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Former weekly reporter writes book about Africa’s richest people

A former weekly newspaper reporter who went on to work in the Southern Hemisphere has published a book about Africa’s richest people.

Chris Bishop, who is the founding editor of the Forbes Africa magazine, has written ‘Africa’s Billionaires’ about his experiences in journalism on the continent.

Chris, 54, began his career at the Kidderminster Shuttle, where his father Tony was also a reporter.

He has since worked in New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa, and has interviewed numerous heads of state including Nelson Mandela, Jacob Zuma, Robert Mugabe and Kenneth Kaunda.

Africa book

His book tells the stories of a penniless priest who became a steel baron, a bare-foot apple seller who turned into a mining millionaire and an economics student who studied with Mick Jagger.

Said Chris: “This is a rich tapestry of stories about the super-wealthy and the qualities that make them spectacularly successful in the most challenging economic arena in the world.”

Chris has won numerous awards including the David Beattie award for print journalism in New Zealand, the Sanlam Award for excellence in financial journalism in South Africa and the Editor of the Year at the Pica Awards in 2013.