The world’s wealthiest individuals once resided in Africa. A list of the top 100 richest Africans in 2023 has just been released by Forbes Africa and let see who is the richest man in Africa?
Both well-known figures and newcomers are included. People from several different industries, including finance, mining, and telecommunications, are represented on the list. The ranking for this year was modified in various ways as a result of the continent’s dynamic economic situation.
Only seven of the 54 countries in Africa, according to Forbes, are home to billionaires on the list of global billionaires. Egypt has six billionaires, South Africa has five, Nigeria has three, Morocco has two, Zimbabwe has one, Algeria has one, and Tanzania has one.
Who is the richest man in Africa?
Aliko Dangote is the richest man in Africa and the wealthiest Black man on the planet.
Aliko Dangote was born on April 10, 1997, in Kano, Nigeria, to Mohammed Dangote and Mariya Sanusi Dantata. He is the great-grandson of Alhaji Alhassan Dantata, a one-time richest man in West Africa who traded in kola and ground nuts. Sadly, Aliko’s father died when he was eight years old.
Despite economic headwinds that negatively impacted the fortunes of half of the world’s reported billionaires, Aliko Dangote, President of the pan-African conglomerate, the Dangote Group, has emerged as the richest man in Africa for the 12th year in a row.
With an estimated net worth of $14.2 billion, up from $12.1 billion last year, Mr. Dangote is the only Nigerian on the list of the leading 200 richest persons in the world. His company, Dangote Cement Plc, is the largest cement maker in Africa.
Mr. Dangote, who is currently rated 124th among the world’s richest billionaires, is the only Nigerian in the top 200 list and one of just two Africans; South Africa’s Johann Rupert, who trades in luxury goods, is placed 157th with a net worth of $11.1 billion.
Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement maker, was created and is led by Africa’s richest man. Dangote Cement has a Sub-Saharan Africa manufacturing capacity of 51.6 million tonnes per year, with integrated factories in seven countries, clinker grinding plant in Cameroon, and import and distribution facilities in Ghana and Sierra Leone.
Mr. Dangote also owns Dangote Salt (NASCON) and Dangote Sugar, all of which are publicly traded.
His Dangote Petroleum Refinery, billed as the world’s largest single-train refinery, was recently commissioned and is projected to process 650,000 bpd of petroleum for domestic consumption and export, in what experts call a game changer in the oil and gas business.
The leading philanthropist was previously ranked 11th of the 50 World’s Greatest Men and Women of All Time by Fortune Magazine, an American multinational business magazine that based the ranking of the world’s greatest primarily on the businesses run by the men and how they have used it to positively impact their society.