Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a business from scratch and steer it through myriad entrepreneurial challenges to achieve continental or even global success? On a continent like Africa, where economic landscapes can be uniquely challenging, this is no small feat.
A recent report by Henley & Partners’ reveals that Africa is home to 135,200 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) with liquid investable wealth exceeding USD 1 million, along with 342 centi-millionaires worth USD 100 million or more, and 21 billionaires.
Africa’s ‘Big 5’ wealth markets — South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco —collectively represent 56% of the continent’s millionaires and over 90% of its billionaires.
Among these high-net-worth individuals are seasoned entrepreneurs whose enduring success has been shaping the economic landscape for decades.
These veteran billionaires have weathered economic downturns, navigated political instability, and adapted to evolving market conditions. Their ability to innovate and overcome challenges has been pivotal to their sustained success. Now, many of them are passing the torch to the next generation, fostering new talent to carry their legacies forward.
According to Forbes’s real-time billionaire ranking, Nathan Kirsh is currently the oldest billionaire on the continent. At 92 years old, he has amassed a fortune of $7.0 billion from his ventures in retail and real estate in Eswatini (Swaziland). Kish holds the 407th position among the oldest billionaires globally.
AT 91 years old, Othman Benjelloun, who was the oldest billionaire on the continent at the beginning of the year, is now the second oldest billionaire. With a net worth of $1.5 billion, he made a fortune from his investments in banking and insurance in Morocco.
Christoffel Wiese, the third-oldest billionaire on the continent, is 82 years old with a net worth of $1.3 billion. Wiese is from South Africa and has made his fortune in the retail sector.
The figures represent the net worth of these individuals as of August 5, 2024.
Below are the top 10 oldest African billionaires so far in 2024:
| Rank | Name | Age | Networth | Country | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Nathan Kish |
92 |
$7.0 billion |
Eswatini (Swaziland) |
Retail, real estate |
|
2 |
Othman Benjelloun & family |
91 |
$1.5b billion |
Morocco |
Banking and Insurance |
|
3 |
Christoffel Wiese |
82 |
$1.3 billion |
South Africa |
Retail |
|
4 |
Issad Rebrab & family |
80 |
$2.5 billion |
Algeria |
Food |
|
5 |
Nicky Oppenheimer & family |
79 |
$9.5 billion |
South Africa |
Diamonds |
|
6 |
Youssef Mansour |
79 |
$1.3 billion |
Egypt |
Diversified |
|
7 |
Mohamed Mansour |
76 |
$3.3 billion |
Egypt |
Diversified |
|
8 |
Michiel Le Roux |
75 |
$1.6 bilion |
South Africa |
Banking |
|
9 |
Johann Rupert & family |
74 |
$10.9 billion |
South Africa |
Luxury goods |
|
10 |
Mike Adenuga |
71 |
$6.6 billion |
Nigeria |
Telecom, oil |
