Sim Shagaya Biography: Everything To Know About The Konga Founder.

Sim Shagaya Biography: Everything To Know About The Konga Founder.

Sim Shagaya is mostly known by his accomplishment, that is, creating the biggest E-commerce website in Nigeria, Konga.com. Aside from konga, other of his innovation is DealDey.com. He is an entrepreneur with a technological mindset. This article will shade more light about his career, awards, and net worth.

Sim Shagaya Birth and parentage

Sim Shagaya as popularly known was born in the year 1976 into the family of John Nanzip Shagaya. His birth name is Simdul Shagaya; Simdul Shagaya was born in Plateau state. His father was a military officer. Since he was brought up in a military family, it is said that his childhood was spent in different locations.

Educational Background of Sim Shagaya

Sim Shagaya, as the son of a military officer started his education in a military school; he attended the Nigerian Military School (NMS). After his education in the Nigerian Military School, he went to the US to further his education. He studied Electrical Engineering in George Washington University, Washington DC, and obtained his BSc. After getting his BSc, he then went Dartmouth College where he studied Engineering Management and obtained his master’s Degree.

Sim Shagaya, just like his father, served in the Nigerian army before going to the US to further his education. He served for two good years as a private before realizing that military was not his calling.

Sim Shagaya Career

Sim Shagaya started his career as a banker; he worked with a South African bank called Rand Merchant Bank. After he left the Rand Merchant Bank, he went and work for Google, it was while he was still working with Google that he came back to Nigeria and was appointed the head of Google in the whole Africa.

Sim Shagaya was also the director of GoMyWay and E-Motion, both being an advertising limited. In the year 2011, Sim Shagaya started DealDey Company and convinced the E-Motion board members to invest in the establishment.

Sim Shagaya’s Professional Life and Konga

 

Sim Shagaya’s love for computer started when his father’s friend gave him a Personal Computer at the age of 11. While he was still in the university, he noticed that the internet can be used in various activities, especially business and how the internet brought business people together. Since then, he determined to create an internet innovation.

Because of his love for internet and the World Wide Web to be specific, he started many online companies such as jobclan.com; which was for job placement, alarina.com; for online dating, DealDey; which was a lifestyle and an e-commerce website, etc.

After noticing how the number of customers on DealDey.com has been increasing on a daily basis, he made up his mind to invest in e-commerce business. In the year 2012, he started Konga.com, an online shop. He got investment from Kinnevik, a Swedish investment firm. Konga.com did very well and was one time the most talked about website in Nigeria.

Challenges and Konga Deal with Zinox Group (Yudala)

Despite the fact that konga did very well right from its inception it also faced some difficulties. It is reported that there was a time where konga store was closed down due to Sim Shagaya’s landlord inability to refund his loan.

In the year 2018, Konga was bought in a very huge sum of money by the Zinox Group (YUDALA), that amount they bought Konga is said to be from $10m to $15m. After acquiring Konga, the Zinox Group put more effort in building and restructuring Konga to what it is now. Today, Konga is one of the most visited e-commerce website in Africa.

Sim Shagaya Net Worth

With all the works he did including starting his own company and many awards that he has won to his name. Sim Shagaya is a great source of inspiration to many people in Africa, especially the youths. Sim Shagaya’s net worth is estimated to be around $300 million.

 

Sim Shagaya Personal Life

Sim Shagaya has his own family, which includes his wife and his children. It is very clear that he wants his family to be out of the public. Sim Shagaya’s wife is also a good businesswoman; she started her own business in South Africa in the year 2017.

Sim Shagaya Awards

Sim Shagaya has been recognized both nationally and internationally. He has received so many awards such as the following;

1. The Leadership Conference/Awards in which he won the CEO of the Year, in the year 2014; he was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013 at the CNBC/All Africa Business Leaders Award in West Africa
2. In the same 2013, his company, konga was selected by HumanIPO as one of the technology startups in Africa
3. In 2014, he was also listed among the most powerful men in Africa.

He also have worked for some respectable companies such as Bank, and the most used search engine company in the world; Google, he was even the head of Google Africa.