Africa’s billionaires have seen their fortunes surge, with the continent’s 23-member “three-comma club” now worth a combined $126.7 billion, up 21% from 2025. Collectively, they added $20.3 billion over the past year, driven by rising equity markets and stabilising regional currencies, according to Forbes’ latest Africa Billionaires ranking released on Monday.
Nigeria continues to dominate the list, with four of its business leaders—Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and Femi Otedola ranked among Africa’s wealthiest.
Dangote remains the richest African, with a net worth of $28.5 billion, up $4.6 billion this year. Shares of Dangote Cement have jumped nearly 69% since March 2025, following the company’s record profits of one trillion naira. Dangote recently announced a $400 million deal with a Chinese machinery company to accelerate plans to double the refinery’s capacity by 2029.
Rabiu saw the largest gain, with his fortune rising 120% ($6.1 billion) to $11.2 billion, moving him from sixth to third on the continent’s list, behind South African luxury tycoon Johann Rupert ($16.1 billion). Shares of Rabiu’s BUA Cement climbed 135%, outperforming the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s 81% gain.
South African billionaire Michiel Le Roux, founder of Capitec Bank, also recorded significant growth as shares of the Johannesburg-listed bank rose 57%, surpassing the local exchange’s 45% increase.
Egypt’s Nassef Sawiris, valued at $9.6 billion, was the only billionaire whose wealth remained largely unchanged. He holds stakes in English Premier League club Aston Villa and sportswear giant Adidas, where he is set to become chairman in May.
Four African billionaires lost ground over the past year. Morocco’s Anas Sefrioui dropped $300 million after shares of Group Addoha fell over 30%, while Femi Otedola lost $200 million but returned to the list after selling most of his stake in Geregu Power. Both are now worth $1.3 billion.
Forbes noted: “The members of the continent’s three-comma club which surpassed $100 billion in combined wealth for the first time last year are richer than ever, having added a collective $20.3 billion to their fortunes as major equity markets across the continent rally and regional currencies stabilise.”
Of the 23 billionaires, 14 (61%) are self-made, with no women on the list. All except Tanzania’s Mohammed Dewji (50) are over 60. South Africa leads with seven billionaires, followed by Egypt (five), Nigeria (four) and Morocco (three).
Africa’s top 10 billionaires (2026)
| Rank | Name | Net Worth | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aliko Dangote | $28.5 B | Diversified |
| 2 | Johann Rupert & family | $16.1 B | Fashion & Retail |
| 3 | Abdulsamad Rabiu | $11.2 B | Diversified |
| 4 | Nicky Oppenheimer & family | $10.6 B | Metals & Mining |
| 5 | Nassef Sawiris | $9.6 B | Construction & Engineering |
| 6 | Mike Adenuga | $6.5 B | Diversified |
| 7 | Naguib Sawiris | $5.6 B | Telecom |
| 8 | Patrice Motsepe | $4.3 B | Metals & Mining |
| 9 | Mohamed Mansour | $4 B | Diversified |
| 10 | Michiel Le Roux | $3.8 B | Finance & Investments |
| 11 | Koos Bekker | $3.6 B | Media & Entertainment |
| 11 | Issad Rebrab & family | $3.6 B | Food & Beverage |
| 13 | Jannie Mouton & family | $2.7 B | Finance & Investments |
| 14 | Mohammed Dewji | $2.1 B | Diversified |
| 14 | Strive Masiyiwa | $2.1 B | Telecom |
| 16 | Christoffel Wiese | $1.9 B | Fashion & Retail |
| 17 | Youssef Mansour | $1.8 B | Diversified |
| 18 | Othman Benjelloun & family | $1.7 B | Finance & Investments |
| 19 | Aziz Akhannouch & family | $1.6 B | Diversified |
| 20 | Yasseen Mansour | $1.4 B | Diversified |
| 20 | Samih Sawiris | $1.4 B | Service |
| 22 | Femi Otedola | $1.3 B | Diversified |
| 22 | Anas Sefrioui & family | $1.3 B | Real Estate |
Methodology
Forbes tracks African billionaires who reside on the continent or conduct their primary business there, excluding high-profile figures like Mo Ibrahim, Ivan Glasenberg, Clive Calder, and Elon Musk, who operate mainly outside Africa. Net worths were calculated using stock prices and currency exchange rates as of March 1, 2026, compared with Forbes’ 2025 list. Privately held businesses were valued using revenue and profit estimates and comparable public company ratios.
