by Ben Taylor
Yusuf Manji pictured in 2015
Prominent businessman and former Yanga Africans Football Club sponsor, Yusuf Manji, has died at the age of 48. He passed away in June in Florida, USA, where he had been receiving treatment. The news of his death was confirmed by his son, Mehbub Manji.
Manji built a reputation for entrepreneurial success and business leadership. He is particularly noted for his role as the founder and chairman of Quality Group Limited, a USD $700m conglomerate with interests in manufacturing (including plastics and steel products), beverages, and pharmaceuticals. Under his stewardship, Quality Group grew to become one of Tanzania’s leading industrial groups, and in 2017 Manji was listed by Forbes magazine as being one of Tanzania’s richest men.
The football community had particular reason to mourn Manji’s passing. The president of Young Africans, Hersi Said, expressed deep sorrow over Manji’s death, describing it as a profound loss.
“He was a visionary leader who dedicated himself to laying a strong foundation for our team. His commitment to sports development in our country was unparalleled,” Hersi said in a statement.
Born into one of the richest families in Tanzania, with his father being a respected businessman, Manji received a high-quality education. He studied at the American College of Switzerland, Morehouse College in Atlanta, and Hofstra University in New York. He took over his father’s Dar-based motor works company in 1995 at the age of just 20. He diversified the company and turned it into a sprawling billion-dollar conglomerate. Over time, he became active in philanthropy and became close to various politicians, including both President Mkapa and President Kikwete.
The business magnate later drew unwanted attention from the government of President John Magufuli, which accused Manji of tax evasion and improper business practices, including a controversial tender to supply military uniforms. The government launched audits and investigations into the financial operations of several companies, and several of Manji’s companies were accused of wrongdoing following the audits. The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) shut down one of his company’s farming outfits and demanded over TSh 12 billion in unpaid taxes.
Several economic and national security charges were brought against Manji, leading to his arrest. He had been a councillor in Temeke (Dar es Salaam) at the time, but ended up losing his seat after failing to attend six consecutive plenary council meetings while in detention. He was later released after the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the charges against him.
The Quality Group empire suffered the brunt of his legal battles, undergoing restructuring and divestment as Manji struggled to put his life back together.
Manji had previously been considered untouchable, according to political analyst Buberwa Kaiza. “He wielded considerable influence as a prominent businessman with close ties to the state, especially during the administrations of Benjamin Mkapa and Jakaya Kikwete respectively.”