Africa’s 23 Billionaires in 2026: Full List, Fortunes and Businesses

LAGOS, October 23, 2026 — Africa’s billionaire class includes industrialists, investors, miners, telecommunications entrepreneurs and retail magnates whose fortunes span some of the continent’s largest businesses. Forbes’ 2026 annual ranking counts 23 billionaires who live in Africa or have their primary business interests on the continent, with combined estimated wealth of US$126.7 billion.

Dangote leads the ranking at an estimated US$28.5 billion, followed by South African luxury-goods investor Johann Rupert and his family at US$16.1 billion, and Nigerian industrialist Abdulsamad Rabiu at US$11.2 billion. These are annual-list estimates, not live account balances: share prices, exchange rates and private-company valuations can change fortunes after the list’s measurement date.

The full Forbes Africa billionaires list for 2026

The following table includes all 23 entries in Forbes’ annual ranking published in March 2026. Net-worth estimates are in US dollars and were calculated using stock prices and exchange rates at the close of business on March 1, 2026. Tied positions are shown as reported.

Who are the leading figures?

Industry and manufacturing: Dangote built a business empire spanning cement, sugar and oil refining. Rabiu’s BUA Group has major interests in cement, food and industrial production.

Luxury goods and retail: Rupert’s fortune is linked to Richemont, the Swiss-based luxury goods group behind brands including Cartier and Montblanc. Christoffel Wiese’s wealth has been associated with retail investments.

Mining and resources: Nicky Oppenheimer’s family wealth is associated with diamonds and mining investments, while Patrice Motsepe built his fortune in mining. Commodity prices, production costs and global demand influence the sector.

Telecommunications: Naguib Sawiris and Strive Masiyiwa are associated with telecommunications businesses, an industry shaped by subscriber growth, infrastructure spending, regulation and competition.

Where are Africa’s billionaires based?

Forbes’ list assigns seven billionaires to South Africa, five to Egypt, four to Nigeria and three to Morocco. Algeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe each have one entry. The list’s country totals follow Forbes’ methodology and should be read alongside its eligibility rules; the individual entries include several Egyptian brothers whose fortunes are assessed separately.

Why billionaire rankings change

Billionaire wealth is an estimate, not a fixed amount of cash. Listed shares are valued at market prices, while private businesses require estimates based on revenues, profits and comparisons with similar public companies. Exchange-rate movements also affect figures reported in US dollars. Forbes’ 2026 annual ranking uses a March 1 measurement date and should not be confused with a real-time ranking later in the year.

Forbes says the list tracks African citizens who reside in Africa or have their primary business there. It therefore excludes some Africa-born billionaires whose citizenship, residence or principal operations fall outside those criteria. The ranking is a defined snapshot, not a comprehensive count of every billionaire with African origins.

Watch: Aliko Dangote on building African industry

This interview discusses Dangote’s refinery, industrial investment and the wider challenges of building businesses across African markets.

Sources: Forbes, “Africa’s Richest People,” published March 9, 2026, with net-worth estimates measured at the close of business on March 1, 2026; Pulse Uganda, March 2026; Global Fresh News, May 2026. Video: Africa Web TV, published April 20, 2026.

Editorial note: This article covers the 23 entries in Forbes’ 2026 annual Africa billionaires list. Estimated fortunes may have changed since the measurement date. Image use remains subject to each publisher’s licensing and reuse terms.