The Richest Africans in 2025: Dangote Leads, Others Follow on New Billionaire List
- Africa's richest individuals are seeing significant increases in their wealth across various industries, including food, cement, telecommunications, and luxury goods
- Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu's net worth rose to $6 billion, while South Africa's Johann Rupert's wealth grew by $3.33 billion, reaching $17 billion
- This trend highlights the growing diversity of industries fueling Africa's ultra-wealthy, reflecting the continent's expanding economic potential amid global uncertainty
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
The wealth of Africa's richest individuals is once again making headlines, with new statistics revealing significant rises in a variety of industries, particularly food, cement, communications, and luxury goods.
Source: Getty Images
According to Forbes, Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu's net worth has increased to $6 billion as of July 28, 2025, owing to the success of his core firms, BUA Foods and BUA Cement.
The $900 million gain since the beginning of the year not only elevates his status among Nigeria's elite businesspeople, as he inches close to the country's second richest man, Mike Adenuga, who currently has a net worth of $6.4 billion.
Meanwhile, Business Insider reported that Johann Rupert, South Africa's luxury goods billionaire and Africa's second richest man, increased his lead in July. Rupert's net wealth was $17 billion as of July 4, 2025, showing a stunning $3.33 billion year to date increase, owing mostly to ongoing global demand for luxury items via his Richemont business.
These upward swings reflect a bigger trend: African billionaires are not only keeping their money, but also swiftly increasing it in the face of global economic uncertainty.
The recent net worth surges, notably in Nigeria's private sector, highlight an important point: Africa's ultra-wealthy are increasingly making their riches in diverse and robust businesses.
While natural resources remain vital, industries such as cement, telecommunications, and consumer products are proving to be as profitable.
As global interest in Africa's potential grows, these billionaires are not only influencing the continent's economic trajectory but also redefining what wealth creation means in modern Africa.
Source: Getty Images
| Rank | Name | Net-worth | Country |
| 1 | Aliko Dangote | $24.2 billion | Nigeria |
| 2 | Mike Adenuga | $6.3 billion | Nigeria |
| 3 | Abdul Samad Rabiu | $5.8 billion | Nigeria |
| 4 | Patrice Motsepe | $3.4 billion | South Africa |
| 5 | Strive Masiyiwa | $1.3 billion | Zimbabwe |
Meet the top 23 black billionaires
Legit.ng reported that As of July 2025, there are 23 Black billionaires worldwide, according to data compiled utilising Forbes' real-time billionaires list.
The total population has not changed, but there has been a noticeable change in the landscape. While some names have risen in the rankings as their fortunes have increased, others have fallen, which is indicative of the volatility of industries like commodities, energy, IT, and private equity where many of these riches are made and occasionally lost.
Between April 1 and July 7, the overall wealth of these 23 people increased by $3.5 billion, bringing their total net worth close to $100 billion.
Source: Legit.ng
