Top 5 African billionaires with the highest net-worth change in 2025 so far

Midway through 2025, the fortunes of African billionaires have shifted in ways that reflect a great deal about the continent’s economic orientation, global significance, and private sector innovation.

• Business Insider Africa presents the top 10 richest African billionaires mid-way into 2025.
• This list is courtesy of Forbes.
• Johann Rupert ranks number 1 on the list.

While some African billionaires saw their portfolios increase by billions, others faced stagnation or declines.

These variations are more than simply financial; they are dynamic indications of Africa’s evolving commercial scene, which is fascinating for a variety of reasons.

The considerable gains achieved by billionaires such as Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote, whose net worth increased by over $10 billion in approximately a year following the operational launch of his oil refinery, demonstrate how industrial infrastructure is changing wealth throughout the continent.

Similarly, high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) in Egypt and South Africa have seen their wealth transfer due to strong results in building, chemicals, luxury goods, and mining.

SEE ALSO: South Africa’s richest man, Johann Rupert, quietly adds over $1 billion to his fortune

These industries, albeit conventional, are demonstrating their ability to create remarkable value when combined with innovation and sound strategy.

Some African countries still retain some of the world’s most erratic economies, but they sometimes also offer several fiscal opportunities.

The billionaires who flourish are those who can predict or adapt promptly to change. This volatility is what makes tracking these wealth transfers so fascinating; each change in net worth tells a story about risk, resilience, and reward.

Behind the increases in net worth of Africa’s HNWI are the result of careful planning, calculated risk-taking, timing, and, sometimes, chance.

Unlike static lists of wealthy individuals, year-to-date swings make these billionaires feel like active players in an ongoing African economic narrative.

From Dangote’s gamble on self-sufficiency to Oppenheimer’s diverse investment bets, these are dynamic tales worth following, not just for the money, but also for what they reveal about African ambition and promise.

With that said, here are the African billionaires with the most dramatic change in fortune mid-way into the year, as per data from Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index.

Top 5 African billionaires with the highest net-worth change in mid-2025