Want to know who the Top 20 Richest People In Africa 2026 are? This guide shares everything you need to know about the wealthiest people on the continent this year.
From industrial titans to telecom leaders, these wealthy people help grow their local economies and global markets.
Africa’s Richest People: This list is brought to you by Townflex as part of our (Townflex Richest People list). It shows who the richest person in Africa is right now. The rankings come from the latest Forbes data tracking global wealth.
This post [Richest People In Africa] gets regular updates. We keep information fresh for all readers to match the latest Forbes real-time Billionaire list and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Who is the Richest Man in Africa 2026?
Aliko Dangote of Nigeria is the richest man in Africa 2026 with a net worth of $31.1 B. He holds the top spot for the 15th year in a row due to massive gains in cement and oil manufacturing. South Africa’s Johann Rupert ranks second with $18.0 B from luxury retail.
How Forbes Ranks African Billionaires
Forbes uses a strict system to track the net worth of these wealthy individuals. Here is how they choose who qualifies for the list:
“Our list only includes African billionaires who live in Africa or have their main place of business there. As a result, South African billionaire Nathan Kirsh, who is based in London, and Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim, a citizen of the United Kingdom, are not included. Zimbabwean national Strive Masiyiwa, who resides in London, is listed because he has telecom assets in Africa.
“Stock prices and currency exchange rates were used to compute net worths. We use the current price-to-sale or price-to-earnings ratios for comparable public companies, starting with estimations of revenues or profits, to determine the worth of privately owned enterprises. After our measurement date, some list members become wealthy or poorer in a matter of weeks or days.”
Top 20 Richest in Africa: 2026 Industry Breakdown
The 2026 Forbes Africa billionaires list shows that fortunes are growing across key sectors like manufacturing, mining, finance, and telecom.
When looking at the richest country in Africa by billionaires, South Africa leads the continent with 7 billionaires. Egypt follows closely behind with 5 billionaires, while Nigeria has 4. Meanwhile, the title of the youngest billionaire in Africa belongs to Mohammed Dewji of Tanzania, who is 49 years old with a fortune of $2.1 B.
African Billionaires Industry Breakdown
The primary engines driving wealth creation across the continent are diverse. Heavy industry, commodities, and consumer infrastructure dominate the landscape.
- Manufacturing & Cement: Dominates West Africa, spearheaded by Nigeria.
- Luxury Goods & Mining: Centers heavily in South Africa, driven by diamond legacies and global retail.
- Telecom & Construction: Powers massive wealth across North Africa and diverse continental tech hubs.
Who Are The Top 20 Richest People In Africa 2026?
Read the list of Africa’s top billionaires below. Just tap on each profile name for a dropdown with a detailed breakdown of their assets and business empires.
Aliko Dangote
- Country: Nigeria
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 69
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Cement, sugar
- Forbes Net Worth: $31.1 B
- Bloomberg Net Worth: $35.1 B
Johann Rupert & family
- Country: South Africa
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Luxury goods
- Forbes Net Worth: $18.0 B
- Bloomberg Net Worth: $20.9 B
Abdulsamad Rabiu
- Country: Nigeria
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 65
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Cement, sugar
- Forbes Net Worth: $13.2 B
- Bloomberg Net Worth: $14.8 B
Nicky Oppenheimer & family
- Country: South Africa
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Diamonds
- Forbes Net Worth: $10.6 B
- Bloomberg Net Worth: $15.1 B
Nassef Sawiris
- Country: Egypt
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 65
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Construction, investments
- Forbes Net Worth: $9.9 B
- Bloomberg Net Worth: $9.8 B
Mike Adenuga
- Country: Nigeria
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 73
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Telecom, oil
- Forbes Net Worth: $6.7 B
Naguib Sawiris
- Country: Egypt
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 72
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Telecom
- Forbes Net Worth: $5.6 B
- Bloomberg Net Worth: $10.1 B
Mohamed Mansour
- Country: Egypt
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 78
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Diversified
- Forbes Net Worth: $4.0 B
Michiel Le Roux
- Country: South Africa
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Banking
- Forbes Net Worth: $3.7 B
Issad Rebrab & family
- Country: Algeriria
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Food
- Forbes Net Worth: $3.6 B
Patrice Motsepe
- Country: South Africa
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Mining
- Forbes Net Worth: $3.5 B
Koos Bekker
- Country: South Africa
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Media, investments
- Forbes Net Worth: $3.4 B
Jannie Mouton & family
- Country: South Africa
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: financial services
- Forbes Net Worth: $2.6 B
Mohammed Dewji
- Country: Tanzazia
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Diversified
- Forbes Net Worth: $2.1 B
Strive Masiyiwa
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Telecom
- Forbes Net Worth: $2.1 B
Christoffel Wiese
- Country: South Africa
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Retail
- Forbes Net Worth: $1.8 B
Youssef Mansour
- Country: Egypt
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 82
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Diversified
- Forbes Net Worth: $1.8 B
Paul Van Zuydam
- Country: South Africa
- Continent: Africa
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Le Creuset
- Forbes Net Worth: $1.7 B
Othman Benjelloun & family
- Country: Morocco
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Banking, insurance
- Forbes Net Worth: $1.7 B
Aziz Akhannouch & family
- Country: Morocco
- Continent: Africa
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Source of Wealth: Petroleum, diversified
- Forbes Net Worth: $1.6 B
We keep updating this wealth tracking data every two weeks to reflect live stock shifts and economic updates. Bookmark this page to check back for fresh updates on new billionaires in africa 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is the richest person in Africa 2026?
According to the latest 2026 data, Aliko Dangote of Nigeria is currently the richest person in Africa with a net worth of approximately $31.1 B, driven by his massive refinery and cement operations.
Who is the second richest African?
The second richest is Johann Rupert (and family) from South Africa, with a net worth around $18.0 B, largely through his luxury goods conglomerate, Richemont.
What industries do Africa’s richest people come from?
Africa’s top billionaires have built their fortunes in diverse sectors including cement, telecommunications, luxury goods, mining, banking, and oil & gas.
How often is the richest-people list updated?
On Townflex, this article is updated every two weeks, and sometimes more frequently, to stay in sync with Forbes’s real-time billionaire list and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Who is the richest woman in Africa 2026?
As of 2026, Folorunsho Alakija of Nigeria remains recognized as the richest woman in Africa due to her massive oil and fashion empire, though she does not sit inside the top 20 all-male list.
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