Ivor Ichikowitz is a South African-born industrialist, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist. New African
magazine named him as one of Africa’s 100 most influential people in 2015 and 2020, in recognition for his
investment in the future if the continent.
Ivor began his career during South Africa’s political transition in the early 1990s, working to support Nelson Mandela’s programme of democratisation, national reconciliation, economic and industrial normalisation and integration into the African Continent and the global economy.
For more than two decades he has built a number of successful businesses on four continents in energy, aviation, mining, retail, tourism, ICT, media and marketing, aerospace and technology, manufacturing and via his family foundation he has invested in environmental and wildlife conservation, education initiatives and responsible citizenship.
In keeping with his diversified business portfolio, Ichikowitz has interests in renewable energy and mid-stream oil projects in various countries across Africa. He has also invested in creating a green economy in West Africa which includes eco-tourism, sustainable forestry, and agri-business.
He has a diversified real estate portfolio; prime residential, office and retail developments in South Africa, Europe and Australia, as well as numerous private equity investments across energy, media, banking, forestry, viticulture and art.
He founded a global aerospace and technology group, which employs several thousand people and is a trusted partner of more than 30 sovereign governments around the world.
His passion for development and technology has meant that his companies have become leaders in the development and application of fourth industrial revolution technologies in digital design, digital prototyping, 3D printing and robotics.
Ichikowitz founded the multiple award winning Ichikowitz Family Foundation, building on decades of philanthropic initiatives to support communities in need. The key focus of the foundation is to inspire citizen action through the development of Africa’s the next generation of leaders, primarily through education but also to ensure the preservation of Africa’s natural treasures and the stories and histories of those who helped South Africa transition from the world’s pariah to an international beacon.