Meet Forbes Top Ten African Billionaires in 2017
If you thought that African billionaires got their billions through winning multiple tenders, think again.
If you thought that living in certain Nairobi estates and owning a blue Subaru is rich, think again.
Also, if your favorite celebrities have been bragging about making fortunes, tell them to take a chill pill and call us when they make real mulla.
This is because when it comes to making real dough, no one outshines the billionaires.
Forbes has been gracious enough to track down African billionaires who reside in the continent.
In this article, we bring you top ten billionaires in Africa and their net worth.
Time to meet the 10-digit folks:
List of top Billionaires in Africa 2017
1. Aliko Dangote – net worth $12.1 billion
At number one is 59-year old Aliko Dangote of Nigeria with a net worth of $12.1 billion.
Source of wealth? Cement, sugar, and flour. Dangote has held this position for a consecutive six years despite a drop in his wealth at some point.
With this kind of money, you could comfortably take 5 years off and still not touch much of his fortune.
He is a bonafide member of Africa’s elite economic club, and rightly so.
2. Nicky Oppenheimer – net worth $7 billion
Nicky Oppenheimer of South Africa comes second. He has a net worth of $7 billion.
Oppenheimer acquired his wealth through selling diamonds. He is 71 years old.
He is the former chairman of Dee Beers diamond mining company and its subsidiary Diamond Trading Company.
He is also the former chairman of Anglo American Corporation.
With this kind of money, buying a private jet or multi-million mansions is as easy as grabbing Juicy Fruit from the shelves.
3. Mike Adenuga – net worth of $5.8 billion
Mike Adenuga of Nigeria comes third with a net worth of $5.8 billion. Adenuga is 63 years old and he generated his wealth through telecom and oil.
4. Christoffel Wiese – net worth of $5.8 billion
Christoffel Wiese is a 75-year old South African billionaire with a net worth of $5.8 billion generated from consumer retail.
He owns a 15% stake in Africa’s largest retailer Shoprite and a 17% stake in Steinhoff, a global retail holding firm.
Wiese is often described as the ruler of retail.
He does deserve that title since, under his leadership, Shoprite grew from eight stores to what it is today.
5. Johann Rupert – net worth of $5.5 billion
Johann Rupert, 66, brags a net worth of $5.5 billion.
He has acquired his health through selling luxury goods. Rupert is South African.
He is the chairman of the Richemont, a Swiss-based luxury-goods company, and the South African-based company Remgro.
He also serves as the CEO of Compagnie Financiere Richemont. Rupert has a long resume as he has served several roles in various multinationals.
6. Nassef Sawiris – net worth of $5.3 billion
At number six is Nassef Sawiris, a 56-yar old Egyptian who generated his wealth from construction activities and chemical fertilizers.
Sawiris has a net worth of $5.3 billion.
He runs Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) a leading engineering, procurement, and construction and fertilizer producer in Cairo.
7. Naguib Sawiris – net worth of $3.7 billion
Naguib Sawiris of Egypt is at a distant seven with a net worth of $3.7 billion.
In case you are wondering, he is the elder brother of Nassef Sawiris.
He is the chairman of Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding and Weather Investments.
It must feel good to come from a family of billionaires.
8. Isabel dos Santos – net worth of $3.2 billion
Isabel dos Santos from Angola is the only woman African billionaire on this list.
She is a 43-year old with a net worth of $3.2 billion. She has acquired her wealth through various investments.
She is the daughter of Angola’s President Jose Eduardo dos Santos who has been in power since 1979. Interesting.
9. Issad Rebrab – net worth $3.1 billion
The 73-year old Issad Rebrab of Algeria is worth $3.1 billion. His source of wealth? Food, agribusiness, electronics, and steel.
He is the CEO of Cevital Industrial Group.
10. Mohamed Mansour – net worth $2.7 billion
At number ten is Mohamed Mansour of Egypt.
Mansour was born and raised in one of the most prominent business families in Alexandria so it comes as no surprise that he continued the legacy. He has a net worth of $2.7 billion.
He may be at the bottom of the list but his net worth is probably more than most people will ever collect in their lifetime.
So, yes. You can become a billionaire by selling flour, sugar, fertilizer, retail goods, and other everyday items.
Hopefully, you have learned something. When do you project your name will appear in the Forbes list of African billionaires?
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