Forbes Ranks Africa’s Wealthiest in 2025
The number of billionaires worldwide has reached a record high, with Forbes listing 3,028 individuals in 2025, an increase of 247 from the previous year.
Collectively, these billionaires hold a staggering $16.1 trillion in wealth, marking a nearly $2 trillion rise from 2024.
The United States continues to dominate the list, boasting 902 billionaires, followed by China (including Hong Kong) with 516 and India with 205.
The rankings were compiled based on stock prices and exchange rates as of March 7, 2025.
African Billionaires on Forbes 2025 List
Nigeria
– Aliko Dangote remains Africa’s richest individual, ranking 83rd globally with a net worth of $23.9 billion. His wealth comes from Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement producer, along with his fertilizer plant and the recently launched Dangote Refinery.
– Mike Adenuga ranks 498th with $6.8 billion, owning Nigeria’s second-largest telecom operator, Globacom, and oil exploration firm Conoil Producing.
– Abdulsamad Rabiu, founder of BUA Group, holds the 700th spot with $5.1 billion. His businesses span cement, sugar, and real estate.
– Femi Otedola ranking 2233rd with $1.5 billion, made his fortune in commodities and power generation through Geregu Power.
South Africa
– Johann Rupert & Family hold the 165th spot with $14 billion, heading luxury goods conglomerate Richemont, which owns brands like Cartier and Montblanc.
– Nicky Oppenheimer & Family rank 258th with $10.4 billion, having sold their stake in De Beers for $5.1 billion in 2012.
– Koos Bekker stands at 1072nd with $3.4 billion, recognized for transforming Naspers into a global media and e-commerce giant.
– Patrice Motsepe, Africa’s first black billionaire on the list since 2008, ranks 1219th with $3 billion. He leads African Rainbow Minerals and the Confederation of African Football.
– Michiel Le Roux, founder of Capitec Bank, is 1626th with $2.2 billion.
– Christoffel Wiese, at 2233rd with $1.5 billion, built his wealth in retail and investments, including Shoprite and Pepkor.
Egypt
– Nassef Sawiris ranks 289th with $9.6 billion, owning stakes in Madison Square Garden Sports, Adidas, and leading nitrogen fertilizer producer OCI.
– Naguib Sawiris, at 717th with $5 billion, made his fortune in telecom and investments.
– Mohamed Mansour, at 1072nd with $3.4 billion, oversees the Mansour Group with stakes in General Motors, Caterpillar, and private equity.
– Youssef Mansour is 2356th with $1.4 billion, leading Metro supermarket and L’Oréal’s Egyptian distribution.
– Yasseen Mansour, 2623rd with $1.2 billion, chairs Palm Hills Developments.
Other African Billionaires
– Nathan Kirsh (Eswatini), 443rd with $7.3 billion, built his wealth in wholesale distribution in the U.S.
– Mohammed Dewji (Tanzania), 1626th with $2.2 billion, leads METL Group across multiple industries in Africa.
– Issad Rebrab & Family (Algeria), 1219th with $3 billion, own Cevital, Algeria’s largest private company.
– Othman Benjelloun & Family (Morocco), 2110th with $1.6 billion, lead BMCE Bank of Africa.
– Anas Sefrioui & Family (Morocco), also at 2110th with $1.6 billion, made their fortune in real estate.
– Aziz Akhannouch & Family (Morocco), 2233rd with $1.5 billion, control petroleum giant Akwa Group.
– Strive Masiyiwa (Zimbabwe), 2623rd with $1.2 billion, founded Econet Wireless and holds stakes in Netflix and Liquid Intelligent Technologies.
Africa’s billionaire class continues to expand, with individuals across diverse industries shaping the continent’s economic landscape.
Story by Adwoa S. Danso
