Ivor Ichikowitz is a South African entrepreneur, philanthropist and Chairman of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation. He is also the founder of the African Oral History Archive and the commissioner of the African Youth Survey.
He has been recognized twice as one of Africa’s 100 most influential people in recognition for his investments (business and philanthropic) in the future of the continent. For more than more than three decades he has built a number of successful businesses on four continents in energy, mining, retail, tourism, real estate, aviation, defence technologies and aerospace manufacturing.
His professional experience has informed his interest in African industrial development, innovation, skills, economic opportunity and the importance of building the continent’s capacity to determine its own future.
Through the Foundation, he has extended this commitment beyond business, investing in initiatives that promote education, preserve Africa’s heritage, support conservation and amplify the voices of African communities.
A central focus of his philanthropic work is the belief that young Africans must be understood as active participants in shaping the continent, rather than simply as beneficiaries of development programmes or leaders of a distant future. The African Youth Survey reflects this conviction: it seeks to create an evidence base that brings young Africans’ perspectives into conversations about policy, investment, leadership and Africa’s place in the world.