Africa’s billionaire list for 2022 was updated by the experts at Forbes early this year. And there are no significant changes on the list, except for a few billionaires who swapped positions; there was no upset on the list.
Hence, we can conclude that the African Billionaire Club has no new faces. Surprisingly, no woman appears on this list. The once richest woman in Africa, Isabel dos Santos, is still nowhere to be found on the list as most of her assets have been seized by the government of Angola and Portugal.
Another woman on the list until 2021 is Folorunsho Alakija. Forbes experts estimate that the decline in oil prices affected her as oil exploration accounts for a significant chunk of her wealth. So, what does the list of the richest persons in Africa now look like? Find out below.
Who Is The Richest In Africa?
Dangote
Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Group, remains the richest man in Africa. He has retained the first position for the tenth year in a row, and as per Forbes, he is worth an estimated $14 billion. However, the continuous devaluation of the Naira against the Dollar isn’t doing him any favors. He was one time on the list of top 100 billionaires across the world, but since the Naira continues to slump against the Dollar, he’s now within the range of 150 top billionaires.
Johann Rupert & family
In the second position is Johann Rupert & family. Johann’s estimated net worth is $11 billion, and his primary source of income comes from Fashion and Retail. He is the chairman of the luxury company Compagnie Financiere Richemont — the maker of Cartier and Montblanc. As per Bloomberg, his company is dubbed the largest maker of luxurious wristwatches worldwide.
In 2020, his wealth was $4.6 billion, barely half of his 2022 net worth, primarily due to the lockdown effect. However, he has swiftly climbed the ladder and now dominates the 230th position on the world’s list of billionaires.
Nicky Oppenheimer & family
At $8.7 billion, his net worth puts him in the 3rd position on the list of Africa’s wealthiest billionaires. Nicky Oppenheimer is from South Africa. Like the two generations before him, he made his fortune from mining diamonds before selling his interest in De Beers Diamond for $5.1 billion in 2012.
In 2014, he launched Fireblade Aviation in South Africa to rent aircraft out and provide private charter services to the people. He also has hundreds of acres of land in South Africa and other African countries.
Nassef Sawiris
The Sawiris family is the wealthiest in Egypt. And Nassef is not just the richest Sawiris brother but also the wealthiest man in Egypt. According to Forbes, his wealth is $8.6 billion. So while he is the youngest scion of Onsi Sawiris, he is the wealthiest of the three.
Nassef is not just a big player in the construction and engineering industry; his diversified portfolio, which includes a stake in the global fashion brand Adidas and a controlling interest in Aston Villa through his investment company, explains the source of his wealth.
As the fourth richest man in Africa, Nassef Sawiris is quite philanthropic. For example, he once donated $24 million to the University of Chicago, his alma mater, to provide aid for Egyptians studying at the school.
Abdulsamad Rabiu
Nigeria’s second richest man occupies the fifth position in the list of Africa’s wealthiest. He owns the majority interest in his company BUA Group. Abdulsamad started in the steel industry and has steadily grown his business to become a significant participant in cement production, sugar refining, and real estate. As the 5th richest person in Africa, his wealth is estimated at $7 billion.
Mike Adenuga
Thinking about a self-made billionaire who made his money from scratch? Think Mike Adenuga. The Ijebu man’s wealth is valued at $6.7 Billion, as per Forbes. He was just 26 years when he earned his first million. This he acquired from the sales and distribution of lace clothing material and soft drinks. His wealth has grown in leaps and bounds as he is the Chairman of Globacom, the second biggest telco company in Nigeria.
Issad Rebrab & family
Issad Rebrab studied as an accountant and taught for a while. After that, he started his accounting firm, which was how his journey to riches began. One of his clients offered him a 20% stake in his metal company; from there, he established others. One of his companies, Cevital, is the biggest company not traded on Algiers Stock Exchange. Currently, he is estimated to be worth $5.1 billion.
Naguib Sawiris
Here comes another of the Sawiris. Naguib Sawiris is the eldest of Onsi’s children, the second richest man in Egypt, and the eighth in the world, with a valuation of $3.4 billion, according to Forbes’ experts. He was a major player in the Telcom industry until he sold his stakes to VimpelComin, a deal worth billions of dollars. He also owned part of Euronews until he sold it in 2021. Currently, his real estate company owns assets worth $2.5
Patrice Motsepe
The president of the Confederation of African Football is a billionaire who made his fortune in mining and through a series of intelligent investments decision—valued at $3.1 Billion by the Forbes team. Patrice is the first black man to feature on the Forbes list of African billionaires. He owns African Rainbow Minerals and Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.
Koos Bekker
The tenth richest man in the world is Koos Bekker. Koos’s estimated net worth for the year is $2.7 billion. He transformed Naspers into a powerhouse in South Africa. Interestingly, he didn’t take any salary or bonus during his tenure as CEO. Instead, he chose stock options that compounded his wealth over time..
Who are the other billionaires in Africa?
| Name | Net worth |
| Strive Masiyiwa | $2.7 Billion |
| Mohamed Mansour | $2.5 Billion |
| Aziz Akhannouch & family | $2.2 Billion |
| Michiel Le Roux | $1.7 Billion |
| Othman Benjelloun & family | $1.5 Billion |
| Mohammed Dewji | $1.5 Billion |
| Youssef Mansour | $1.5 Billion |
| Yasseen Mansour | $1.1 Billion |
How many billionaires do we have in Africa?
There are 18 billionaires in Africa, featuring them from Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Morocco, with an estimated $84.9 billion net worth.
Who is the richest woman in Africa?
Amid the legal crises battling Isabel Dos Santos, the richest woman in Africa is Folorunsho Alakija. However, she dropped off in the list of the continent’s billionaires.
