Cecil Rhodes was a British businessman and politician born in 1853 in England. He is best known for founding the diamond company De Beers and for his role in the expansion of the British Empire in southern Africa. Rhodes believed in British imperialism and sought to create a continuous belt of British territories from Cape Colony in South Africa to Cairo in Egypt, a vision often referred to as the "Cape to Cairo" dream. Rhodes served as the Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. His policies and actions contributed to the colonization of Zimbabwe and Zambia, which were named after him. Despite his significant contributions to the diamond industry and British colonial expansion, Rhodes' legacy is controversial due to his views on race and imperialism.