| Real Name/Full Name | Vimal Bhimji Shah |
| Nick Name/Celebrated Name: | Vimal Shah |
| Birth Place: | Nyeri, Central, Kenya |
| Date Of Birth/Birthday: | 7 November 1960 |
| Age/How Old: | 63 years old |
| Height/How Tall: | In Centimetres – 172 cm In Feet and Inches – 5′ 8″ |
| Weight: | In Kilograms – 81 Kg In Pounds – 179 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Black |
| Parents Name: | Father – Bhimji Depar Shah Mother – Unknown |
| Siblings: | Brother – Tarun Shah |
| School: | Unknown |
| College: | United States International University (USIU), Nairobi |
| Religion: | Hindu |
| Nationality: | Kenyan |
| Active Years: | 1985 to Present |
| Gender: | Male |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Girlfriend: | N/A |
| Wife/Spouse Name: | Manda Shah |
| Kids/Children Name: | Son – Soham Shah |
| Profession: | Businessman, Industrialist and Entrepreneur |
| Net Worth: | $1.6 Billion |
| Last Updated: | March 2024 |
Vimal Shah is a renowned Kenyan entrepreneur, businessman, industrialist, and mentor who has been known to be the Chairman of one of the largest companies in East Africa known as Bidco Africa.
He has been responsible for the company’s growth, making it enter into new markets and diversify into different manufactured products. Bidco Africa is involved in producing several products, including edible oil, soaps, detergents, baking powder, and margarine.
Vimal Shah is said to be one of the richest people in Kenya, through which he got featured in Forbes at some point. Keep reading this article as we get to know more about the life, education, career, and net worth of Vimal Shah in 2024.
Biography and Early Life
Vimal Shah was born on 7th November 1960 in Nyeri, Central, Kenya in which; his full birth name is Vimal Bhimji Shah. His father is known as Bhimji Depar Shah. Bhimji Depar Shar is the founder of Bidco Group of companies through which he was born in 1931.
According to Forbes 2015, Bhimji Depar Shah was the richest man in Kenya in 2015 and the 31st richest man in Africa with a net worth of $700 Million.
During his early life, Vimal Shah was raised together with his brother, known as Tarun Bhimji Shah. Tarun Bhimji Shah had his education in the UK in which he is a qualified chartered certified accountant. He is the elder brother to Vimal Shah and one of the directors and founder of Bidco Africa.
Education
Much of the early education life of Vimal Shah is not well known. Nevertheless, he attended the United States International University – Africa in the Nairobi Campus. From this university, Shah graduated with a BSc in Business Administration.
Vimal Shah was also awarded an honorary Ph.D. due to his contributions in the entrepreneurship field in Kenya. Following this, he was then later made the Chancellor for Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in May 2016.
Personal Life: Wife, Kids, Son, etc.
Vimal Shah is a happily married man. He met his lover known as Manda Shah, whom they later wedded. Together, they are blessed with one son known as Soham Shah, born in 1998.
Is Vimal Shah Gay?
No, Vimal Shah is of a straight sexual orientation through which he is married to one wife known as Manda Shah. Together they have a son known as Soham Shah.
Professional Career
The career of Vimal Shah is mainly from Bidco Africa, which was launched in the year 1985. Before then, Bhimji Depar Shah, his father, had founded the company in the year 1970 for the manufacturing of garments. Nevertheless, the actual launching of the company came in the year 1985 when it was launched for soap production.
It was founded by his father, Bhimji Depar Shah, his brother Tarun Bhimji Shah, and Vimal Shah. During the company’s initial stages, banks denied them any financing options to develop their company, which forced them to opt to seek financing solutions from friends and family members.
Together with this father and brother, they have transformed the company from a humble soap manufacturing enterprise to a behemoth Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
The company later launched oil manufacturing in the year 1991, acquiring other companies such as Elianto Unit. The company expanded in the region, covering Tanzania. Bidco Africa then acquired Unilever brands in 2002 hence acquiring products such as Kimbo and Cowboy.
It opened its brand in Uganda in 2005 hence expanding its business. It launched the Pure and Natural Bar in 2011 on personal care and beauty products. BBC reported the company in 2019 to becoming one of the leading manufacturers of consumer goods in East Africa following its move to expand in the food and beverage category. By this time, Bidco Africa had more than 40 brands with more than 25,000 employees.
Vimal Shah has seen through the company growth and spearheading the company into its growth has been its Chief Executive Officer. He rose to the highest position as the CEO of the company till he stepped down in the year 2017, after which he started being less involved in the operational aspect of the company.
After stepping down from his position, he became the Board Chairman, which he holds to date. With this, he then oversees the operation and performance of the company to ensure that it is still on track.
Vimal Shah Mentorship Programmes
In addition to his career, he also commenced business mentorship in 2017. He does this through his blog every Monday, where he talks about his entrepreneurial life in Africa and the experience he has had as a successful entrepreneur. Every week, he posts several aspects of the life of an entrepreneur. The main aim of this program is to innovate the entrepreneurship spirit of young African people.
Awards and Achievements
As a founder and the chairman of Bidco Africa, Vimal Shah has had several achievements and many awards due to the success he has had in business and the entrepreneurship field. Some of the awards and achievements he has had include the following;
- In 2008, he got awarded the CEO of the Year Award by the Kenya Institute of Management, while Bidco won the company of the year award.
- In December 2011, he got awarded by the former Kenyan president, Mwai Kibaki, with the ‘First Class: Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS) due to his contribution to national development. This is the highest national honor for a private citizen in Kenya.
- In 2012, he received the East African Entrepreneur of the Year Award by All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) and CNBC and Forbes Africa.
- In 2015, he got awarded with an honorary Ph.D. due to his contribution to entrepreneurship growth in Kenya by KCA University
- He got named as the Oshwal Entrepreneur of the Year for the first-ever Oshwal Awards
- Bidco Africa has received more than 30 corporate awards in 15 years he led the company from his leadership.
Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Vimal Shah in 2024
Vimal Shah has an estimated net worth of $1.6 Billion. This comes from the fortunes he has made from his company. He is among the top shareholders of Bidco Africa, one of the largest and successful companies in Eastern Africa that has a coverage of more than 17 countries. In addition to this, he also receives a monthly stipend as the Board Chairman of the group.
Vimal Shah is a successful career person whose dedication and passion for entrepreneurship are beyond explanation. His dedication is seen through his blogs on his life in entrepreneurship and the success he has had. He has been a great inspiration to many young people who aspire to become entrepreneurs in different fields.
