According to 2025 Forbes ranking, Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote is Africa’s richest man with a net-worth estimated at $23.9 billion.
The second richest person in Africa is South Africa’s billionaire Johann Rupert. He is the chairman of Swiss luxury goods firm Compagnie Financiere Richemont, the company best known for brands Cartier and Montblanc. He is currently worth an estimated $14 billion.
Nicky Oppenheimer ($10.4 billion), Nassef Onsi Sawiris ($9.6 billion), and Mike Adenuga ($6.8 billion) complete the top 5 richest men in Africa.
According to Forbes, Africa is home to 22 billionaires from seven different countries. South Africa leads with seven billionaires, followed by Egypt with five, Nigeria with four, and Morocco with three. Algeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe each have one billionaire.
The only two female billionaires from Africa have both fallen off the list. Forbes calculates that the fortune of Folorunsho Alakija of Nigeria, who owns an oil exploration company, dropped below $1 billion due to lower oil prices. And Isabel dos Santos, who since 2013 has been the richest woman in Africa, was knocked from her perch by a series of court decisions freezing her assets in both Angola and Portugal.
The Top 20 Richest Men in Africa, their Age, Business and Net Worth, (2025)
1. Aliko Dangote
Net Worth: $23.9 billion
Country: Nigeria
Source of Wealth: cement, sugar, flour, oil
Age: 68
Aliko Dangote GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger) is a Nigerian billionaire businessman, and the owner of the Dangote Group, which has interests in commodities in Nigeria and other African countries. As of 2025, he had an estimated net worth of US$23.9 billion.
He is the great-grandson of Alhaji Alhassan Dantata, the richest West African at the time of his death in 1955.
Dangote Group was established as a small trading firm in 1977, the same year Dangote relocated to Lagos to expand the company. Today, it is a multi-trillion naira conglomerate with many of its operations in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and Togo.
Dangote has expanded to cover food processing, cement manufacturing, refinery and freight. The Dangote Group also dominates the sugar market in Nigeria and is a major supplier to the country’s soft drink companies, breweries, and confectioners.
Dangote is ranked by Forbes Billionaires Index as the richest black man alive.
2. Johann Rupert
Net Worth: $14 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: luxury goods
Age: 75
Johann Peter Rupert is a South African-born entrepreneur, who is 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 $14 billion as of 2025, and was ranked as the wealthiest man in South Africa and the second richest man in Africa.
3. Nicky Oppenheimer
Net Worth: $10.4 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: Diamonds
Age: 80
Nicholas F. Oppenheimer is a South African billionaire businessman, philanthropist and the 3rd richest man in Africa and the second richest man in South Africa. He was formerly the chairman of De Beers diamond the 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.
4. Nassef Sawiris
Net Worth: $9.6 billion
Country: Egypt
Source of Wealth: construction, chemicals
Age: 64
Nassef Onsi Sawiris is an Egyptian billionaire businessman, the youngest of Onsi Sawiris’ three sons. As of 2025, his net worth was estimated to be $9.6 billion, making him the 4th richest man in Africa and second richest in Egypt, according to Forbes.
He runs OCI, one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers, with plants in Texas and Iowa; it trades on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange.
His holdings include stakes in cement giant Lafarge Holcim and Adidas; he sits on the supervisory board of Adidas.
Sawiris’ most valuable asset is a 5.7% stake in shoemaker Adidas which is worth a bit more than $4 billion.
He is also the chairman of Aston Villa F.C.
5. Mike Adenuga
Net Worth: $6.8 Billion
Country: Nigeria
Source of Wealth: telecom, oil, Self Made
Age: 72
Mike Adenuga, GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger) is third richest person in Nigeria, and the fifth richest man in Africa. His company Globacom is Nigeria’s third largest telecom operator with over 40 million subscribers, with presence in Ghana and Benin.
Mike Adenuga also owns stakes in the oil exploration firm Conoil which operates 6 oil blocks in the Niger Delta.
According to Forbes, Mike has an estimated net worth at $6.8 billion as of 2025.
6. Abdulsamad Rabiu
Net Worth: $5.1 Billion
Country: Nigeria
Source of Wealth: cement, sugar
Age: 65
Abdul Samad is the second richest billionaire in Nigeria and the 6th richest man in Africa. He is the founder and chairman of BUA Group, a Nigerian conglomerate concentrating on manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture and producing a revenue in excess of $2.5 billion. He is also the chairman of the Nigerian Bank of Industry (BOI).
His group BUA International Limited was established in 1988 for the sole purpose of commodity trading. The company deals on rice, edible oil, flour, sugar refining, real estate, cement, and iron and steel.
The combined firm, called BUA Cement Plc, trades on the Nigerian stock exchange; Rabiu owns 98.5% of it.
In June 2025, Forbes estimated his wealth at $5.1 billion.
7. Naguib Sawiris
Net Worth: $5 Billion
Country: Egypt
Source of Wealth: Telecom
Age: 70
Naguib Onsi Sawiris is an Egyptian billionaire businessman and the eighth richest man in Africa. He is the chairman of Weather Investments’s parent company, and Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding S.A.E which has stakes in a major asset manager in Egypt and an Italian internet company, among others.
He built a fortune in telecom, selling Orascom Telecom in 2011 to Russian telecom firm VimpelCom (now Veon) in a multibillion-dollar transaction.
He is also the chairman of La Mancha Resources Inc the company has stakes in Evolution Mining, Endeavour Mining and Golden Star Resources, which operate gold mines in Africa and Australia. The Company also holds interest in properties located in Africa, Western Australia, and South America.
Sawiris also owns a luxury resort called Silversands in Grenada.
In June 2025, Forbes estimated his wealth at $5 billion.
8. Koos Bekker
Net Worth: $3.4 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: media, investments, Self Made
Age: 73
Jacobus Petrus “Koos” Bekker is a South African billionaire businessman, and the chairman of media group Naspers. The company 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 revered for transforming South African newspaper publisher Naspers into an ecommerce investor & cable TV powerhouse.
Forbes magazine ranked Bekker as the 8th wealthiest man in Africa, and the third wealthiest South African in 2025, with a fortune of US$3.4 billion.
9. Mohamed Mansour
Net Worth: $3.4 Billion
Country: Egypt
Source of Wealth: diversified, Self Made
Age: 77
Mohamed Mansour is an Egyptian billionaire businessman and former politician.
He was born into one of the most prominent business families in Alexandria. The family business, Mansour Group, controls nine of Egypt’s top Fortune 500 companies.
Mohamed Mansour is currently the chairman of Mansour Group, a US$6 billion conglomerate, that is the second largest company in Egypt by revenue.
In June 2025, Forbes estimated his wealth at $3.4 billion making him the third richest man in Egypt and 9th richest in Africa.
10. Patrice Motsepe
Net Worth: $3 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: mining, Self Made
Age: 63
Patrice Motsepe is a South African mining billionaire businessman of Tswana descent. 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 $3 billion as of 2025, and was ranked as the youngest billionaire in South Africa and the 10th richest man in Africa on the Forbes Rich List for 2025.
11. Issad Rebrab & Family
Net Worth: $3 Billion
Country: Algeria
Source of Wealth: food, Self Made
Age: 82
Issad Rebrab is an Algerian billionaire businessman and the CEO of the Cevital industrial group, the largest private company in Algeria, active in steel, food, agribusiness and electronics.
His company Cevital owns one of the largest sugar refineries in the world, with the capacity to produce 2 million tons a year.
Cevital also owns European companies, including French home appliances maker Groupe Brandt, an Italian steel mill and a German water purification company.
In 2019, he was sentenced to six months for tax, banking and customs offenses. Rebrab was released on January 1, 2020.
As of 2025, Rebrab had an estimated net worth of US$3 billion and is the 11th richest man in Africa.
12. Mohammed Dewji
Net Worth: $2.2 Billion
Country: Tanzania
Source of Wealth: diversified
Age: 50
Mohammed Dewji is a Tanzanian billionaire businessman and former politician. He is the owner of MeTL Group, a Tanzanian conglomerate founded by his father in the 1970s.
His company ‘MeTL Group’ has investments in manufacturing, agriculture, trading, finance, mobile telephony, insurance, real estate, transport and logistics, and food and beverages. The group conducts business in 11 countries and employs over 28,000 people.
As of 2025, Dewji has an estimated net worth of US $2.2 billion, therefore positioning him as Tanzania’s only billionaire, the 12th richest man in Africa and the youngest billionaire in Africa.
13. Michiel Le Roux
Net Worth: $2.2 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: banking, Self Made
Age: 76
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 magazine ranked Michiel Le Roux as the 5th wealthiest person in South Africa, and the 13th wealthiest man in Africa, with a fortune of US$2.2 billion.
14. Othman Benjelloun
Net Worth: $1.6 Billion
Country: Morocco
Source of Wealth: banking, insurance
Age: 93
Othman Benjelloun is a Moroccan billionaire businessman and the oldest billionaire in Africa. He is CEO of BMCE Bank of Africa, which has a presence in more than 20 African countries. He also has a stake in the Moroccan arm of French telecom firm ‘Orange’.
Othman Benjelloun also co-owns Ranch Adarouch, one of the biggest cattle breeders in Africa.
As of 2025, Othman Benjelloun has an estimated net worth of US $1.6 billion making him the 14th richest man in Africa.
15. Anas Sefrioui & Family
Net Worth: $1.6 Billion
Country: Morocco
Source of Wealth: Real estate
Age: 68
Anas Sefrioui is a Moroccan real estate magnate. He is the General President and majority shareholder (56.6%) of the property development company Addoha Douja Promotion. As of 2025, he ranks as the 15th richest person in Africa.
16. Aziz Akhannouch
Net Worth: $1.5 Billion
Country: Morocco
Source of Wealth: petroleum, diversified
Age: 65
Aziz Akhannouch is a Moroccan businessman and current 7th Prime Minister of Morocco since his government took office on 7 October 2021.
He is the CEO of Akwa Group, a Moroccan conglomerate that has interests in petroleum, gas and chemicals through publicly-traded Afriquia Gaz and Maghreb Oxygene.
Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.5 billion as of June 2025.
17. Jannie Mouton & Family
Net Worth: $1.5 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: Finance & Investment
Age: 79
Jannie Mouton, known as the “Boere Buffett,” is one of the richest people in Africa. After being fired at 48 from the stockbroking firm he co-founded, he started PSG Group, now a major investment company with interests in banking, agriculture, and education. His son Piet Mouton is the CEO, and both sons sit on the board.
18. Femi Otedola
Net Worth: $1.5 Billion
Country: Nigeria
Source of Wealth: Energy
Age: 62
Femi Otedola is one of the richest people in Africa, known for his strategic investments and influence in Nigeria’s energy sector. After making his first fortune in commodities, he sold his shares in Forte Oil and shifted focus to power generation. He is now the chairman of Geregu Power, where he owns over 70% of the company. With a net worth of $1.5 billion, he is ranked 18th richest in Africa.
19. Christoffel Wiese
Net Worth: $1.5 Billion
Country: South Africa
Source of Wealth: Fashion & Retail
Age: 83
Christoffel Wiese is one of the richest people in Africa, known for building a retail empire that spans across the continent. He made his fortune by founding Pepkor, a discount retail chain that thrived by offering affordable goods in South Africa and beyond. In 2015, Pepkor was acquired by Steinhoff International for $5.7 billion, a deal that significantly boosted Wiese’s wealth. Today, his most valuable asset is his stake in Shoprite, Africa’s largest supermarket chain, alongside investments in Collins Property Group, Brait, and Invicta Holdings. He also owns about 47% of Premier Group, a food manufacturing company that went public in 2023.
20. Youssef Mansour
Net Worth: $1.4 Billion
Country: Egypt
Source of Wealth: diversified, Self Made
Age: 80
Youssef Mansour is an Egyptian billionaire businessman and part owner of the Mansour Group. There he oversees the consumer goods division, which includes supermarket chain Metro, and sole distribution rights for L’Oreal in Egypt.
Forbes ranked Youssef Mansour as the 20th wealthiest man in Africa, with a fortune of US$1.4 billion.
21. Yasseen Mansour
Net Worth: $1.2 Billion
Country: Egypt
Source of Wealth: diversified, Self Made
Age: 64
Yasseen Mansour is an Egyptian billionaire businessman, and a shareholder in his family-owned conglomerate Mansour Group, which was founded by his father Loutfy in 1952.
He is also chairman of Palm Hills Developments, a Mansour Group company, and one of Egypt’s largest real estate developers.
Forbes magazine ranked Yasseen as the 21st wealthiest man in Africa in 2025, with a fortune of $1.2 billion.
22. Strive Masiyiwa
Net Worth: $1.2 Billion
Country: Zimbabwe
Source of Wealth: telecom, Self Made
Age: 64
Strive Masiyiwa is a London-based Zimbabwean billionaire businessman, and philanthropist. He is the founder and executive chairman of the telecommunications, media and technology company Econet Wireless.
He owns just over 50% of the publicly-traded Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, which is one part of his larger Econet Group.
Masiyiwa also owns over half of private company Liquid Telecom, which provides fiber optic and satellite services to telecom firms across Africa.
His other assets include stakes in mobile phone networks in Burundi and Lesotho, and investments in fintech and power distribution firms in Africa.
As of 2025, Strive Masiyiwa has an estimated net worth of US $1.2 billion.
Top 20 Richest People in Africa (2025)
Rank | Name | Country | Net Worth |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Aliko Dangote | Nigeria | $23.9 billion |
2 | Johann Rupert | South Africa | $14 billion |
3 | Nicky Oppenheimer | South Africa | $10.4 billion |
4 | Nassef Sawiris | Egypt | $9.6 billion |
5 | Mike Adenuga | Nigeria | $6.8 billion |
6 | Abdulsamad Rabiu | Nigeria | $5.1 billion |
7 | Naguib Sawiris | Egypt | $5 billion |
8 | Koos Bekker | South Africa | $3.4 billion |
9 | Mohamed Mansour | Egypt | $3.4 billion |
10 | Patrice Motsepe | South Africa | $3 billion |
11 | Issad Rebrab | Algeria | $3 billion |
12 | Mohammed Dewji | Tanzania | $2.2 billion |
13 | Michiel Le Roux | South Africa | $2.2 billion |
14 | Othman Benjelloun & family | Morocco | $1.6 billion |
15 | Anas Sefrioui & family | Morocco | $1.6 billion |
16 | Aziz Akhannouch & family | Morocco | $1.5 billion |
17 | Jannie Mouton & family | South Africa | $1.5 billion |
18 | Femi Otedola | Nigeria | $1.5 billion |
19 | Christoffel Wiese | South Africa | $1.5 billion |
20 | Youssef Mansour | Egypt | $1.4 billion |
21 | Yasseen Mansour | Egypt | $1.2 billion |
22 | Strive Masiyiwa | Zimbabwe | $1.2 billion |
Top 10 Richest Black People in the World (2025)
The Black billionaires below are individuals of African ancestry with a net worth of at least US$1 billion.
1. Aliko Dangote, $23.9 billion (Nigeria)
Aliko Dangote is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who according to Forbes is the richest black person in the world. He is the founder and CEO of the Dangote Group, a conglomerate that operates in several countries in Africa and is involved in industries such as cement, sugar, and flour. Dangote’s wealth is estimated to be worth $23.9 billion, and he is known for his philanthropic efforts, which include supporting education and healthcare in Africa.
2. Alexander Karp, $12.2 billion (United States)
Alexander Karp is the co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, a major data analytics and AI company known for its work with U.S. intelligence agencies, NATO, and major corporations. As of 2025, his net worth has soared past $11 billion, making him the richest Black billionaire in the United States and the second-richest Black person in the world, right after Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote.
3. David Steward, $11.4 billion (United States)
David Steward is an American businessman and the second richest black man in the world. He is the founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, one of the largest African-American-owned businesses in the United States. The company specializes in providing technology products and services to government and commercial clients. According to Forbes, Steward has an estimated net worth of $11.4 billion and is considered the second richest black man in the world.
4. Robert Smith, $10.8 billion (United States)
Robert Smith is a billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in software and technology investments. Smith has a net worth of $10.8 billion, making him the third wealthiest black man in the world.
Smith is known for his philanthropy, particularly in the areas of education and economic empowerment for underprivileged communities. In 2019, he made headlines for pledging to pay off the student loan debt of the entire graduating class of Morehouse College, a historically black college.
5. Mike Adenuga, $6.2 billion (Nigeria)
Mike Adenuga is the founder and chairman of Globacom, Nigeria’s second-largest telecommunications company, and also has significant stakes in the oil and gas industry through his company Conoil. According to Forbes, Adenuga has an estimated net worth of over $6.2 billion and is the fourth richest black man in the world. He is also known for his philanthropy, and has donated to various charitable causes in Nigeria and Africa.
Top 10 Richest Black People in the World (2025)
Rank | Name | Net Worth | Country |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Aliko Dangote | $23.9 billion | Nigeria |
2 | Alexander Karp | $12.2 billion | United States |
3 | David Steward | $11.4 billion | United States |
4 | Robert Smith | $10.8 billion | United States |
5 | Mike Adenuga | $6.2 billion | Nigeria |
6 | Abdulsamad Rabiu | $5.2 billion | Nigeria |
7 | Michael Jordan | $3.5 billion | United States |
8 | Patrice Motsepe | $3.2 billion | South Africa |
9 | Oprah Winfrey | $3.1 billion | United States |
10 | Mohammed Dewji | $2.2 billion | Tanzania |
11 | Strive Masiyiwa | $1.2 billion | Zimbabwe |
Last updated in June 2025.