Yerim Sow is the richest man in Senegal with a fortune estimated at more than $500 million.
Sow, 56, a Boston University grad, founded his first company in 1988 at the age of 21. It was called Direct Access, an IT services provider. In 1994, he founded BIP access, the very first company in Senegal to offer radio paging services. BIP Access soon became present in multiple African countries and eventually became a shareholder in Loteny Telecom, an Ivorian company that held the country’s first GSM license in partnership with the pan-African operator Telecel International.
In late 2005, Sow sold a controlling interest in Loteny Telecom to the MTN Group, ploughing his bounty harvest from that transaction into establishing Teyliom Group, a holding company with an extensive portfolio that includes a commercial bank, luxury hotels, stakes in financial services institutions, beverages and telecoms.
Billionaires.Africa looks at 10 of the most valuable assets in Yerim Sow’s portfolio.
Bridge Bank Group Côte d’Ivoire
Sow retains controlling ownership of Bridge Bank Group, a commercial bank in Ivory Coast. BBGCI provides an extensive spectrum of financial services and products, operating via 14 branches across the nation, catering to approximately 10,500 clients, including 800 corporations and large SMEs.
2. Premium Contact Center International
Under Teyliom Global Capital, Yerim Sow holds a 33-percent stake in PCCI (Premium Contact Center International), the preeminent call center in sub-Saharan Africa, boasting over 2,000 employees distributed across three production sites: Dakar (Senegal), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), and Douala (Cameroon). Established in September 2001, PCC1 offers customer service solutions to major African and European entities within telecommunications, telesales, media, retail, and insurance sectors.
3. Stake in Free Senegal
Sow maintains a 10-percent ownership stake in Free Senegal, the second-largest mobile network operator in Senegal, commanding more than a 25-percent market share and serving in excess of 4.5 million subscribers.
4. Stake in MTN Côte d’Ivoire
Under Teyliom Telecom, Yerim Sow possesses a seven-percent share in MTN Cote d’Ivoire (MTNCI), a mobile telecom firm and subsidiary of South Africa-based MTN Group. MTN offers a range of GSM services, including postpaid and prepaid mobile, fixed-line, and internet services.
5. POLYTEK
Teyliom holds a 50-percent stake in POLYTEK in partnership with CSE Group. POLYTEK, situated within the Special Economic Zone of Diass in Senegal, specializes in the production and distribution of PVC tubes, PEHD, PP, and corrugated tubes.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza, a lavish 5-star establishment, is strategically positioned near Dakar’s city center.
7. Noom Hotel
Noom Hotel, a prestigious 5-star haven in Niamey, Niger’s capital, was completed in July 2019 at a cost of $32 million. It boasts 141 rooms encompassing standard, executive, junior suite, and prestige suite accommodations, along with a gourmet restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, gym, and parking facilities.
8. Seen Hotel
Situated in Abidjan’s Central Business District, Seen Hotel offers four-star accommodations.
Located in Almadies, Senegal, Yaas Hotel provides a three-star lodging experience.
10. Continental Beverage Company, Ivory Coast
Specializing in the production and distribution of water and juice under the Olgane and Doucy brands in Cote d’Ivoire, Continental Beverage Company is among the nation’s prominent bottled water manufacturers, boasting a comprehensive national distribution network.
