Hassan Popat always knew he had to make a name for himself. The only problem was, the Popat name is already ingrained in the Kenyan business space.
His uncle, Abdul Karim Popat, was the patriarch who built Simba Corporation from a modest used-car yard in 1948 into a sprawling conglomerate. His cousin, Adil Popat (lastborn son of Abdul Karim Popat), runs Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi, Simba Colt Motors, 20th Century Plaza, Africa Fleet Management Solutions, and Avis car rental, among other businesses. To stand out in an outstanding family, Hassan had to make his own bones.
He chose risk. “As an entrepreneur, sometimes you have to go against the grain. If you do what everybody else tells you to do, then you’re limited. But if you have conviction and believe that this is the right thing to do, you take that risk. Entrepreneurship is about risk.”
That gamble produced Computech in 1987, a company that would grow into one of East Africa’s leading IT system integrators. At the time, he had just returned from London, where he had been running an IT company.
Despite holding an impressive résumé, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University (US), and an engineering degree from the University of London, Hassan struggled to find employment upon returning to Nairobi.
“I was looking for a job but couldn’t get one,” he says. “The few IT companies here weren’t giving good service, which meant there was huge potential to start something that looked after clients properly.”
When he set up his business, the first PCs were being sold for Sh1.6 million ($12,000) a piece. Now they cost as low as Sh45,000. Among its first clients was Jubilee Insurance, and over the years, Computech has grown and now has a turnover in excess of Sh3.2 billion ($25 million), a headcount of 250 employees, and 1,000 customers.
“This is down from 2,000 workers,” he says, “after scaling down to provide more value to our clients.”
Adapting to change
Just like all entrepreneurs, he has had to adapt to grow his business, a journey he credits largely to the talent of his employees. “The beauty about technology is that it changes every day. What you know today is either an asset or a liability tomorrow. So, you’ve got to learn to change, and you can only change if you have good people. Our business is about people, and our asset is knowledge, and knowledge lies within the people,” he says.
Change became a constant. In 2015, Computech expanded into healthcare, partnering with multinationals like General Electric, Elekta, and Medtronic to supply and service medical equipment across East Africa.
Like many entrepreneurs, Hassan has learned that building a strong business isn’t just about vision and capital; it’s about people. Hiring and retaining the right talent has been easy.
One of his biggest challenges as an entrepreneur came in 2007/8. He says he almost exited the business he helped build. The stock market crash coincided with the entry of global IT companies into Kenya, poaching key Computech staff and leaving the company temporarily hollow.
“We were left hollow. As a business, this happens, and you’ve got obligations to meet, service contracts to fulfil. And suddenly you don’t have the right people,” he tells BDLife.
What made him stay in the business after such a hit? “I remembered that our vision is to be Pan-African, the number one technology provider in Africa, not just IT, because IT is only one part of technology. We want to be a technology player, with good knowledge and skill sets to work with customers across Africa.”
Another business mistake that weighs heavily on his conscience is hiring the wrong talent. “We hired a top-end person to guide us. And it turned out to be not such a good idea. He was educated and had the qualifications. But culturally, he just didn't fit in with our organisation, and we had to make a quick decision to replace him.”
A competent person, he says, would cost north of Sh1.3 million to Sh2.6 million a month. “So, entrepreneurs need to make sure they differentiate very quickly who is an asset and who is a liability.”
But he regrets not investing in the dozens of companies founded by former Computech employees—startups that might have extended his ecosystem.
He says that to run a business for 38 years, one will step on a few toes and pick up lessons.
“I’ve learned that I need to listen to other people,” says the 66-year-old.
He pegs his success on relationships. “When we started Computech, we dealt with all the CEOs ourselves. And it was the relationship with the CEOs that got you through the door. But as we move on, it's your competence and knowledge.”
Together with his business partner of 33 years, Dipak Galaiya, who serves as the group chief commercial officer, he admits that they often make decisions independently, but acknowledges, “we need to be willing to learn from everybody. In entrepreneurship, you forever remain a student. I'm 66 now, and I still feel I need to learn a lot, and I spend a lot of time learning. Learn, make mistakes, but enjoy life.”
Everybody in this context is Hussein Popat, his eldest son, and head of growth at Computech. So is Hassan ready for succession? “My obligation as a parent is to educate my children. Not to say that you’re going to come back and work for me. It’s their choice. Some may have the skill set, some may not. I’m convinced that he [Hussein] will make a difference.”
Succession politics & family wrangles
As he prepares for succession, Hassan is wary of what unearned privilege can do. Succession, in a family like his, is complicated. He has watched cousins fight over inheritance in open court and knows how easily familial relations can be sacrificed on the altar of ambition.
Computech Limited CEO Hassan Popat during an interview at his office in Westlands, Nairobi on September 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
Hassan, who has two other children, both living outside the country, appreciates the paradoxical blessing and curse of perceived privilege: “This is why we’re making sure that our successors are educated. And that they deserve to be part of the succession. There are two types of succession. One is as a board member, and two is operational, serving as either the CEO, managing director, operations director, or finance director. This is where you add value by getting your hands dirty.”
According to Knight Frank Wealth research, Kenya’s high-net worth individuals are concerned about their children's ability to handle inherited wealth, with Knight Frank highlighting that self-made wealth is reshaping the HNWI landscape and that younger generations are less attached to legacy assets.
Does Hassan have a fear of turning his children into vehicles for dynastic ambition? “No,” he says. He doesn’t believe in shielding his children from mistakes. “I encourage Hussein…,” he says. “As long as you ring-fence the mistake…” He smiles at the thought. “If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough.”
“My obligation as a parent is to educate my children. Not to hand them a company or say that you're going to come back and work for me. It's their choice. Some may have the skill set, some may not. Remember, when you have fun with what you're doing, it's not work. None of us should work for a salary. We should enjoy what we do, and the salary or the money is just a byproduct of what we enjoy.”
Regrets, risks, and Opportunities
His father, who died in 1997, remains the central arch in his life. “He taught me about character and integrity and how to have an open mind.”
For all the emphasis on entrepreneurial risk and vision, regret lingers, a familiar talk among many founders: “If I could rewind the clock, I’d spend more time with my wife and children while they were growing up,” Hassan says.
Hassan sees a future where he is chasing the sunset, playing golf while managing his other significant interests, which include stakes in tourism and hospitality and lodges across Kenya.
He is also involved in Lifecare International, which is Bupa’s (British United Provident Association Ltd) agent for medical insurance in East Africa and the Middle East.
Before he goes, he tells BDLife that he would like to address a misconception. What misconception? “People think that I am a spoilt, rich brat.” Are you? “No, but all my children have the best qualities of my wife. God has been very kind.”
