Iqbal Sharma is an Indian businessman known to be married to Tarina Patel, a reality TV star who appeared in the “Real Housewives of Johannesburg.” He is based in South Africa and his wife is a popular model in the said country.
Even though Iqbal is Indian-born, he considers South Africa as his home. He has also a residence in the UAE. Sharma has traveled to the UAE for more than 100 times in the last decade.
Iqbal Sharma's Net Worth
Iqbal Sharma’s actual or exact net worth hasn’t been identified yet. However, his net worth was estimated to be $8 million, in 2021. Besides, he owns multiple properties in both South Africa and UAE.
Sharma is well-known for his professionalism in South Africa. He had the highest growth in the field of finance and business.
Sharma faced a lot of controversies lately. He is also accused of laundering around $20 million from his company, Nuland Investment.
In addition, the NPA Investigating Directorate disclosed that his assets in South Africa account for only 10% of his total assets. Reportedly, his house was one under the R47 million’s worth of Gupta-linked assets seized by the National Prosecuting Authority or NPA on June 4, 2021.
Iqbal Sharma's Early Life
Iqbal Sharma hasn’t disclosed his age yet. The businessman looks around the age of 55-65 though, judging by his looks.
Aside from that, both his parents died a long time ago. He has two siblings and they’re living in the United States. Iqbal’s wife, Tarina Patel, is a well-known model in South Africa.
Iqbal Sharma's Education and Achievement
Iqbal Sharma attended University of Wisconsin and majored in Economics. Before that, he studied in 6 countries on 4 continents. Sharma is a Fellow of the fourth class of the Africa Leadership Initiative-West Africa and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
However, there is no exact information available regarding his high school education. In other words, he hasn’t disclosed about it yet.
In addition, The Financial Mail has recognized Iqbal Sharma as one of the top 400 most influential people in South Africa. He has been hailed as “one of South Africa’s most remarkable entrepreneurs based on the report by SA Success Magazine in April 1998.
Iqbal Sharma's Wife, Family Life, and Dating History
Iqbal Sharma is married to Tarina Patel. He married his wife when she was only 17 years old. The couple has been together for more than 10 years. Attended by family, friends, and celebrities, the couple wed in Cape Town, in a Hindu-Muslim ceremony.
At present, they have no kids yet. The businessman didn’t reveal any information regarding children even though he has been sharing a lot of aspects of her marriage with the Real Housewives of Johannesburg star, Tarina Patel.
Sharma is so lucky, though, because his wife believed that love and friendship contributed to their happy married life. The lovely celebrity shared her thoughts about her marriage to Iqbal in a recent interview.
The couple has also a posh Sandton Mansion that was estimated to be worth R12 million as it was part of a major controversy in 2021. With that, his wife has never been shy to show off their wealth. His wife has also posted about her husband twice on Instagram.
In fact, just recently, Tarina posted a series of photos of them commemorating their anniversary, with a lengthy caption that reads, “In Hindu marriages, When we take the “phera’s” around the fire, is to promise each other nourishment, prosperity, and happiness. We Then pray to God for physical and mental strength to lead a blissful life. We Promise to be by each others side as each others courage and strength at every step in life, and in all ventures.”
“We pledge loyalty & devoted Iove, and that all others are secondary -and to love solely; and shower each other with immense joy, happiness and respect from head to toe; and have a loveFull life. To be best friends and well wishers for each other. He expresses gratitude for her enriching presence in his life and hence seeks blessings for her from the gods. On the other hand, the bride promises to trust and love him until her last breath. She also pronounces that his happiness will be her happiness. “Will you fill my heart with happiness by walking with me like this forever?” To this, the bride replies, “I will stand by you forever and always keep you happy.'”
“In the seventh and the last step together, the couple seals the bond and promise to be faithful companions. The groom declares each other as man and wife by reciting, “Om Sakhi Jaradastayahga.” He also promises to his wife “I am yours and you are mine for eternity.” The bride accepts this proclamation and says, “Attramshe Sakshino Vadet Pade”. This means, “As God is the witness, I am your wife now. We will love, honor and cherish each other forever. To Iqbal, my “Jaan” (love/life in Urdu) My life partner for the last 6 soul journeys. To the 7th time Lucky. It was even written in the “Naadi” astrology-where the lives of all humans (past, present or future), were foreseen and recorded on palm leaves by Hindu sages in ancient times – it was foreseen, their visions recorded 1000’s of years ago. Destiny & fate and good fortune,” the post, published on February 22, 2023, concluded.
Iqbal Sharma's Career
Sharma Iqbal is a prominent businessman in South Africa. He has received a lot of awards for being a prolific entrepreneur.
He was a director of the South African Department of Trade and Industries. In 2002, he joined then Indian Commerce Secretary Dipak Chatterjee in Johannesburg for a three-day meeting with high-profile entrepreneurial leaders to revive cooperation between the two countries through the India South Africa Commercial Alliance or ISACA.
Aside from that, Sharma is the founder of ISSAR. He serves as a director in a lot of companies, too. Aside from being a director of the South African Department of Trade and Industries or DTI, he was also a Deputy-Director –General/CEO of Trade and Investment South Africa or TISA.
He had been with DTI since 2001. Before joining DTI, he worked for huge multinationals such as PepsiCo and Bank of America.
Besides, Iqbal Sharma had previously led the Trade Policy division, overseeing SA’s global economic strategies, managing South Africa’s bilateral trade relations and negotiations. The Indian businessman also served on the board of the Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC), SA Nuclear Council, SA Space Affairs Council, Immigration Advisory Board, including the International Marketing Council and Transnet.
After working with various organizations and in state Departments by rising through the ranks, Iqbal Sharma started his own business, with regular trips to India. With that, he founded South Africa’s first computer education franchise and a software firm.
Sharma has been a frequent speaker at massive global conferences across the world such as the World Economic Forum, Time/CNN Global Forum, UNEP and World Trade Organization or WTO platforms.
Today, Iqbal Sharma continues to work on his business endeavors. Although he has faced arrest controversies in June 2021, he continued to be a worthy husband to Real Housewives franchise cast member, Tarina Patel.
Iqbal Sharma's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | Not identified |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not identified |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Not identified |
| Body Type | Fit |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About Iqbal Sharma
| Nationality | Indian-South African |
|---|---|
| Estimate Net Worth | $8 million |
| Religion | Not identified |
| Zodiac Sign | Not identified |
| Birthplace | Not identified |
| Birthday | Not identified |