10 Groundbreaking African Tech Millionaires to Know

These innovators hail from Namibia, Nigeria and beyond.

Making Millions - Thanks to its burgeoning technologies, open markets and endless opportunities, Africa has been dubbed the Promised Land for Internet innovation. These 10 African Internet entrepreneurs have blazed remarkable trails for their peers and accrued millions of dollars in the process. — Patrice Peck(Photos: HermanHeunis.com; iROKO Partners; Njeri Rionge via Twitter)

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Making Millions - Thanks to its burgeoning technologies, open markets and endless opportunities, Africa has been dubbed the Promised Land for Internet innovation. These 10 African Internet entrepreneurs have blazed remarkable trails for their peers and accrued millions of dollars in the process. — Patrice Peck(Photos: HermanHeunis.com; iROKO Partners; Njeri Rionge via Twitter)

Abasiama Idaresit - Through his digital marketing agency, Wild Fusion, this Nigerian-born digital marketing expert has provided online strategy solutions to a number of leading international corporations located in sub-Saharan Africa, including Visa, Samsung and Unilever. Idaresit founded his firm in 2010 on a bootstrap budget, but the $6 million enterprise is slated to make $10 million this year.(Photo: Courtesy of Wild Fusion)

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Abasiama Idaresit - Through his digital marketing agency, Wild Fusion, this Nigerian-born digital marketing expert has provided online strategy solutions to a number of leading international corporations located in sub-Saharan Africa, including Visa, Samsung and Unilever. Idaresit founded his firm in 2010 on a bootstrap budget, but the $6 million enterprise is slated to make $10 million this year.(Photo: Courtesy of Wild Fusion)

Njeri Rionge - This Kenyan millionaire gained her first fortune as co-founder of Wananchi Online, an Internet service provider that morphed into East Africa’s prominent broadband, cable and internet-based phone company. An American company bought a 50 percent stake in the successful company for $26 million in 2011. Now, Rionge spends her days running Ignite Consulting, a thriving Nairobi-based business consultancy. (Photo: Njeri Rionge via Twitter)

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Njeri Rionge - This Kenyan millionaire gained her first fortune as co-founder of Wananchi Online, an Internet service provider that morphed into East Africa’s prominent broadband, cable and internet-based phone company. An American company bought a 50 percent stake in the successful company for $26 million in 2011. Now, Rionge spends her days running Ignite Consulting, a thriving Nairobi-based business consultancy. (Photo: Njeri Rionge via Twitter)

Adii Pienaar - At 28, Adii Pienaar leads a start-up that has generated more than $3 million in annual revenue. The South African founded Woothemes, a company that designs and develops customizable themes and plugins for the blog platforms WordPress and Tumblr. He plans to pay it forward with the impending PublicBeta, a service through which new start-ups learn from very successful entrepreneurs.(Photo: Courtesy of Woothemes)

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Adii Pienaar - At 28, Adii Pienaar leads a start-up that has generated more than $3 million in annual revenue. The South African founded Woothemes, a company that designs and develops customizable themes and plugins for the blog platforms WordPress and Tumblr. He plans to pay it forward with the impending PublicBeta, a service through which new start-ups learn from very successful entrepreneurs.(Photo: Courtesy of Woothemes)

Carey Eaton and Justin Clarke - As the founders of One Africa Media (OAM), Kenyan Carey Eaton and South African Justin Clarke preside over Africa's largest online classifieds group, which owns, operates and invests in the most prestigious and lucrative online properties across the continent. OAM’s worth skyrocketed to $80 million when Australia’s largest recruitment portal, Seek, bought a 25 percent stake valued at $20 million in June 2013.(Photos: Courtesy of One Africa Media)

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Carey Eaton and Justin Clarke - As the founders of One Africa Media (OAM), Kenyan Carey Eaton and South African Justin Clarke preside over Africa's largest online classifieds group, which owns, operates and invests in the most prestigious and lucrative online properties across the continent. OAM’s worth skyrocketed to $80 million when Australia’s largest recruitment portal, Seek, bought a 25 percent stake valued at $20 million in June 2013.(Photos: Courtesy of One Africa Media)

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Jason Njoku explaining what the rising film industry "Nollywood" means:  - "Nollywood is a film industry centered in mostly Nigeria and Ghana. But they are largely Nigerian productions, which create films for Africans about Africans." (Photo: iROKO Partners)

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Jason Njoku - The massive popularity of Nollywood films propelled Nigerian Jason Njoku, the founder of the “Netflix of Africa,” to millionaire status. The mastermind behind iRokoTV, the world’s biggest distributor of Nigerian films, created a hugely successful platform that has garnered more than 500,000 subscribers. The start-up has raised more than $12 million from New York- and Swedish-based hedge funds and investment firms. (Photo: iROKO Partners)

Gary Levitt - Gary Levitt founded Mad Mimi in 2008, allowing the average computer user to create, send, share and track branded emails, online newsletters and more. In addition to being the controlling shareholder, the South African-born impresario oversees more than 20 employees in his company, which has raked in about $6 million in annual revenues.(Photo: Courtesy of MadMimi)

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Gary Levitt - Gary Levitt founded Mad Mimi in 2008, allowing the average computer user to create, send, share and track branded emails, online newsletters and more. In addition to being the controlling shareholder, the South African-born impresario oversees more than 20 employees in his company, which has raked in about $6 million in annual revenues.(Photo: Courtesy of MadMimi)

Ronnie Apteker - This South African entrepreneur helped usher in a new technological age in his homeland when he founded Internet Solution, the country’s first Internet service provider, in 1993. Four years later, Dimension Data Holdings, an Internet, communications and telecom services provider, acquired Internet Solutions for about $65 million. The millionaire now spends his time investing in start-ups, producing films and writing. (Photo: Ronnie Apteker via Facebook)

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Ronnie Apteker - This South African entrepreneur helped usher in a new technological age in his homeland when he founded Internet Solution, the country’s first Internet service provider, in 1993. Four years later, Dimension Data Holdings, an Internet, communications and telecom services provider, acquired Internet Solutions for about $65 million. The millionaire now spends his time investing in start-ups, producing films and writing. (Photo: Ronnie Apteker via Facebook)

Ayisi Makatiani - In 1994, Kenyan tech tycoon Ayisi Makatiani co-founded Africa Online, one of Africa’s first Internet service providers. He sold a large portion of his shares in the company in 2000, but kept a minority stake reportedly valued at $10 million, according to the Economist.(Photo: David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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Ayisi Makatiani - In 1994, Kenyan tech tycoon Ayisi Makatiani co-founded Africa Online, one of Africa’s first Internet service providers. He sold a large portion of his shares in the company in 2000, but kept a minority stake reportedly valued at $10 million, according to the Economist.(Photo: David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Herman Heunis - This Namibian millionaire was the original founder of MXit, the continent’s biggest social network and Africa’s first mobile instant messenger. Heunis sold the lucrative service to an investment company founded by South African millionaire Alan Knott Graig Jr. for more than $50 million in 2011. Roughly 20 million people in over 120 countries continue to use MXit.(Photo: HermanHeunis.com)

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Herman Heunis - This Namibian millionaire was the original founder of MXit, the continent’s biggest social network and Africa’s first mobile instant messenger. Heunis sold the lucrative service to an investment company founded by South African millionaire Alan Knott Graig Jr. for more than $50 million in 2011. Roughly 20 million people in over 120 countries continue to use MXit.(Photo: HermanHeunis.com)