At a Glance
- Africa’s mining billionaires shape industries, infrastructure, and jobs across multiple mineral sectors.
- From South Africa to West Africa, leaders leverage diamonds, gold, and rare earths globally.
- Women-led ventures redefine Africa’s mining landscape, promoting diversity and sustainable practices
Africa’s mineral wealth has long shaped the fortunes of its business elites, producing a cadre of mining moguls whose influence extends beyond borders.
From the diamond vaults of South Africa to the gold fields of West Africa, these leaders have transformed raw resources into billions, fueling industries, infrastructure, and job creation across the continent.
South Africa’s Ivan Glasenberg and Nicky Oppenheimer exemplify the blend of global corporate strategy and legacy family wealth.
Meanwhile, self-made billionaires like Patrice Motsepe and Ghana’s Ibrahim Mahama have harnessed entrepreneurial grit to carve out major footprints in gold, platinum, and iron ore.
Women such as Bridgette Radebe and Emotan Josephine Aburime‑Shine are redefining Africa’s mining narrative, proving that leadership in mining is not just a man’s world.
These moguls’ operations touch multiple sectors, from gold and diamonds to rare earths and battery minerals, feeding Africa’s industrial ambitions and global supply chains.
Their economic impact is felt in jobs, infrastructure, and local communities, while ethical and sustainable mining practices are increasingly defining reputations.
As Africa navigates commodity volatility and the green transition, these 17 figures chronicled by Shore Africa remain central to the continent’s resource-driven prosperity.
1. Ivan Glasenberg
Networth: $13.4 billion
South African-born former CEO of Glencore, Glasenberg amassed vast wealth through coal, copper, and diversified commodities. His strategic leadership made Glencore a global mining and trading powerhouse, with significant operations across Africa and worldwide.
2. Nicky Oppenheimer
Networth: $10.6 billion
Heir to the De Beers diamond empire, Oppenheimer’s influence spans generations. Beyond diamond mining, his legacy promotes ethical sourcing and sustainability, cementing his role in Africa’s global mining narrative.
3. Patrice Motsepe
Networth: $4.4 billion
Founder of African Rainbow Minerals and chairman of Harmony Gold, Motsepe is Africa’s first Black billionaire. His empire spans gold, platinum, iron ore, and coal, shaping South Africa’s mining sector.
4. Desmond Sacco
Networth: $1.1 billion
Chair and MD of the Assore Group, Sacco oversees iron ore, manganese, chrome, and gemstone operations. He represents a new generation of South African mining ownership.
5. Bridgette Radebe
Founder of Mmakau Mining, Radebe champions Black and female participation in mining. Her ventures cover coal, gold, and industrial minerals, strengthening South Africa’s mining diversity.
6. Tiguidanke “Tigui” Camara
Country: Republic of Guinea
CEO of Tigui Mining Group in Guinea, Camara manages gold and diamond operations in West Africa, expanding regional mining influence.
7. Ibrahim Mahama
Country: Ghana
Ghanaian industrialist behind Engineers & Planners, Mahama combines mining concessions with infrastructure projects, driving growth in gold and other resources across West Africa.
8. Benedict Peters
Country: Nigerian
Founder of Bravura Holdings/Aiteo, Peters spans platinum, copper, gold, steel, and lithium across Africa, influencing resource investment strategies continent-wide.
9. Segun Lawson
Country: Nigerian
CEO of Thor Explorations, Lawson operates Nigeria’s Segilola Gold Mine, a key West African gold asset with strategic local and international partnerships.
10. Murtala Laushi
Country: Nigerian
Founder of Malcomines, Laushi explores iron ore, tin, rare earths, and battery minerals in central Nigeria, supporting domestic industrial expansion.
11. Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki
Country: Nigerian
Through Kursi Investments, Seriki controls base metals and gemstone mining, blending entrepreneurship with diversified mineral operations in Nigeria.
12. Obey Chimuka
Country: Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean entrepreneur, Chimuka heads Fossil Contracting and Fossil Mines, integrating construction with mining ventures across minerals and infrastructure projects.
13. Ndavhe Mareda of Black Royalty Minerals
Country: South African
Represents rising Black-owned coal mining operations in South Africa, demonstrating the growing diversity and scale of indigenous mining leadership.
14. Neal Froneman
Country: South African
Former CEO of Sibanye Stillwater, Froneman has expanded the company from South African gold mines into a global platinum and battery metals player. Known for strategic acquisitions, he drives innovation in sustainable mining practices while boosting South Africa’s presence in critical metals for the clean energy transition.
15. Saki Macozoma
Country: South African
Business leader and mining investor, Macozoma has stakes across South Africa’s platinum, gold, and coal sectors. Beyond mining, he champions empowerment and transformation, mentoring emerging entrepreneurs, and investing in projects that diversify South Africa’s resource economy and strengthen Black economic participation in extractives.
16. Sipho Nkosi
Country: South African
South African mining executive and board member of several resource companies, Nkosi leverages decades of experience in coal, gold, and minerals. He is recognized for strategic advisory roles, enhancing governance, operational excellence, and investment inflows into Africa’s mining sector while fostering skills development locally.
17. Daniel McKorley
Country: Ghana
Ghanaian industrialist and entrepreneur, McKorley invests in mining alongside his diverse business interests. He focuses on gold and industrial minerals, linking mining operations with infrastructure development, job creation, and local economic growth, solidifying his reputation as a key player in West Africa’s resource and investment landscape.
