# Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe

> Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe is a South African billionaire businessman, mining magnate, financial investor, and soccer administrator.

Business profile published by Townpress Newspaper at https://townpress.co.za/people/?bb_profile=patrice-motsepe. Last updated 2026-09-15.

## At a glance

- Role: Founder, Non-Executive Chairman & Sports Executive
- Company: African Rainbow Minerals / African Rainbow Capital / CAF
- Sector: Investment
- Ownership: Private
- Born: 1962, Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa
- Based: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
- Education: BA in Law, University of Swaziland (now University of Eswatini); LLB, University of the Witwatersrand
- Est. net worth: $4.3b (est.)

## Biography

Born in Soweto and raised in Mathibestad, Patrice Motsepe grew up in a business-minded family. His father owned a spaza shop and beer hall frequented by mine workers, providing Motsepe with early practical experience in commerce and customer relations. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Law at the University of Swaziland before earning an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand. Joining the law firm Bowman Gilfillan in 1988, he specialized in corporate and mining law, becoming the firm’s first Black partner in 1993 after a stint as a visiting attorney in the United States.

Following the advent of democracy in South Africa, Motsepe transitioned into entrepreneurship by establishing Future Mining in 1994, which provided contract services to underground gold shafts. Capitalizing on low gold prices and leveraging emerging Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies, he acquired marginal gold mines from AngloGold and formed ARMgold in 1997. In 2003, ARMgold merged with Harmony Gold and Avmin to form African Rainbow Minerals (ARM). Through ARM, Motsepe scaled operations across gold, platinum, coal, and base metals, cementing his status in 2008 as Africa's first Black billionaire on the Forbes list.

Beyond mining, Motsepe diversified his empire into financial services through Ubuntu-Botho Investments and African Rainbow Capital (ARC), holding significant investments in digital bank TymeBank, Sanlam, and industrial portfolios. A prominent figure in global sports administration, he acquired Mamelodi Sundowns FC in 2003 and was elected President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2021. In 2013, Motsepe and his wife, Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, became the first Africans to sign The Giving Pledge, committing at least half of their family wealth to philanthropic initiatives through the Motsepe Foundation.

## Career timeline

- 1993: Became the first Black partner at law firm Bowman Gilfillan
- 1994: Founded Future Mining, launching his contract mining operations
- 1997: Founded ARMgold, acquiring marginal gold shafts from AngloGold
- 2003: Acquired controlling interest in Mamelodi Sundowns FC
- 2004: Formed African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) following the merger with Avmin and Harmony
- 2008: Recognized as Africa's first Black billionaire on the Forbes list
- 2013: Joined The Giving Pledge alongside his wife, Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe
- 2021: Elected President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF)

## Companies and board roles

- African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) — Founder & Non-Executive Chairman
- African Rainbow Capital (ARC) — Founder & Chairman
- Confederation of African Football (CAF) — President
- FIFA — Vice President
- World Economic Forum — Board of Trustees Member

## Awards and recognition

- 2002 — South Africa's Business Leader of the Year
- 2002 — Ernst & Young Best Entrepreneur of the Year
- 2014 — Harvard University Veritas Award for Excellence in Global Business and Philanthropy
- 2017 — Sunday Times Lifetime Achiever Award

## In their words

> "True financial independence and economic success must translate into improving the lives of ordinary people."

## In the news

- [Sanlam customers are about to get a new banking option](https://townpress.co.za/sanlam-customers-are-about-to-get-a-new-banking-option/) (11 Sep 2026)
- [Patrice Motsepe takes BLF leader to court](https://townpress.co.za/patrice-motsepe-takes-blf-leader-to-court/) (07 May 2019)
- [South Africa’s startup TymeBank could break even by 2022](https://townpress.co.za/south-africas-startup-tymebank-could-break-even-by-2022/) (27 Feb 2019)
- [Motsepe denies allegations of unfair benefit in government deals](https://townpress.co.za/motsepe-denies-allegations-of-unfair-benefit-in-government-deals/) (18 Feb 2019)
- [Motsepe recalls encounters with Madiba](https://townpress.co.za/motsepe-recalls-encounters-with-madiba/) (17 Jul 2018)