South Africa is home to a number of wealthy individuals, many of whom have made their fortunes in a variety of industries such as mining, finance, and technology. Some of the richest men in South Africa include Patrice Motsepe, Nicky Oppenheimer, and Johann Rupert. These individuals are known for their business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, and philanthropic efforts.
According to 2024 Forbes ranking, Johann Rupert is the richest person in South Africa. His net-worth is estimated at $9.1 billion.
The second richest man in South Africa is Nicky Oppenheimer. He was formerly the chairman of De Beers diamond mining company and of its subsidiary, the Diamond Trading Company, and former deputy chairman of Anglo American. He is currently worth an estimated $8.3 billion.
According to Forbes there are 5 billionaires in South Africa. Altogether they are worth $25 billion, slightly more than the aggregate worth of the 5 billionaires on last year’s list of South Africa’s richest people.
Top 5 Richest Men in South Africa, their Age, Business and Net Worth (2024)
1. Johann Rupert
Net Worth: $12 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: luxury goods
Age: 73
Johann Peter Rupert is a South African-born entrepreneur, and the eldest son of business tycoon Anton Rupert.
Johann Rupert is chairman of Swiss luxury goods firm Compagnie Financiere Richemont, the company is best known for the brands Cartier and Montblanc. He owns a 7% stake in diversified investment firm Remgro, which he chairs, as well as 25% of Reinet, an investment holding co. based in Luxembourg.
Together with his family, he was estimated to be worth $12 billion as at 2024, and is ranked as the wealthiest person in South Africa and the fourth richest in Africa on the Forbes Africa’s Rich List for 2024.
2. Nicky Oppenheimer
Net Worth: $9.4 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: Diamonds
Age: 78
Nicholas F. Oppenheimer is a South African billionaire businessman, philanthropist and the second richest man in South Africa. He was formerly the chairman of De Beers diamond mining company and of its subsidiary, the Diamond Trading Company, and former deputy chairman of Anglo American.
Nicholas Oppenheimer’s grandfather is the first generation to chair De Beers (an international corporation that specialises in diamond exploration, diamond mining, diamond retail, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors), from 1929.
Oppenheimer, heir to his family’s fortune, sold his 40% stake in diamond firm DeBeers to mining group Anglo American for $5.1 billion in cash in 2012.
He is currently running Fireblade Aviation, an aviation company he started in 2014 based in Johannesburg which operates chartered flights with its fleet of 3 planes and 2 helicopters.
3. Koos Bekker
Net Worth: $2.7 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: media, investments, Self Made
Age: 71
Jacobus Petrus “Koos” Bekker is a billionaire businessman and the 3rd richest man in South Africa. He is also the chairman of media group Naspers, a company that operates in 130 countries, is listed on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges, and has the largest market capitalization of any media company outside the US and China.
Koos Bekker is the fourth richest man in South Africa and is revered for transforming South African newspaper publisher Naspers into an ecommerce investor & cable TV powerhouse.
Forbes “Africa’s Rich List 2024” ranked Bekker as the 10th wealthiest man in Africa.
4. Patrice Motsepe
Net Worth: $2.5 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: mining, Self Made
Age: 62
Patrice Motsepe is a mining billionaire businessman of Tswana descent and the third richest man in South Africa. He is the founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, which has interests in gold, ferrous metals, base metals, and platinum.
Patrice Motsepe sits on several company boards, including being the non-executive chairman of Harmony Gold, the world’s 12th largest gold mining company, and the deputy chairman of Sanlam.
Motsepe is the owner of Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. a Premier league soccer club. Motsepe also has a 37% stake in the Blue Bulls Co., South Africa’s best performing rugby team.
Patrice Motsepe was estimated to be worth $2.3 billion as at January 2024, and was ranked as the 4th richest man in south Africa and youngest billionaire in South Africa.
5. Michiel Le Roux
Net Worth: $1.2 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: banking, Self Made
Age: 74
Michiel Le Roux is a South African billionaire and founder of ‘Capitec Bank’ the largest retail bank in South Africa. He founded Capitec Bank in 2001 and owns about an 11% stake.
Forbes “Africa’s Rich List 2022” ranked Michiel Le Roux as the 5th richest man in South Africa, and the 16th wealthiest person in Africa for 2023, with a fortune of US$1.8 billion.
Top 5 Richest Men in South Africa 2023
| Rank | Name | Country | Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johann Rupert | South Africa | $12 Billion |
| 2 | Nicky Oppenheimer | South Africa | $9.4 Billion |
| 3 | Koos Bekker | South Africa | $2.7 Billion |
| 4 | Patrice Motsepe | South Africa | $2.5 Billion |
| 5 | Michiel Le Roux | South Africa | $1.2 Billion |
