Draft:Rahim Dhrolia

• Comment: Please don't resubmit the draft without making any changes. Thank you. RedShellMomentum 02:52, 19 February 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: The only source that really covers the subject is Ref. 1. All others are about companies he's involved in and many don't mention him at all. We need more coverage that is specifically about this individual to have an article. WeirdNAnnoyed (talk) 14:01, 28 December 2025 (UTC)

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Rahim Dhrolia is an Indo-Canadian businessman and philanthropist based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He is a director at Vinmart Group, a diversified holding company active in mining, energy, manufacturing, agriculture, real estate, and retail. The Vinmart Group, in which the Dhrolia family are major shareholders, is among the largest business groups in the DRC. Dhrolia plays a leading role in overseeing and expanding the family’s portfolio across key sectors of the Congolese economy. He is also active in philanthropic initiatives supporting education, healthcare, and rural development.

Business career

Dhrolia’s career spans numerous senior leadership roles in companies related to the family businesses, especially Vinmart Group. He has been described in the African business press as a "shadow builder" and "key player." Drholia's father, Roshanali Umedali Dhrolia, had been a shareholder in Hewa Bora, the DRC's national airline, and in Banque Congolaise, before launching Vinmart Group. The group launched in 1997 as a commodities trading business. It subsequently moved into metals mining and processing, which remains the company’s core business. It has since diversified into energy, manufacturing, engineering and recycling, agriculture, real estate, and retail. The company is headquartered in the DRC and maintains offices in Canada, China, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkiye, and Zambia.

Commodities

Dhrolia graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University. He then joined the family business in 2012, becoming "the first member of the second generation to enter the family business." He launched the agriculture portfolio, marking the group’s first major diversification beyond mining and trading. In 2014, while serving as managing director of African Milling Company Congo, Dhrolia secured an $18 million loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to boost local food security through the development of a maize mill in the DRC’s southern province of Katanga. Dhrolia was the “driving force” behind the project according to the IFC.

Since then, Dhrolia has developed several major commodities-related initiatives within Vinmart Group. Dhrolia is managing director of group company Mining Engineering Services (MES). At MES, Dhrolia led the development of the Musompo Centre de Négocé, a formal trading hub designed to improve transparency and traceability in artisanal mining. Inaugurated in October 2023 by President Félix Tshisekedi, the center introduced a regulated framework for copper and cobalt trade in Lualaba Province, with weighbridges, laboratories, controlled access, and digital tracking systems to formalize artisanal supply chains. At the launch event, Drohlia highlighted that the new trading hub would help authorities trade financial flows associated with artisinal cobalt mining, including taxes, administrative costs and royalties.

Energy

Dhrolia is the founding partner and Chairman of Lualaba Power, a private-public consortium established to develop renewable energy infrastructure in the DRC. In 2022, the company was awarded the concession to develop the second phase of the Nzilo Hydroelectric Power Station (Nzilo II), a 200 MW hybrid hydro-solar plant on the Lualaba River. The project aims to provide reliable electricity to mining operations and local communities, with commissioning expected by 2028. The Nzilo 2 project is Vinmart Group’s first energy production project.

Real estate, hospitality, and financial services

Dhrolia is active in real estate development through companies including Maisons Super Development, A1 Builders, and Immorose, overseeing residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects across several major cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He has been described as a "major player" in real estate sector in Kinshasa given the range of projects his companies are developing.

Among the highest profile projects he has led is the development of the Kolwezi Airport passenger terminal, which was constructed by A1 Builders and inaugurated in June 2025 by President Félix Tshisekedi. The terminal covers approximately 7,000 m² and is built to ICAO-standards.

Drholia has also led the construction of major Immorose developments, including Waterfront Villas on the Congo River, a luxury residential development in Kinshasa and Miroir Mall, a mixed-use commercial complex in the city of Lubumbashi. Immorose's numerous developments on the Congo River have been criticized on environmental grounds and for limiting public access to the waterfront.

Dhrolia is involved with Naia, a real estate development company behind several landmark projects. The company has also delivered a series of residential and commercial developments in Goma, contributing to urban modernization and economic diversification in eastern DRC.

Outside of Vinmart Group, Dhrolia is also a partner in Compagnie Hotelière et Immobilière du Congo (CHIC), a hotel developer based in the DRC. CHIC is a franchisee of French hospitality company Accor in the country and operates four Novotel brand hotels and two Ibis brand hotels.

Dhrolia also serves as Chairman of Mayfair Insurance Congo, part of the Kenya-based Mayfair Insurance Group.

Philanthropic activities

Dhrolia is active in philanthropy through the Vinmart Foundation, which supports initiatives in education, healthcare, and rural development. The company implements projects in partnership with NGOs, by providing financial resources and support. He also serves on the board of the Dhrolia Family Foundation, which has contributed to clean water projects and supported cataract surgeries in rural areas.