The wealthiest individual in Africa, Aliko Dangote, alongside Zimbabwean entrepreneur Senziwani Sikhosana When the Nigerian billionaire Al...
When the Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote arrived in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, last week to complete his investment deal worth over US$1 billion with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, he was surrounded by people unknown to many Zimbabweans.
Some modest business leaders met with Dangote, along with presidential investment advisor Paul Tungwarara and investment coordinator Josephine Mahachi, who is well-known in the Zimbabwean media scene.
Among the business figures who welcomed Dangote at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport was Senziwani Sikhosana, a low-key and shrewd local entrepreneur who favors operating behind the scenes in boardrooms rather than seeking the spotlight and media attention.
It was not until recently that the media started questioning who Sikhosana is, following his actions that conveyed more than words could.
The Dangote agreement intensified the issue.
Before that, only a small number of people, who might have heard some of his public speeches, were aware of him. Few outside the banking and financial services industry, as well as the intricate world of treasury or financial engineering, knew him.
Yet he has been a quiet but influential figure, operating within the professional realm, establishing companies, and handling significant financial deals for at least 25 years.
Prior to Dangote's visit, Sikhosana, known among industry peers as Sikho, had several notable public engagements, particularly at the London Investment Conference in April 2023 and during the unveiling of TX Money Transfer in mid-2024.
The London Investment Conference, which took place at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and was co-organised by him along with the Ministry of Finance and the rapidly expanding Victoria Falla Stock Exchange, as well as a UK-based advisory firm, drew participation from government officials, including Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, prominent business leaders, international investors, key representatives from Zimbabwean companies, and major players in British financial markets.
He was among the main presenters at the prestigious gathering.
He took the spotlight during the TX launch.
The TX platform was launched at Africa Unity Square in Harare during mid-2024 with the goal of enhancing the dependability, openness, and effectiveness of financial remittances in Zimbabwe.
It is also intended to promote access to financial services.
But even so, the real question persists: Who is Senziwani Sikhosana?
Sikhosana serves as the chief executive officer of Bard Santner Incorporated.
Bard Santner Inc is a financial services advisory firm based in Harare, with activities covering corporate finance, asset and wealth management, microfinance, and money transfers.
The company is involved in multiple corporate social responsibility initiatives, with a focus on sports sponsorships, especially in football, golf, and cricket.
The business operates from Harare and maintains a branch in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa.
It also maintains a strategic position via an international office located in New York, United States, aimed at promoting global investment, providing consulting services, and streamlining financial operations.
Collaborating closely with his team members, such as Tatenda Hungwe and Lucia Chingwaru, along with investment coordinator Mahachi, Sikhosana emerged as the key figure in orchestrating the Dangote agreement.
Finalizing the agreement required careful planning, multiple meetings, and precise implementation.
Although numerous - and even larger agreements have been finalized in Zimbabwe - the importance of the Dangote visit was in generating momentum for investor confidence, the
attendant positive influence and transformative outlook.
Landing Africa's most affluent individual, who is also the richest black person globally, with business ventures spanning 17 nations across the continent in Zimbabwe—following unsuccessful efforts in 2015 and 2018—constituted a calculated and historic milestone.
It won't resolve all of Zimbabwe's many issues, but it will definitely bring a significant foreign direct investment influx, create jobs, and enhance investor confidence in the economy.
Dangote's initiatives in Zimbabwe include cement production, coal extraction, electricity generation, and a fuel pipeline stretching from the western Atlantic coast of Namibia, where he is constructing a large refinery, to Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, representing a significant investment.
Sikhosana's financial knowledge and commitment, which played a key role in Dangote's return to Zimbabwe following a previous unsuccessful effort in 2015, will be needed for these initiatives.
His group labored nonstop for 16 months, carrying out secret discussions that eventually resulted in the signing of a historic pact with the administration.
This shrewd business move has not only brought him acclaim, but also placed Zimbabwe as a desirable place for investment and opened up possibilities for others.
Following months of efforts to engage Africa's top industrialist, Sikhosana and his team eventually met Dangote during the Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja in June 2025.
Later, they returned to visit him at his headquarters in Lagos, where they inspected his facilities at the Dangote Refinery.
During that meeting, it was decided that Dangote would return to Zimbabwe for investment purposes, but first, he needed to meet President Emmerson Mnangagwa to secure the highest level of guarantees. Some of these would address the challenges he faced in 2015, such as mining rights, tax benefits, technical issues, work permits for specialists, and investment safety.
During this calm stage of the negotiation process, Sikhosana and his team met with Mnangagwa to pave the way for Dangote.
This resulted in Dangote's trip to Harare last week and the signing of the investment deal.
Sikhosana's professional background lies in banking and finance, and he is also a chartered management accountant with more than 25 years of industry experience.
He received his education at the National University of Science and Technology, where he obtained a Master's degree in banking and commerce.
His areas of specialization encompass managing assets and liabilities, fixed income, foreign exchange trading, and treasury operations.
Having worked with several banks such as National Merchant Bank, Trust Merchant Bank, Kingdom Merchant Bank, and Interfin Merchant Bank, he transitioned to the transport logistics sector.
He founded Burious Logistics, which expanded to a maximum of 40 trucks functioning in southern Africa, moving bulk cargo through Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, and Botswana,
Namibia.
At the same time, Sikhosana established and managed Plastec Designs P/L, a business involved in the production of plastics and related products, along with Refresh Industries P/L, which manufactured fruit juices.
This provided him not only with an understanding of industrial operations and fast-moving consumer goods, but also with ten years of firsthand experience in the challenges faced by a leader managing a business group involved in trucking, manufacturing, and production during tough economic times.
In 2016, Sikhosana returned to the banking sector and played a key role in establishing Access Finance Group, which comprised Access Forex, where he served as both a shareholder and managing director.
The firm conducted business in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
Following his departure from Access Finance in 2022, Sikhosana established Bard Santner alongside colleagues Hungwe, Chingwaru, and Alfred Mthimkhulu, a seasoned Zimbabwean asset management professional and finance lecturer from Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Bard Santner has made significant progress, managing large deals such as arranging a US$113 million property deal at The Grove Mall in Namibia, taking over the portfolio of a client managed by Tetrad Financial Services, and recently the Dangote deal, along with several other major transactions.
Sikhosana's background in the banking sector was deeply influenced by three key figures, especially Julius Makoni, who inspired his appreciation for elegance and refinement in the field; Nigel Chanakira, who provided stability and enhanced his technical expertise in banking; and Farai Rwodzi, who sparked his entrepreneurial drive, all of which contribute to his compelling path in the dynamic and challenging business environment.
In addition to learning from Makoni, Chanakira, and Rwodzi, among others, Sikhosana is gaining further valuable insights and experience by working closely with Vinod Bussawah, a veteran Mauritian financial executive who leads Bard Santner.
Equipped with extensive experience across banking, logistics, manufacturing, and fast-moving consumer goods, the determined Sikhosana is currently affiliated with the major industrial group Dangote. He is now focused on the next steps of his successful career, assisting in integrating the Dangote Group's investment portfolio in Zimbabwe through Bard Santner, the appointed transaction advisors.
