10 richest African billionaires in July 2026

Africa’s billionaire class is getting even richer. Led by Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote and South African luxury magnate Johann Rupert, the continent’s 10 wealthiest individuals have added billions to their fortunes in just under four months. According to Forbes wealth data tracked by Shore.Africa, their combined net worth has climbed from $100.2 billion in mid-March to $106.4 billion—a $6.2 billion increase that underscores the resilience of Africa’s richest business empires amid rising global wealth.

Dangote continues to dominate the rankings as Africa’s richest person. His fortune has risen by $2.7 billion, from $28.5 billion to $31 billion, fueled by a rally in shares of his NGX-listed flagship, Dangote Cement. But the biggest winner over the period is fellow Nigerian industrialist Abdul Samad Rabiu, whose net worth jumped by $3 billion to $14.2 billion as the BUA Group continued to strengthen its position across cement, sugar, and food manufacturing. 

South African luxury titan Johann Rupert also extended his gains, adding nearly $1 billion to lift his fortune from $16.1 billion to $17 billion. His continued rise reinforces the enduring strength of Africa’s luxury and consumer sectors, even as Forbes’ Africa rankings exclude several high-profile billionaires of African origin whose primary business interests or citizenship fall outside the continent.

The wealth expansion has been broad-based. Eight of Africa’s 10 richest billionaires saw their fortunes increase during the period, while only two moved in the opposite direction. South African mining tycoon Patrice Motsepe saw his net worth decline by $700 million, while Capitec Bank founder Michiel Le Roux lost $100 million. As fortunes shifted and rankings tightened, Shore.Africa analyzed the latest Forbes data to reveal Africa’s 10 richest billionaires and how their positions have evolved: 

1. Aliko Dangote

Net Worth: $31.2 billion

Nationality: Nigerian

Sector: Manufacturing

Aliko Dangote is Africa’s richest person, having built his fortune through Dangote Group, the continent’s largest industrial conglomerate with interests spanning cement, sugar, flour, fertilizer and oil refining. His wealth is anchored by an 86.81 percent stake in Dangote Cement, Africa’s biggest cement producer, and his ownership of the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery, the world’s largest single-train refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. The refinery, commissioned in 2024, has transformed Nigeria’s downstream petroleum industry by reducing dependence on imported fuel while positioning the country as a regional exporter of refined products. Dangote is now extending his industrial ambitions beyond West Africa, with plans to develop a proposed $17 billion refinery in Lamu, Kenya, marking one of the continent’s most significant cross-border manufacturing investments.

2. Johann Rupert

Net Worth: $17 billion

Nationality: South African

Sector: Luxury Goods

Johann Rupert is South Africa’s richest person, with a fortune built around luxury goods giant Richemont, the owner of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Montblanc and several of the world’s most valuable luxury brands. Although he owns about 10.18 percent of Richemont’s equity, Rupert controls 51 percent of its voting rights, giving him effective control of one of the global luxury industry’s dominant companies. His wealth is further supported by Remgro, the Johannesburg-listed investment holding company with interests spanning healthcare, financial services, infrastructure, consumer products and industrial businesses. Outside business, Rupert is active in conservation and philanthropy through the Rupert Family Foundation, supporting education, biodiversity, and entrepreneurship across Southern Africa.

3. Abdul Samad Rabiu

Net Worth: $14.2 billion

Nationality: Nigerian

Sector: Manufacturing

Abdul Samad Rabiu built his fortune by transforming BUA Group into one of Africa’s largest manufacturing conglomerates. His wealth is primarily derived from controlling stakes in BUA Cement, Nigeria’s second-largest cement producer, and BUA Foods, one of the country’s leading food-processing companies. A defining moment came in 2020 when he merged Obu Cement with Cement Company of Northern Nigeria to create BUA Cement, strengthening its position as Dangote Cement’s closest competitor. Through investments in cement, sugar, flour, infrastructure materials and food manufacturing, Rabiu has emerged as one of the leading forces behind Nigeria’s industrial expansion.

4. Nicky Oppenheimer

Net Worth: $10.6 billion

Nationality: South African

Sector: Mining & Investments

Nicky Oppenheimer built his wealth through the diamond industry before reshaping it into a globally diversified investment portfolio. In 2012, he sold his family’s 40 percent stake in De Beers to Anglo American for $5.2 billion, ending more than eight decades of Oppenheimer family control over the world’s best-known diamond producer. Today, his fortune is invested through Stockdale Street in London and Tana Africa Capital in Johannesburg, with exposure to private equity across Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States. Oppenheimer also owns more than 720 square miles of conservation land across Southern Africa and operates Fireblade Aviation, a private aviation business based in Johannesburg.

5. Nassef Sawiris

Net Worth: $9.9 billion

Nationality: Egyptian

Sector: Construction & Chemicals

Nassef Sawiris is Egypt’s richest person, with a diversified fortune spanning fertilizers, chemicals, construction and global investments. He leads OCI, one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers, with manufacturing operations in the United States and Europe, while maintaining significant holdings in Orascom Construction. Beyond industry, Sawiris has built an international investment portfolio that includes nearly a 6 percent stake in Adidas and co-ownership of English Premier League club Aston Villa alongside Fortress Investment Group co-founder Wes Edens. His investments also extend to Madison Square Garden Sports, reflecting an increasingly global approach to capital allocation.

6. Mike Adenuga

Net Worth: $6.6 billion

Nationality: Nigerian

Sector: Telecommunications, Banking, Energy & Investments

Mike Adenuga built one of Africa’s largest privately held business empires through telecommunications and energy. He founded Globacom, Nigeria’s second-largest mobile operator, and financed the Glo-1 submarine cable, providing a direct fiber-optic connection between West Africa and the United Kingdom that significantly expanded regional broadband capacity. His energy interests are anchored by Conoil Producing, an indigenous upstream oil company producing more than 30,000 barrels per day, alongside a controlling stake in petroleum marketer Conoil Plc. Adenuga has also expanded into banking, real estate and infrastructure, including interests in Julius Berger Nigeria and luxury property developments.

7. Naguib Sawiris

Net Worth: $5.6 billion

Nationality: Egyptian

Sector: Telecommunications, Mining & Investments

Naguib Sawiris built his fortune through telecommunications before repositioning much of his wealth into mining and long-term investments. His defining business milestone came in 2010 when he sold major telecom assets, including Wind Telecomunicazioni and Orascom Telecom, in a multibillion-dollar transaction that reshaped his investment strategy. Today, Sawiris chairs La Mancha Holding, one of the mining industry’s most active investment firms, with significant holdings in global gold producers including Endeavour Mining and Evolution Mining. His portfolio also includes interests in Orascom Construction and Orascom Investment Holding, preserving his ties to the business empire founded by his late father, Onsi Sawiris.

8. Mohamed Mansour

Net Worth: $4 billion

Nationality: Egyptian

Sector: Diversified Investments

Mohamed Mansour oversees Mansour Group, one of the Middle East and Africa’s largest family-owned conglomerates. Under his leadership, the company has expanded across automotive distribution, retail, logistics, equipment, financial services and investment management, with operations spanning Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Through its London-based investment platform, Man Capital, Mansour has invested across technology, healthcare and financial services while maintaining long-standing partnerships with Caterpillar, General Motors and McDonald’s in Egypt. He is also recognized for his philanthropy and public policy engagement in the United Kingdom and Egypt.

9. Michiel Le Roux

Net Worth: $3.7 billion

Nationality: South African

Sector: Banking

Michiel Le Roux founded Capitec Bank in 2001 with a strategy focused on affordable, simplified banking for South Africa’s underserved consumers. The lender disrupted the country’s traditional banking industry and has since grown into one of Africa’s largest banks by market capitalization. Le Roux served as chairman from 2007 to 2016 and remains one of Capitec’s largest shareholders with an 11 percent stake. The bank continues to deliver strong earnings growth, supported by expanding deposits, rising assets and a growing retail customer base, reinforcing its position as one of South Africa’s most profitable financial institutions.

10. Patrice Motsepe

Net Worth: $3.6 billion

Nationality: South African

Sector: Mining & Investments

Patrice Motsepe became Africa’s first Black billionaire after building African Rainbow Minerals into one of South Africa’s leading mining companies. His fortune remains anchored by a 43.66 percent stake in African Rainbow Minerals and an indirect holding in Harmony Gold, the country’s largest gold producer. Over the past decade, Motsepe has broadened his investment portfolio through African Rainbow Capital, backing businesses in digital banking, telecommunications, renewable energy and financial technology. One of its flagship investments is Tyme Group, a rapidly expanding digital banking platform operating across Africa and Southeast Asia. Beyond business, Motsepe serves as president of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) and is recognized for his philanthropic work through the Motsepe Foundation.