By 
Herman Kojo Chinery-Hesse, the renowned Ghanaian technology entrepreneur and founder of theSOFTtribe has died. He passed away on September 16, 2024, after suffering a cardiac arrest. Born in 1963, Chinery-Hesse was widely celebrated as one of Africa’s leading innovators and was often referred to as “the Bill Gates of Ghana.”
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Chinery-Hesse was the visionary behind theSOFTtribe, Ghana’s oldest and largest software company. The company is known for its groundbreaking contributions to the tech industry.
Chinery-Hesse’s influence earned him a place among the 15 Black STEM Innovators. In 2019, he was appointed Commonwealth Chair for Business and Technology Initiatives for Africa.
A passionate advocate for Africa’s potential in the global tech arena, Chinery-Hesse once said in an interview with the Oxford Business Group, “Unemployment could be solved by developing a solid IT industry.”
theSOFTtribe becomes top provider in Ghana and West Africa
Under his leadership, theSOFTtribe became the leading provider of business management systems in Ghana and West Africa. The company offers innovative solutions for both public and private sectors. Chinery-Hesse’s company’s partnerships with global tech giants like Microsoft further enhanced its impact on the region’s digital transformation.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, to Lebrecht James Nii Tettey Chinery-Hesse and Mary Chinery-Hesse (née Blay), Herman hailed from a prominent family with deep ties to Ghana’s legal and political history. His maternal grandfather, Robert Samuel Blay, was a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana. He was also a founding member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).
Chinery-Hesse’s educational journey took him to Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast, Westlake High School in Texas, and Texas State University, where he earned a degree in Industrial Technology.
Throughout his career, he co-founded and led theSOFTtribe in pioneering numerous products, including:
- Hei Julor!!!, a mobile-based community security alert system.
- Government payroll systems.
- ERP systems and nationwide utility billing systems.
- Electronic payment systems and point-of-sale systems.
His project African Echoes aimed to produce African audiobooks, enabling Africans to tell their own stories to a global audience.
Honors and Legacy
Herman Kojo Chinery-Hesse’s work earned him multiple accolades, including the GUBA Award for Exceptional Achievement, the Ghana Millennium Excellence Award for IT, and the Mobile World Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also honored as the Distinguished Alumnus of Texas State University, the first African recipient of the award.
He spoke at prestigious institutions like Harvard Business School, Oxford University, and Wharton, and was featured in major media outlets such as CNN, BBC, and Forbes Africa. Named one of Africa’s Top 20 Tech Influencers, Chinery-Hesse’s legacy will continue to inspire generations of tech innovators across the continent and beyond.
