4 Nigerians make the list, and Dangote remains the richest man in Africa (See full list)

Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote maintained his position as Africa’s richest person, topping Forbes’ 2026 African Billionaires ranking with an estimated fortune of $28.5 billion.

The continent’s richest people collectively added more than $20 billion to their net worth over the past year.

The latest Forbes rankings, released on Monday, show that Africa’s 23-member billionaire club now has a combined wealth of $126.7 billion, representing a 21 percent jump from 2025, driven by stronger equity markets and improved currency stability in some African countries.

Dangote’s fortunes were boosted by a sharp rise in Dangote Cement shares, which soared following the company’s record profits in 2025. South African luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert ranked second with $16.1 billion.

Nigeria’s Abdulsamad Rabiu was the most prominent person on the list, rising to third place after posting the biggest gain among the 23 billionaires. His wealth soared 120 percent to $11.2 billion, supported by the extraordinary performance of BUA Cement shares during the year.

Nigeria maintains a strong position in the ranking with four billionaires – Dangote, Rabiu, Mike Adenuga with $6.5 billion, and Femi Otedola with $1.3 billion – putting the country in third place behind South Africa, which leads with seven billionaires, and Egypt with five billionaires. Morocco follows with three.

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Of the 23 billionaires on the list, 14 of them are entrepreneurs. Notably, no women were included in the ranking.

Forbes attributed the increase in overall wealth to increased investor confidence in key African markets and stronger regional currencies over the past year.

Below is the complete list of Forbes 2026 African Billionaires and their estimated net worth:

Aliko Dangote – $28.5 billion (Diversified)

Johann Rupert & family – $16.1 billion (Fashion & Retail)

Abdulsamad Rabiu – $11.2 billion (Diversified)

Nicky Oppenheimer & family – $10.6 billion (Metals & Mining)

Nassef Sawiris – $9.6 billion (Construction & Engineering)

Mike Adenuga – $6.5 billion (Diversification)

Naguib Sawiris – $5.6 billion (Telecom)

Patrice Motsepe – $4.3 billion (Metals & Mining)

Mohamed Mansour – $4 billion (Diversification)

Michiel Le Roux – $3.8 billion (Finance & Investments)

Koos Bekker – $3.6 billion (Media & Entertainment)

Issad Rebrab & family – $3.6 billion (Food & Beverage)

Jannie Mouton & family – $2.7 billion (Finance & Investments)

Mohammed Dewji – $2.1 billion (Diversified)

Strive Masiyiwa – $2.1 billion (Telecom)

Christoffel Wiese – $1.9 billion (Fashion & Retail)

Youssef Mansour – $1.8 billion (Diversified)

Othman Benjelloun & family – $1.7 billion (Finance & Investments)

Aziz Akhannouch & family – $1.6 billion (Diversified)

Yasseen Mansour – $1.4 billion (Diversified)

Samih Sawiris – $1.4 billion (Services)

Femi Otedola – $1.3 billion (Diversification)

Anas Sefrioui & family – $1.3 billion (Real Estate)