Top 15 pharmaceutical moguls powering Africa’s healthcare

Africa’s pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a long-overdue transformation, driven by a small but powerful group of entrepreneurs who have built drug manufacturing empires in markets long dominated by imports. 

From billionaires pioneering cancer therapies on the global stage to regional titans supplying affordable generics and lifesaving treatments at home, these pharmaceutical moguls are reshaping healthcare access across the continent. 

Their influence stretches beyond balance sheets. Collectively, they are reducing Africa’s dependence on foreign medicines, expanding local manufacturing capacity, navigating tough regulatory environments, and responding to rising demand for treatments for chronic diseases, infectious illnesses, and oncology. 

In markets like South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria, and Ghana, these executives have turned policy gaps and healthcare deficits into billion-dollar opportunities. 

Some, like Patrick Soon-Shiong and Stephen Saad, operate at global scale, while others have quietly built dominant regional players supplying hundreds of essential drugs. 

What unites them is resilience, overcoming capital constraints, supply-chain shocks, and regulatory hurdles, to build businesses central to Africa’s health security. 

Shore Africa has profiled 15 pharmaceutical moguls whose companies, capital, and vision are shaping the future of medicine in Africa.

1. Patrick Soon-Shiong
Nationality: South Africa
Net Worth: $8.7 billion
Patrick Soon-Shiong is a South African-American transplant surgeon, billionaire businessman, and medical researcher recognized as a pioneer in oncology and immunotherapy. He is the inventor of the cancer drug Abraxane, founder of NantWorks, and Executive Chairman of ImmunityBio, focused on developing therapies for cancer and infectious diseases. His fortune comes from strategic private investments and the sale of two pharmaceutical companies, APP Pharmaceuticals for $4.6 billion in 2008 and Abraxis BioScience for $2.8 billion in 2010. He developed Abraxane, a groundbreaking chemotherapy drug. He holds an 80 percent stake in ImmunityBio, valued at $1.82 billion, and owns the Los Angeles Times. Soon-Shiong continues to shape the healthcare industry through NantWorks LLC, a conglomerate managing public and private entities worth over $2 billion across Europe and Africa.

2. Stephen Saad
Nationality: South Africa
Net Worth: $1.2 billion
Stephen Saad is a prominent South African billionaire businessman, best known as the co-founder and Group Chief Executive of Aspen Pharmacare, the largest manufacturer of generic medicines in Africa. Founded in 1997, he has built the company into a multinational pharmaceutical giant with a significant global footprint. He also oversees Aspen API, a leading supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Saad is known for his philanthropy through The Stephen Saad Foundation, which provides HIV/AIDS treatment and supports education and healthcare initiatives. He is also the chairman of The Sharks, a top South African rugby team.

3. Ivan & Lynette Saltzman
Nationality: South African
Ivan Saltzman co-founded Dis-Chem Pharmacies in 1978 with his wife, Lynette. Today, Dis-Chem has over 300 retail stores and employs more than 20,000 professionals. Saltzman holds more than 30% ownership stake, making him one of South Africa’s premier investors. Dis-Chem’s extensive network includes linked dispensaries, family clinics, wound care centers, and self-medication hubs, reinforcing its strong presence in the South African healthcare market. The company has a market capitalization of R31.1 billion ($1.95 billion), cementing Lynette Saltzman’s influence in the pharmaceutical industry.

4. Gus Attridge
Nationality: South African
Gus Attridge co-founded Aspen Pharmacare, helping transform it into the world’s fifth-largest generic drugmaker. Aspen, valued at R49 billion ($3.1 billion), operates 26 manufacturing facilities across six continents. Attridge holds over 4% stake in Aspen. His leadership in Aspen Manufacturing and investments in Fine Chemicals Corporation and Aspen API have positioned him as a key player in Africa’s pharmaceutical landscape.

5. Lamia Tazi
Nationality: Moroccan
Lamia Tazi is the CEO and Chairperson of Sothema, Morocco’s leading pharmaceutical company. Sothema produces 60 million pharmaceutical units annually and operates 35 global laboratories. Tazi holds over 8% stake in Sothema. In 2023, she launched Africa and the Middle East’s first Galenic development and clinical studies platform. She also leads Advanced Scientific Developments, West Afric Pharma, Azerys, Axess Pharma, and Leiden Pharma. Forbes ranked her 33rd on its 2025 100 Most Powerful Women list for her contributions to pharmaceutical innovation.

6. Abdelmadjid Kerrar
Nationality: Algerian
Abdelmadjid Kerrar founded Biopharm in 1992, transforming it from a medicine distributor into one of Algeria’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers. Biopharm now produces over 200 high-quality products and has diversified into Biopharm Distribution, Algérie Pharma, Biocare Laboratories, and the Kerrar Group. Kerrar’s shift to local production significantly reduced Algeria’s dependence on imports and boosted economic growth.

7. Stellar Okoli
Nationality: Nigerian
Stella Okoli founded Emzor Pharmaceuticals, a leading African manufacturer and distributor of medicines and medical supplies. Emzor produces over 140 pharmaceutical products, including analgesics, vitamins, antibiotics, antimalarials, and cardiovascular drugs. The company has grown into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, cementing Okoli’s legacy in Africa’s pharmaceutical industry.

8. Fidelis Ayebae
Nationality: Nigerian
Fidelis Ayebae founded Fidson Healthcare Plc in 1995, initially as a distributor of pharmaceutical products. By 2002, he established a manufacturing facility, and in 2005, Fidson became the first company in sub-Saharan Africa to produce antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Today, Fidson operates four manufacturing facilities in Nigeria and is listed on the Nigerian Exchange. Ayebae and his family remain the company’s controlling shareholders, driving its continued growth in Africa’s pharmaceutical market.

9. Kofi Nsiah-Poku
Nationality: Ghanaian
Kofi Nsiah-Poku is the founder and CEO of Kinapharma, a leading Ghanaian pharmaceutical company. Established in 1998, Kinapharma manufactures over 150 drugs, including generics and branded products. Nsiah-Poku also founded M&G Pharmaceuticals, further strengthening West Africa’s pharmaceutical sector. His efforts have made medicine more accessible and affordable in the region.

10. Emmanuel Katongole
Nationality: Ugandan
In 1997, Emmanuel Katongole co-founded Quality Chemicals Limited to import generic veterinary and human pharmaceuticals from India. The company formed a joint venture with Cipla of India in 2004 to establish a pharmaceutical factory in Uganda, which was known as Quality Chemical Industries Limited. In November 2013, Cipla took a majority interest in QCIL, renaming Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CiplaQCIL). The company produces drugs to treat malaria, HIV, and Hepatitis B. In addition, the company is exploring medicine production to help fight non-communicable diseases and cancer.

11. Palu Dhanani
Citizenship: Kenyan
Palu Dhanani founded Universal Corporation Ltd. in 1996 as a small drugs manufacturer based in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, producing five products. He has since grown it into a major pharmaceutical company in Kenya with more than $30 million in annual revenue. It makes more than 100 drugs that treat HIV and malaria, as well as antipyretics, antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals.

12. Tony Ezenna
Nationality: Nigerian
Tony Ezenna is a Nigerian entrepreneur who founded Orange Drugs Nigeria Limited in 1988. The company imports, distributes, and manufactures pharmaceutical, beauty, and healthcare products across Nigeria. Under his leadership, Orange Drugs has become a trusted brand known for quality over-the-counter medications and personal care items. The firm has established strategic partnerships with global companies such as Kalbe Farma, Tempo Scan Pacific, Dexa Medica, and Mensa Group. Ezenna remains dedicated to advancing local pharmaceutical production.

13. Catherine Nyongesa
Nationality: Kenyan
Catherine Nyongesa is a Kenyan oncologist and the founder of the Texas Cancer Centre in Nairobi, a leading private cancer treatment center. With over 20 years of experience, she is Kenya’s first female radiation oncologist. At TCC, she has expanded access to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and palliative care, addressing critical gaps in oncology services across East Africa. Nyongesa also serves as a consultant oncologist at Kenyatta National Hospital, actively promoting early cancer detection and awareness.

14. Ernest Bediako Sampong
Nationality: Ghanaian
Ernest Bediako Sampong is one of Ghana’s leading pharmaceutical entrepreneurs, boasting a net worth of over $50 million. As the owner of Ernest Chemist, a company that began as a sole proprietorship in 1986 and evolved into a limited liability firm in 1993, Sampong has consistently driven innovation in the healthcare sector. Recently, he introduced a non-drowsy herbal cough syrup made with honey and a blend of ginger, basil, long pepper, violets, and liquorice to cater to the rising demand for herbal remedies. A trained pharmacist, Sampong noted that this strategic move not only meets consumer needs but also aligns with local efforts to reduce reliance on imported medicines amid stringent regulatory controls.

15. Sam Ohuabunwa
Nationality: Nigerian
Sam Ohuabunwa is a renowned Nigerian pharmacist, business executive, and founder of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, an indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturer. He led a management buy-out of Pfizer’s Nigerian operations to establish Neimeth and later served as its CEO. Ohuabunwa also served as president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and the West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.