Renowned Ghanaian tech entrepreneur and founder of theSOFTtribe Herman Chinery-Hesse has passed away at the age of 61.
One of the pacesetters in the Ghanaian technology industry, affectionately called “the Bill Gates of Africa”, died on Monday, September 16, 2024, after a short ailment.
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Chinery-Hesse’s early life and legacy
He was born in 1963 in Dublin, Ireland, to Lebrecht James Nii Tettey Chinery-Hesse and Mary Chinery-Hesse.
His family moved to Ghana, where he studied at the prestigious Mfantsipim Boys’ School in Cape Coast. He later moved to the United States of America and furthered his education at the Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.
He finally completed his tertiary education at Texas State University in San Marcos, which was when he made tangible a brilliant idea that would impact the lives of many.
Birthing theSOFTtribe
Chinery-Hesse founded theSOFTtribe in 1991 while at Texas State University.
The company, which was run in Accra, became a recognised force in software development in Ghana.
It was the pacesetter in many tech innovations in Ghana, such as mobile-based community security systems, EPR systems, nationwide utility billing platforms and government payroll solutions.
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Herman Chinery-Hesse impact has been felt beyond software
Chinery-Hesse also contributed to the “African Echoes” initiative. Through his hard work and contribution, audiobooks on the African language were distributed to a global audience.
Technology giant Google has a meeting room named after him at its headquarters.
He was also a speaker at many notable platforms, such as the University of Oxford, Harvard Business School, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
He has been granted several interviews on popular international media platforms, such as CNN, the BBC, and Al Jazeera.
Chinery-Hesse’s commitment to advancing technology in Africa was deeply felt by all who came into contact with him or heard the sound of his voice.
Today, he has inspired a generation of tech enthusiasts who are doing incredible things in the field in Ghana, Africa, and beyond.