduating from Georgetown University in 1998, Dewji returned to Tanzania and joined the family business, Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (MeTL). He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Dewji became CEO in 2005. Under his leadership, MeTL Group expanded aggressively. Dewji acquired several underperforming state-owned enterprises in the early 2000s and transformed them into profitable ventures through strategic restructuring. He spearheaded MeTL's expansion into various sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, finance, mobile telephony, and real estate. Dewji increased MeTL’s revenues from $30 million in 1999 to over $2 billion by 2022.
Key Business Strategies
A pivotal strategy employed by Dewji was the acquisition of privatized, loss-making companies, which he turned around by streamlining operations and investments. He focused on backward integration, building factories to process raw materials and support local manufacturing. Dewji's vision includes diversifying into banking, microfinance, and fintech. He also aims to expand MeTL's presence in East and Central Africa, as well as the Middle East. He has focused on job creation, aiming to increase employment opportunities to 100,000 people in Tanzania and East Africa.
Philanthropy
Dewji established the Mo Dewji Foundation in 2014. This foundation focuses on education, healthcare, and clean water initiatives. In 2016, he joined The Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least half of his wealth to philanthropic causes. Through his foundation, he has supported various projects, including school construction, well drilling, healthcare assistance, and scholarships, with a focus on sustainable socio-economic development.