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Two Nigerian industrial heavyweights are setting the pace for Africa’s ultra-wealthy this year.
Fresh data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows that Aliko Dangote and Abdulsamad Rabiu have recorded the strongest wealth gains among the continent’s top billionaires in the first two months of 2026, outpacing peers in South Africa and Egypt.
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has added $2.79 billion to his fortune since January, lifting his net worth from $30.4 billion to $32.8 billion. The jump pushes him up to 73rd place on the global rich list, a reminder that his influence stretches well beyond Africa’s borders.
Close behind in momentum is BUA Group chairman Abdulsamad Rabiu. Though his overall fortune remains smaller than Dangote’s, his year-to-date performance has been just as striking. Rabiu’s net worth has increased by $2.33 billion, lifting him from $10.4 billion at the beginning of the year to $12.5 billion. He now ranks as the 267th richest person globally and the fourth richest in Africa.
The pace of their gains stands out even more when compared with other African billionaires.
Johann Rupert, the South African luxury goods magnate and Africa’s second richest man, currently holds a net worth of $19.1 billion. While he began the year at $19.7 billion, Bloomberg data shows his fortune has slipped by $331 million year to date, pushing him to 141st place worldwide.
Nicky Oppenheimer, another South African billionaire and Africa’s third richest man, has recorded a more modest increase. His wealth has risen by $225 million this year to $14.1 billion, respectable but far behind the gains posted by Dangote and Rabiu.
In North Africa, Egyptian telecoms and mining investor Naguib Sawiris has added $718 million to his net worth, bringing it to $11.3 billion. Just last week, Rabiu briefly drew level with Sawiris in total wealth, but his stronger year-to-date growth gave him a clear edge in momentum.
Rabiu’s latest gains are not a one-off. They build on years of steady expansion that have gradually lifted him into the inner circle of Africa’s wealthiest. By 2025, he was no longer knocking on the door of Africa’s richest circle; he was firmly inside it. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Dangote, one of the very few black industrialists who consistently occupy the very top tier of the continent’s wealth ranking
The new numbers also hint at a subtle shift in where Africa’s biggest fortunes are being made. South African tycoons have traditionally dominated the upper rungs of the rich list, but Nigeria’s industrial heavyweights are now generating some of the strongest momentum.
There is still plenty of time for markets to swing and positions to change. But for now, the early months of 2026 clearly belong to two Nigerian businessmen whose wealth is growing faster than anyone else’s on the continent.
