By: Nkosiyabusa Nsibande
While much of today’s business world is driven by technology startups, media visibility and fast-moving digital brands, billionaire businessman Nathan Kirsh built his fortune through one of the oldest and most dependable sectors in the global economy, which is food distribution.
Kirsh, who lives in Ezulwini, Eswatini, has quietly built one of the largest wholesale food distribution businesses linked to Southern Africa. According to Forbes, his net worth recently rose to more than $17 billion following the announcement that American food distribution giant Sysco would acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot in a transaction valued at approximately $29.1 billion, including debt. Reported by Bloomberg, the deal significantly increased the value of Kirsh’s holdings and pushed him ahead of several of Africa’s most recognised billionaires.
Yet despite the size of his fortune, Nathan Kirsh remains largely unknown outside business and investment circles. Unlike many modern billionaires, he did not build his empire through public visibility or celebrity branding. Instead, he focused on logistics, wholesale supply, distribution systems and long-term cash flow generation. His story is important not only because of his wealth, but because it demonstrates how globally competitive businesses can emerge from smaller economies such as Eswatini.
Kirsh was born in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in 1932 and later studied commerce at the University of the Witwatersrand. According to Forbes and Bloomberg, he entered business after the death of his father and initially worked within the family malt operation before establishing his own ventures.
His first major business breakthrough came in Eswatini in 1958, when he launched a corn milling and malt business. At the time, Eswatini’s economy was still developing and opportunities within agriculture and food supply were growing. Rather than entering glamorous industries, Kirsh focused on essential products linked to daily consumption and long-term demand.
This early decision became one of the defining characteristics of his business strategy. He built businesses around sectors people depend on regardless of economic conditions. Food supply chains continue operating during recessions, inflationary periods and market downturns because demand for food remains constant.
According to Bloomberg, Kirsh later secured agreements connected to corn importing and purchasing operations, giving him strategic positioning within Eswatini’s agricultural and supply network. Even at an early stage, his approach reflected an understanding of scale, supply control and recurring revenue generation.
His expansion accelerated in 1970 after acquiring South African wholesale distributor Moshal Gevisser. The business operated within the “cash-and-carry” model, which allowed customers to buy products in bulk, transport the goods themselves and pay immediately rather than through credit arrangements. This model proved commercially effective because it reduced operational costs while improving cash flow and inventory turnover. Kirsh recognised that wholesale distribution could become highly scalable if supported by efficient logistics and procurement systems.
During apartheid, black township retailers often faced limited access to formal supply chains. According to historical reports, Kirsh used wholesale networks to supply independent traders and retailers operating within underserved markets. This allowed the business to expand rapidly while targeting sectors many established companies had overlooked.
One of the most important lessons from Kirsh’s rise is that he consistently focused on essential business infrastructure rather than public-facing brands. He understood that businesses controlling supply chains, inventory movement and distribution networks often generate stronger long-term returns than businesses built purely around visibility or consumer trends.
In 1976, Kirsh entered the United States market by launching Jetro Cash & Carry in Brooklyn, New York. According to The Wall Street Journal, he identified major inefficiencies within America’s independent restaurant and wholesale food supply market. Small restaurant owners and retailers lacked efficient bulk purchasing systems, creating an opportunity similar to the one he had already identified in Southern Africa.
Jetro expanded by supplying independent restaurants, caterers and retailers with wholesale food products at scale. In 1994, the business acquired Restaurant Depot, which later became one of the largest food distribution networks serving independent food operators across the United States.
According to Bloomberg, the combined business eventually operated approximately 166 outlets across 35 American states and generated close to $16 billion in annual revenue. The scale of the operation turned Kirsh into one of the wealthiest businessmen connected to Southern Africa, despite maintaining a relatively low public profile.
What makes Kirsh’s story particularly significant for Eswatini is that he continued living in the country even after building a globally significant business empire. While many billionaires choose to base themselves in financial centres such as London, New York or Dubai, Kirsh remained in Ezulwini for decades. Several factors may explain this. Privacy appears to be one of them. According to Bloomberg, Kirsh has consistently avoided media exposure and public attention throughout his career. Unlike many high-profile billionaires, he rarely grants interviews and has largely stayed outside celebrity business culture.
Eswatini may also have offered strategic advantages linked to regional trade access, operational flexibility and wealth preservation. For entrepreneurs involved in agriculture, logistics and cross-border commerce, Southern Africa has historically provided important commercial opportunities connected to supply and distribution. His story also raises broader questions about entrepreneurship in modern Africa. Many young entrepreneurs increasingly focus on visibility, branding and online influence. Kirsh built his fortune differently. He focused on systems, infrastructure and recurring demand. He did not build a business around attention. He built a business around necessity.
Millions of consumers may never recognise the name Nathan Kirsh, yet thousands of restaurants and retailers depended on supply chains connected to his businesses every day. That distinction is important because it highlights the difference between visibility and commercial value. Kirsh’s rise demonstrates that major wealth is often built quietly through industries many people overlook. Wholesale distribution, warehousing, procurement and logistics may not attract public attention in the same way technology startups do, but they remain some of the most profitable sectors in the global economy when operated at scale.
For Eswatini, his success represents more than the rise of a billionaire businessman. It shows that globally scalable enterprises can emerge from smaller economies when entrepreneurs understand market gaps, supply systems and long-term commercial demand. At a time when entrepreneurship is increasingly driven by public image and short-term visibility, Nathan Kirsh’s journey offers a different business lesson. Sustainable wealth is often built through discipline, infrastructure and control of systems that economies rely on every day.
