Elie Susman (sometimes: Elia) (1880-1957) was the founder of

Susman Brothers Susman Brothers was a business partnership that united brothers Elie Susman and Harry Susman after they crossed the Zambezi river in 1901. The brothers were Jewish businessmen from Rietavas, western part of Russian Empire, now Lithuania. They ...

, an African business partnership. He was a director of approximately 50 companies and chairman of the Rhodesian Mercantile Holding Co.

Personal life

Elie Susman was born to Jewish parents in

Rietavas Rietavas (; Samogitian: ''Rėitavs''; pl, Retów) is a city in Lithuania on the Jūra River. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 3,979. It is the capital of Rietavas municipality. The city is famous for building the first power ...

, western Russia, now Lithuania. He had an older brother Harry (b. 1876) who was his business partner. He also had two sisters, including Dora Gersh. With his brother Harry, Elie Susman, emigrated to South Africa in the late 1890s. From

Francistown Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 103,417 and 147,122 inhabitants for its agglomeration at the 2022 census. and often described as the "''Capital of the North''" or as the natives would have it “''T ...

, they took a wagon loaded with trade goods and crossed the

Zambezi The Zambezi River (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. Its drainage basin covers , slightly less than hal ...

Kazungula Kazungula is a small border town in Zambia, lying on the north bank of the Zambezi River about west of Livingstone on the M10 Road. At Kazungula, the territories of four countries (Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia) come close to meetin ...

where they traded.

Career

He held the first mining license over what became the Rhokana mine. In 1930, he was one of the original directors who set up Northern Caterers Ltd., based in

Kitwe Kitwe is the third largest city in terms of infrastructure development (after Lusaka and Ndola) and second largest city in terms of size and population (after Lusaka) in Zambia. With a population of 517,543 (''2010 census provisional'') Kitwe is ...

, which operated hotels and bakeries in Luanshya, Nchanga, Nkana, and Mufulira. In the same year, he left

Northern Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate in south central Africa, now the independent country of Zambia. It was formed in 1911 by amalgamating the two earlier protectorates of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodes ...

and went to South Africa where, with a friend from Bechuanaland,

Max Sonnenberg Max Sonnenberg (Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, 3 May 1879 - Muizenberg, Cape Province, 28 October 1955) was a businessman, politician, and Jewish community leader. Background and life in Vryburg Sonnenberg was the only son of Louis Sonn ...

, they established the

Woolworths Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shop ...

stores in

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

; Susman served as the Resident director.Kaplan, p. 415 He also was associated with Elie Susman Investments and Elie Susman Zambia Trust.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Susman, Elie 1880 births 1957 deaths People from Rietavas Emigrants from the Russian Empire Prospectors Mining businesspeople from the Russian Empire 20th-century South African businesspeople