Skip to content Skip to footer

The Wealthiest Black Africans Revealed

Forbes has just announced its list of the wealthiest Africans and some come as no surprise. It is amazing that wealth continues to grow faster than ever before on the so called “dark continent” while Europe languishes in debt. Forbes’ list features all Africans however we have chosen to focus on black Africans who are creating wealth in Africa. The wealthiest black Africans are from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe.


Wealthiest Black Person Period: Aliko Dangote

 The wealthiest African and black person remains Aliko Dangote -A Nigerian worth about $10 billion who made his money trading commodities. It is amazing that South Africa has the most number of wealthiest people on the list but only two of them are black; Patrice Motsepe who made his money in mining and Cyril Ramaphosa who currently operates all 145 McDonalds franchises in South Africa. After 17 years of independence and a high growth economy the black people in South Africa are still not enjoying the wealth.


Nigerian Hakeem Belo-Osagie

In contrast the wealthiest Nigerians on the list are all black. Starting with the wealthiest African Aliko Dangote worth about $10 billion. Other wealthy Nigerians include Mike Adenuga who made his money in telecom and oil through his companies; Globacom and Conoil, Jim Ovia, Former Nigerian Defense Minister Theophilus Danjuma. His estimated $600 million fortune comes from his ownership stake in oil exploration company South Atlantic Petroleum, known as SAPETRO. Telecom mogul Hakeem Belo-Osagie of Nigeria and Abdulsamad Rabiuo who founded conglomerate BUA group, whose activities include sugar refining and vegetable oil processing and Mohammed Indimi of Nigeria heads oil company Oriental Energy Resources also made the list.


Kenyan Chris Kirubi

Kenyans Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Businessman Chris Kirubi, also referred to as the “Donald Trump of Africa” are the wealthiest Kenyans on the list. While Zimbabwean Telecom guru Strive Masiyiwa of Econet Holdings is featured as the wealthiest Zimbabwean. It seems every year the fruits of Independence continue to grow as more and more black Africans become billionaires and millionaires and Africa’s captains of industry.


Zimbabwean Strive Masiyiwa

Info courtesy of Forbes.com