Forbes has released their 2017 list of African billionaires living in Africa, and Alhaji Aliko Dangote remains top of the list as he has been for the past 6 years.
The list comprises of 21 billionaires who amount to a combined worth of $70 billion. Rather than the usual “50 richest people in Africa”, the list of African billionaires living in Africa comprises only of Africa-based
Aliko Dangote tops the list this year with a worth of $12.1 billion despite an estimated $5 billion decrease in his net worth. Other Nigerian billionaires whose net worths dropped but did not make the list include Femi Otedola whose net worth dropped from $1.6 billion in November 2015 to $330 million today and Abdulsamad Rabiu. The drop in net worth is due to the state of the Nigerian economy which has consequently resulted in the devaluation of the naira.
South Africa and Egypt tied for the highest number of billionaires from their countries to make the list. All six South African billionaires on the list have a combined net worth of $22.7 billion while Egypt’s amounts to $15.7.
South Africa’s Nicky Oppenheimer who deals in diamonds is also the second richest on the continent with a net worth of $7 billion. He’s followed closely by Telecommunications magnate, Nigeria’s Mike Adenuga who has a net worth of $5.8 billion.
Contrary to their male counterpart, there were only two female billionaires on the list, Angola’s Isabel Dos Santos, the Angolan president’s daughter who heads the state oil company, Sonangol and Nigeria’s Folorunsho Alakija. Dos Santos stands at number 8 with a net worth of $3.2 billion, while Alakija stands at number 14 with a net worth of $1.6 billion.
The youngest on the list is Tanzanian businessman, Mohammed Dewji who stands at number 16 with a net worth of $1.4 billion.
See the full list below:
