Aliko Dangote maintain billionaire crown as Forbes list 2026 African billionaires

Forbes don name Nigerian business tycoon Aliko Dangote as Africa richest man for di 15th time in a row.

For di 2026 ranking of Africa richest pipo wey Forbes release on Monday, 9 March, 23 billionaires make di list and dem include Abdulsamad Rabiu, Mike Adenuga, Johann Rupert, Michiel Le Roux, among odas.

No woman on di continent make di list.

Dis year African billionaires get combined wealth worth $126.7 billion, up 21% from di $105 billion e be for 2025.

Di 2026 Forbes list bin track di wealth of African billionaires wey dey live for Africa or wey get dia primary business for dia.

Dis na di list of African billionaires wey make di list, wetin dem dey do and dia worth.

List of 10 most richest men in Africa - Forbes

Aliko Dangote

Di 68-year-old businessman make im money from cement and sugar - and for 2023, e open one oil refinery for Nigeria economic hub of Lagos.

According to Forbes, Dangote wey retain im position as di richest for Africa get estimated net worth of $28.5 billion. Im shares for im cement company for di Nigerian Exchange rise to nearly 69% since last March. Dangote Cement double dia profits for 2025 to a record one trillion naira.

Di business tycoon wey plan to make im oil refinery public later dis year, bin recently announce say im company don sign one $400 million deal wit one Chinese machinery company to accelerate plans of doubling di refinery full capacity by 2029.

Johann Rupert

South African luxury goods magnate Johann Rupert hold on to di number two spot. E worth $16.1 billion.

Abdulsamad Rabiu

Di year biggest winner by far na Abdulsamad Rabiu. Im estimated net worth jump to 120%, e rise by $6.1 billion to reach $11.2 billion, gain wey no oda billionaire on di list bin come close to matching.

Rabiu, wey be di chairman of BUA Group, now na Africa third richest pesin, e move up from di sixth position e be for 2025.

Im main asset, BUA Cement, see dia shares climb 135% on di Nigerian Exchange.

Nicky Oppenheimer & family

Anoda South African, former diamond miner Nicky Oppenheimer take di fourth spot. E be di heir to di De Beers diamond fortune, and e get at least 720 square miles of conservation land across South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Im net worth for 2026 dey estimated at $10.6B.

Nassef Sawiris

Egyptian investor Nassef Sawiris, worth estimated $9.6 billion, e essentially break even.

Sawiris get stake for English Premier League club Aston Villa and e get roughly 6% of sportswear giant Adidas.

E dey set to become chairman of Adidas for di company shareholder meeting for May.

Mike Adenuga

Nigeria third richest pesin build im fortune for telecommunications and oil production. Im mobile phone network, Globacom, na di third-largest operator for Nigeria, wit more dan 17 million subscribers.

E dey estimated to worth $6.5B for di 2026 Forbes ranking.

Naguib Sawiris

Im net worth dey estimated at $5.6B.

Patrice Motsepe

Di founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, bicom billionaire for 2008 - e be di first black African on di Forbes list. For 2016, e launch one private equity firm, African Rainbow Capital, wey di focus na investing in Africa. Im net worth dey estimated at $4.3B.

Mohamed Mansour

Im net worth dey estimated at $4B.

Michiel Le Roux

South Africa also produce one big gainer. Capitec Bank founder Michiel Le Roux, worth $3.8 billion, e benefit from one 57% jump for di shares on di Johannesburg Stock Exchange, wey post 45% gain as gold and platinum prices climb to new highs.

Oda billionaires wey make di list include; Koos Bekker, Issad Rebrab, Jannie Mouton, Mohammed Dewji, among odas.

Four out of di 23 billionaires dey poorer pass as dem be one year ago.

Morocco Anas Sefrioui lose $300 million afta shares for im Group Addoha bin fall more dan 30%.

Nigeria Femi Otedola lose $200 million afta e sell majority of im stake for Geregu Power for discount to di listed company market price.

Di two men now worth $1.3 billion each, di lowest figures for di list.

14 out of di 23 billionaires, or 61%, build dia own fortunes, dem no inherit am.

South Africa dey lead in billionaire count wit seven. Egypt follow wit five, Nigeria get four, and Morocco get three.

How Forbes take dey measure di billionaires

According to Forbes, dem dey calculaten net worth wit stock prices and currency exchange rates from di close of business on March 1, 2026.

Dem dey measure net worth changes from Forbes 2025 Billionaires list, wey dem publish for March 2025.

"To value privately held businesses, we start wit estimates of revenues or profits and apply prevailing price-to-sales, price-to-earnings or similar ratios for similar public companies. Some list members dey grow richer or poorer within weeks–or days–of our measurement date." Forbes tok.