Patrick E. Ngowi

Patrick Epaphra Ngowi
Born	(1985-01-25) January 25, 1985 (age 40) Tanzania
Education	Wenzhou University
Occupations	Entrepreneur, businessperson
Known for	Renewable Energy Entrepreneur

Patrick Epaphra Ngowi is a Tanzanian entrepreneur, businessperson, environmentalist, Al Gore's climate change reality leader and United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) Pioneer. Patrick has founded and led several businesses over the course of his career. ^[1]

Early life and education

Ngowi was born on the 25 January 1985 in Tanzania. Ngowi started his first business at age 15 when he started selling top-up vouchers for mobile phones in high school. ^[2] He went on to study renewable energy in China's Wenzhou University. ^[2]

Career

After graduating, Ngowi travelled between China and Tanzania and brought back trendy and cheap phones, and began buying inexpensive phones from low-cost manufacturers and selling them in the Tanzanian market. ^[2]

Patrick Ngowi founded Helvetic Solar in 2007 to provide and install solar equipment in Tanzania. ^[3] The company was awarded KPMG's No. 1 of the Top 100 Mid Sized Companies in Tanzania Award in 2012. ^[2] The firm has since evolved into a diversified business group, of which he Chairs. ^[4]

Recognition

Forbes included Ngowi in its list of 30 under 30 Africa's Best Young Entrepreneurs ^[5] and Forbes list of Young African Millionaires to Watch in 2013. ^[6] He was again listed in the 2014 list of Africa's Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs through Helvetic Group. ^[7] He was also named as East Africa's Young Business Leader of the Year 2014 by Forbes and CNBC. ^[8]

Ngowi has had multiple speaking roles at international events ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]} and in 2015 was elected as Chairman of the United Nations Global Compact in Tanzania. ^[13] A year later, it was announced by the United Nations Secretary General that Ngowi was one of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) Global 10 Pioneers, being a pioneer in providing access to clean energy, SDG 7. ^[14]

He has been recognised as:

• United Nations SDG 7 Pioneer 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 New York, USA.
• 2016 100 Most Influential Young Africans, Johannesburg, South Africa.
• East Africa Young Business Leader of the Year Award 2014 (AABLA) ^[15] Nairobi, Kenya.
• Top 100 Young Economic Leaders 2014 - Choiseul Institute, Paris, France. ^{[16] [17]}
• Top 100 Most Influential Africans 2013-2014 ^[18] Lagos, Nigeria.

Philanthropy

Ngowi has provided free solar systems for youth and women in rural and off-grid parts of Tanzania throughout his career. ^[19]

References

1. "The Africa We Want | Patrick E. Ngowi". M.huffpost.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
2. Nsehe, Mfonobong. "The Young African Millionaire Lighting Up Tanzania". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
3. "Meet Tanzanians Solar Entrepreneur Patrick Ngowi – Sun-Connect East Africa News". sun-connect-ea.org. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
4. "Patrick E. Ngowi - Book Patrick for your next event". African Speakers and Artists. 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
5. "30 Under 30: Africa's Best Young Entrepreneurs". Forbes. 2013-02-23. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
6. "Ten Young African Millionaires To Watch In 2013". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
7. "30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa 2014". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
8. "CNBC International – World Business News Leader". CNBC . Retrieved 2015-07-22.
9. "World Bank Group". Worldbank.org. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
10. "International Monetary Fund Home Page". IMF. Archived from the original on October 1, 2006. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
11. "How I Started My Business(es) — 2015 Africa Business Conference at Harvard Business School". Africabusinessconference.com. 2015-02-05. Archived from the original on 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
12. "African Development Bank - Building today, a better Africa tomorrow". Afdb.org. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
13. "Welcome remarks by UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez at the Launch of the Global Compact Local Networks Tanzania". UNDP. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
14. Hub, IISD's SDG Knowledge. "UN Global Compact Summit Calls for Business Leadership on SDGs | News | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD" . Retrieved 2019-12-09.
15. "AABLA - All Africa Business Leaders Awards". Aabla2014.com. 2015-03-11. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
16. "Choiseul 100 Africa: Economic Leaders for Tomorrow - Institut Choiseul". Choiseul.info. 2014-06-20. Archived from the original on 2015-06-14. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
17. "Home". Ippmedia.com. 2014-10-01. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
18. "New African Magazine 100 Most Influential Africans - Business". Newafricanmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
19. "Patrick Ngowi: Self-made Tanzanian millionaire". TRUE Africa. 2015-11-14. Retrieved 2019-12-09.