In Africa, the number of “dollar” billionaires slightly went down from 25 last year to 23 this year.
Regardless of the fall in number, the African billionaires are worth $75.4billion combined, in contrast to $70billion in January 2017
Forbes says that Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote remains the richest African at the moment with a net worth of $12.2 billion. Dangote will be occupying the top spot for the seventh year in a row.
The list retained a majority of the 2017 billionaires with the exception of South Africa’s Allan Gray and Egyptian Mohammed Al Fayed, both of whom fell off the list this year; Femi Mohammed Al Fayed was Forbes 15th richest African in 2017 for his $1.82 billion net worth that year while Allan Gray was the 13th with a net worth estimated at $1.99 billion.
Although several of African billionaires fell off the list, new moneybags such as Michiel Le Roux have joined the global billionaire’s league.
Like always, a majority of the African billionaires are from Egypt and South Africa. The list comprises of 8 South Africans; 5 Egyptians; 2 Moroccans; 3 Nigerians; and 1 billionaire each from Tanzania, Algeria, Angola and Zimbabwe.
13 of the 23 list members witnessed significant growth in their money. However, money fell for four people and stayed the same for three people.
Morocco’s oil & gas businessman, Aziz Akhannouch went up from the 19th position last year ($1.58 billion)to 12th position this year with $2.2 billion.
Mike Adenuga who was 2016’s highest gaining African billionaire after his net worth jumped from $4 billion to $10 billion and 2nd richest in the continent fell to the 5th this year with $ 5.3 billion. In 2017, the billionaire took the 3rd spot with a net worth of $6.1 billion.
Angolan Isabella Dos Santos is still Africa’s richest woman with $2.7 billion. She is followed by Nigeria’s oil and gas businesswoman, Folorunsho Alakija with a $1.6 billion net worth. Despite isabella’s wealth falling from $3.1 billion to what it is now, she and Alajika remain the only women on the list.
Tanzania’s richest man, Mohammed Dewji (born 8 May 1975) is still the youngest billionaire in Africa with a significant rise from $1.09 billion last year to $ 1.5 billion this year.
Let’s meet Forbes 2018 African billionaires.
21. Christoffel Wiese
Country: South Africa
Net Worth: $ 1.1 Billion (Christoffel net worth fell drastically from $5.9 billion in 2017 to what it is now)
Industry: Retail
21. Onsi Sawiris
Country: Egypt
Net Worth: $1.1 Billion
Industry: Construction/Telecom
21. Desmond Sacco
Country: South Africa
Net Worth: $1.1 Billion (Desmond luckily returns to the list after a dramatic rise in stock price; up to 60 percent in the last 12 months)
Industry: Mining
19. Stephen Saad
Country: South African
Net Worth: $1.21 Billion (Stephen has been able to sustain his net worth from falling. Instead it has remained almost the same)
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
19.Michiel Le Roux
Country: South Africa
Net worth: $1.2 Billion (Michiel is a newcomer on the list thanks to the more than 50 percent jump in stock in the last 12 months)
Industry: Banking
18. Youssef Mansour
Country: Egypt
Net Worth: $1.4 Billion (Youssef jumped from being the 22nd richest man in Africa to 18th person for growing his wealth from $ 1.15 billion to what it is now)
Industry: Diversified Businesses
17. Mohammed Dewji
Country: Tanzania
Net Worth: $ 1.5 billion from 1.4 billion in 2017.
Industry: Diversified Businesses
16. Othman Benjelloun
Country: Morocco
Net Worth: $ 1.6 Billion (from $1.9 billion it was in 2017)
Industry: Banking/Insurance
15. Folorunsho Alakija
Country: Nigeria
Net Worth: $1.6 Billion
Industry: Oil & Gas
14. Strive Masiyiwa
Country: Zimbabwe
Net Worth: $1.7 Billion
Industry: Telecom
13. Yasseen Mansour
Country: Egypt
Net Worth: $ 1.9 billion from 1.76 billion it was in 2017.
Industry: Diversified Businesses
12. Aziz Akhannouch
Country: Morocco
Net Worth: $ 2.2 Billion. (In 2017, Aziz’s net worth was estimated at 1.58 billion)
Industry: Petroleum, Diversified Businesses
11. Patrice Motsepe
Country: South Africa
Net Worth: $ 2.4 Billion (Patricia has earned some more dollars in the past year with his net worth jumping from $1.81 billion it was in 2017).
Industry: Mining
10. Mohamed Mansour
Country: Egypt
Net Worth: $2.7 Billion (Mohamed didn’t lose or gain in the past year. He has been able to sustain his net worth which was also estimated at $2.7 billion in 2017)
Industry: Diversified Businesses
9. Isabel dos Santos
Country: Angola
Net Worth: $2.7 Billion (Isabel lost some dollars, falling from $3.1 billion she had in 2017 but remains the woman in Africa)
Industry: Investments
8. Koos Bekker
Country: South Africa
Net Worth: $2.8 Billion ( was $2.1 billion in 2017)
Industry: Media/Investments
6. Naguib Sawiris
Country: Egypt
Net Worth: $ 4 Billion (His fortune Grew from $3.8 billion)
Industry: Telecoms
6. Issad Rebrab
Country: Algeria
Net Worth: $4 Billion (Grew from $3.1 billion he had in 2007)
Industry: Food
5. Mike Adenuga
Country: Nigeria
Net Worth: $5.3 Billion (Seems Mike is on the losing side as his net worth fell from $6.2 billion he had in 2017)
Industry: Diversified Businesses (Telecom/Oil & Gas/Real Estate)
4. Nassef Sawiris
Country: Egypt
Net Worth: $6.8 Billion (His fortune grew from $6.2 billion he had in 2017)
Industry: Construction/Chemicals
3. Johann Rupert
Country: South Africa
Net Worth: $7.2 Billion (His wealth grew from $ 6.3 billion in 2017)
Industry: Luxury Goods
2. Nicky Oppenheimer
Country: South Africa
Net Worth: $7.7 Billion
Industry: Diamonds
1. Aliko Dangote
Country: Nigeria
Net Worth: $12.2 Billion
Industry: Consumer Goods (Cement/ Flour/Sugar/Salt)