Jacobus Petrus “Koos” Bekker, the man responsible for taking over De Nasionale Pers (the publishing company that brought us Die Burger, now known as Naspers Ltd.) in 1997 hit a landmark this year – he has become a billionaire.

Kate Turner-Smith, BPI Africa Capital analyst said that when Bekker took control of the group he immediately began investing in technology and media companies, steering Naspers in a completely new course.

Under Bekker, Naspers became a major shareholder in over 100 diverse global media businesses, including  China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Russia’s Mail.ru.

In a phone interview with Bloomberg, Turner-Smith said:

Koos Bekker is quite a visionary guy. He saw the writing on the wall with print media long before most of the market did and started investing in Internet businesses

Naspers shares have skyrocketed since 2003, and it is now the best-performing stock on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, making Bekker a part of the billionaire`s club.

The current value of his personal holdings is estimated at $1,2 billion, though his official spokespeople declined to comment on the figure.

Brought to you by Galbraith Rushby

[SOURCE: Bloomberg]