With little known about him in the public limelight until recently, Bernard Odote has stunned many by becoming Kenya’s only dollar billionaire listed among Forbes’ Top 25 African Billionaires in 2025.
With a net worth of $1.1 billion, Odote now joins the ranks of Africa’s most powerful business magnates, including Aliko Dangote, Johann Rupert, and Nicky Oppenheimer marking a historic moment for Kenya.
Odote’s rise to billionaire status has been anything but conventional.
As the founder and Group CEO of The Odote Group (TOG), he leads a diversified enterprise spanning procurement, agri-tech, energy, finance, automotive, logistics, healthcare, and retail.
His business philosophy is rooted in providing sustainable, scalable solutions across Africa’s key growth sectors—unlocking economic potential in underserved markets.
His flagship company, House of Procurement (HOP Global), has redefined how procurement and supply chains function across the continent. Through innovations like Inventory-as-a-Service and Pay-As-You-Sell models, HOP Global has empowered African manufacturers, distributors, and institutions, facilitating trade and financing worth over $1.5 billion across multiple industries.
From port operations in Mombasa to partnerships in landlocked markets, HOP has established itself as a logistics powerhouse under Odote’s leadership.
Beyond procurement, Odote has expanded into agriculture through CropSoko Technologies, an agri-tech platform that supports smallholder farmers with market access, logistics, and embedded financing.
In the energy sector, his company PowerCom Pawa delivers smart metering and EPC services for both urban and rural projects. Other companies like Meridian Acceptances and HOP Auto address financing gaps and automotive servicing needs across East Africa.
Odote’s impressive portfolio is underpinned by a solid academic background.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics from Kenyatta University (2004–2008), where his interest in logistics and market systems began. He later pursued a Postgraduate certification in Procurement and Supply Chain Management from the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) in 2010.
Over the years, he has undertaken further training in global trade finance, blockchain applications in logistics, and supply chain leadership at institutions including Nestlé Procurement University and the Diageo Academy.
Despite his reserved public presence, Odote has earned a reputation among industry players as a quiet force for change and a strategist who prefers building systems and empowering communities over flashy branding.
