How South Africa’s billionaires built their vast wealth
Money makes money - and these six South Africans have made a lot of it over the years. And by a lot, we mean a LOT!
Money makes money – and these six South Africans have made a lot of it over the years. And by a lot, we mean a LOT!
NOTE: This article is updated with the latest figures
According to Forbes’ real-time tracking of billionaires, Johann Rupert and his family are the richest in South Africa, with a net worth of $11.1 billion.
The Ruperts are followed by diamond magnate Nicky Oppenheimer, who boasts a net worth of $9.5 billion.
South Africa’s six dollar billionaires all made their money in different ways – from luxury goods, diamonds, mining, media, banking and retail.
In terms of the overall world list, South Africa-born Elon Musk is the world’s richest person.
Below is a list of the top six richest South Africans in the world as of 26 July 2024.
| Rank | Name | Net worth | Source |
| 193 | Johann Rupert | $11.2 billion | Luxury goods |
| 242 | Nicky Oppenheimer | $9.5 billion | Diamonds |
| 1 115 | Patrice Motsepe | $3.0 billion | Mining |
| 1 187 | Koos Bekker | $2.8 billion | Media, investments |
| 1 970 | Michiel Le Roux | $1.6 billion | Banking |
| 2 251 | Christoffel Wiese | $1.3 billion | Retail |
