Johannesburg, South Africa, 15th December 2020. Paramount Group, the global aerospace and technology company founded in South Africa, is pleased to announce that its Founder, Ivor Ichikowitz has been named by New African Magazine as one of its ‘100 Most Influential Africans of 2020’.
South African-born industrialist and philanthropist, Ivor Ichikowitz is profiled in the ‘Icons’ category of the oldest and definitive annual listing of Africa’s most influential, which celebrates Africans across all sections of society who are shaping the destiny of the continent. It is the second time that Ichikowitz is included in the Top 100 list, previously he featured in 2015.
New African Magazine, the best-selling international pan-African news publication, cited Ivor for his role as a leading investor in the continent’s future through the establishment of successful businesses in energy, aviation, mining, retail, tourism, ICT, aerospace and technology, and via his family foundation he has invested in environmental and wildlife conservation, education initiatives, responsible citizenship, and heritage programmes.
For most part of his adult life, Ivor has made it his own personal mission to tell the good news stories of Africa to counter the outdated narratives of Africa as a hopeless continent. In 2020 the Ichikowitz Family Foundation commissioned the most comprehensive study of the continent’s youth to date, to provide a better global understanding of one of the world’s most important demographics. The aim of the annual African Youth Survey is to serve as the pre-eminent source of data on Africa’s youth, with the potential to reimagine policy development, investment and education initiatives across the continent.
Ivor Ichikowitz stated: “It is an honour to be included within New African Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Africans of 2020, alongside such a prestigious and dynamic assembly of African influencers and inspirers.
“In my view, the good news stories of our continent have only begun to be told to the world. It is a privilege to play my part in doing so, with our African Youth Survey today we have critical data with the potential to inform and reimagine policy and corporate social responsibility initiatives intercontinentally and across the globe for years to come”.
“I share our continent’s enthusiasm and have great hopes that my fellow Influencers’ accomplishments and future ambitions will resonate the world over. Be it through technological innovation, arts, heritage and culture or commerce, Africa is taking its new and rightful place on the world stage”.
About the Ichikowitz Family Foundation
The Ichikowitz Family Foundation is founded upon the belief that Africa’s potential can be unlocked through education, the respect for human rights, a better understanding of Africa’s dynamic history and the conservation of its rich biodiversity. It is committed to the kind of active citizenship that promotes the preservation of Africa’s heritage, the conservation of its environment, and the empowerment of Africa’s youth. The Foundation uses various channels such as films, music, research, publications and art to foster dialogue between people, to be a torchbearer for innovation and to build a continent where people are encouraged to dream big and achieve the impossible. Key programmes include: the African Oral History Archive, the African Youth Survey, #IamConstitution and the protection of endangered species. The Ichikowitz Family Foundation initiates, funds and runs its own projects.
Please visit www.ichikowitzfoundation.com for further information.
