Zak Calisto
Zak Calisto | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 August 1966 |
| Citizenship | Portugal, South Africa |
| Education | University of South Africa University of the Witwatersrand |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Cartrack and Karooooo |
| Spouse | Alvarez Madeira Calisto Fatima-maria |
| Partner | Ilda Da Costa |
| Children | 4 - Gabriel Calisto, Rogerio Calisto, Carmen Calisto, Rui Calisto |
Zak Calisto (born 4 August 1966) is a South African billionaire businessman. He is the founder and CEO of Cartrack and Karooooo.[1]
Calisto was born in Portugal, and grew up in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique, where his father was a government official.[1]
In 2001, Calisto founded Cartrack, a software as a service (SaaS) vehicle-tracking platform.[2]
In 2014, Cartrack was listed on the JSE, and in 2021 the holding company was rebranded and relisted on the JSE as Karooooo.[3]
In October 2025, it was reported that for the half year ended 31 August 2025, Karooooo's revenue had increased 20% to US$139 million, profits by 17.2% to $27.6 million, with subscription services making up 98% of revenue. Karooooo hit an estimated valuation of $1.74 billion as at October 2025 following this performance; with Calisto holding an estimated 58% stake, this meant that he became a USD billionaire. [4]
References
- ^ a b "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Engine Of Growth: A South African Entrepreneur On Scaling To 23 Countries". www.forbesafrica.com. 9 January 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "The South African billionaire who 'quietly' quadrupled his wealth in 5 years". Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Zak Calisto becomes Africa's newest billionaire with $1.74 billion valuation". Retrieved 17 October 2025.