Female billionaires remain absent from Africa’s ultra-rich list for a sixth consecutive year, according to Forbes’ latest rankings published in March 2026. The continent’s billionaire class continues to be dominated by men, with no women featured among the dollar-billionaires for the sixth year in a row. The last appearance of female billionaires on the list was in 2020, when Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos and Nigerian oil magnate Folorunsho Alakija were included. Dos Santos, once Africa’s first female billionaire in 2013 with a fortune exceeding $3.5 billion, was removed from the Forbes list due to legal actions and asset freezes in Angola and Portugal. Her holdings are now marked at zero. Alakija, who peaked at $3.2 billion in 2014, fell below the billion-dollar threshold by 2021 due to oil price fluctuations and market volatility. Despite the lack of female representation, Africa’s billionaire wealth has surged significantly. Forbes reported that the 23 men on the continent’s richest list collectively added $20.3 billion over the past year, raising total wealth to $126.7 billion. The growth was driven by equity market rallies and more stable currencies. Fourteen of the 23 billionaires—61% of the group—are self-made, with all but one over the age of 60. Tanzania’s Mohammed Dewji, 50, is the youngest member of the group. Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote remains Africa’s richest individual with an estimated net worth of $28.5 billion. His fortune grew by $4.6 billion following a nearly 69% surge in Dangote Cement shares and a doubling of the company’s 2025 profits to a record ₦1 trillion. Dangote also plans to list his oil refinery later this year and has secured a $400 million deal with a Chinese machinery firm to double the facility’s production capacity by 2029.#south_africa #nigeria #forbes #angola #mohammed_dewji
