Following several years of steady growth in Africa, the continent’s wealthiest are facing a number of headwinds, and the plunge in the price of oil and commodities has continued to impact the fortunes of Africa’s richest people.
Forbes’ annual Rich List show that the number of billionaires in Africa has actually risen to 25, up from 24 last year.
Two heavyweights, Nigerian businessmen Femi Otedola and Abdulsamad Rabiu dropped off the list in the past 12 months.
The top 25 richest Africans includes billionaires hailing from eight countries including Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland and Tanzania.
IBTimes UK looks at Africa’s 10 richest people in 2017.
Aliko Dangote, Nigeria
Net Worth: $12.2bn (£9.79bn, €11.28bn, estimated as at 20 March 2017)
Source of Wealth: Cement, flour, sugar, salt
Click here to read: Aliko Dangote’s full biography
2. Nicky Oppenheimer, South African
Net Worth: $7bn
Source of Wealth: Diamonds
3. Mike Adenuga, Nigeria
Net Worth: $6.1bn
Source of Wealth: Telecom, Oil, Real Estate
4. Johann Rupert, South Africa
Net Worth: $6.3bn
Source of Wealth: Luxury Goods
5. Nassef Sawiris, Egypt
Net Worth: $6.2bn
Source of Wealth: Construction, Chemicals
6. Christoffel Wiese, South Africa
Net Worth: $5.9bn
Source of Wealth: Retail
7. South Africa/ Swaziland
Net Worth: $3.9bn
Source of Wealth: Retail
8. Naguib Sawiris, Egypt
Net Worth: $3.8bn
Source of Wealth: Telecom
9. Isabel dos Santos, Angola
Net Worth: $3.1bn
Source of Wealth: Investments
10. Issad Rebrab, Algeria
Net Worth: $3bn
Source of Wealth: Food
42-year-old Mohammed Dewji of Tanzania remains the youngest billionaire in Africa with a wealth estimated at $1.4bn.
Angolan Isabel dos Santos and Folorunsho Alakija from Ngeria are still the only two female billionaires to make the list with fortunes estimated at $3.1bn and $1.61bn respectively.
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