Koos Bekker: The Visionary Who Transformed Naspers Into a Tech Giant
South Africa’s third-richest person, Koos Bekker, is credited with turning Naspers from a local media company into a global tech powerhouse. His strategic decisions, including pioneering pay-TV in Africa and investing in Tencent, reshaped the company’s future.
Early Life and Education
Born in Potchefstroom in 1952, Bekker grew up on a mielie farm before his family moved to Heidelberg, Gauteng. Excelling academically at Hoër Volkskool Heidelberg, he graduated with distinctions in Afrikaans, English, Maths, and Physical Sciences.
He pursued law at Stellenbosch University and later completed his LLB at the University of Witwatersrand. After a brief stint as a state prosecutor, he shifted to advertising before making a life-changing move.
The New York Years and M-Net’s Birth
In the early 1980s, Bekker and his wife, Karen Roos, sold their home and relocated to New York, where he earned an MBA from Columbia Business School. Inspired by HBO, he envisioned a pay-TV model for South Africa.
In 1984, he pitched his idea—M-Net—to Naspers CEO Ton Vosloo. At the time, Naspers was struggling against SABC’s free-to-air dominance. Vosloo backed the venture, and in 1986, M-Net launched, revolutionizing South African television.
MultiChoice and the Rise of DStv
M-Net quickly turned profitable, funding premium content like live sports and documentaries. Over the next decade, it evolved into MultiChoice, introducing DStv—the first digital satellite pay-TV service outside the U.S.
Leading Naspers to Global Success
Bekker became Naspers CEO in 1997, adopting an unconventional approach—he stopped taking a salary in 1999, opting for stock options tied to company performance.
In 2001, he made a pivotal move: acquiring a 46.5% stake in Tencent for $32 million. Despite skepticism, the investment paid off massively—by 2024, Naspers’ stake was worth $100 billion.
Legacy and Net Worth
Bekker stepped down as CEO in 2014, leaving Naspers with a market cap of $45 billion—a 3,667% increase since 1997. MultiChoice was spun off in 2019, but his influence endures.
As of May 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at $3.4 billion, securing his place as South Africa’s third-richest individual.