Top African billionaires with largest philanthropic donations in five years

Africa is home to more than 20 dollar-denominated billionaires per the Forbes report index.

With fortunes made in oil, banking, telecoms, consumer goods, real estate, and technology, these business leaders have built companies that not only power economies but also stand among the largest employers of labour across the continent.

Yet beyond boardrooms and balance sheets, many of Africa’s wealthiest individuals have chosen to redefine their legacies through philanthropy.

From funding hospitals and universities to creating endowments that support entrepreneurship, education, health, and poverty alleviation, these billionaires are channeling their resources into transformative social impact.

While some of these philanthropists often give quietly, with little publicity, this report focuses on the most significant contributions that have been documented in the public domain.

Methodology 

Nairametrics attempts to capture the biggest donors amongst African billionaires, leveraging on data available in monetary terms on their foundation websites as well as publicly verifiable coverage of such philanthropic acts as recognized by bodies such as Forbes, Bloomberg and the Times 100 within the period of the Covid-19 era, which elicited a lockdown in 2020 to present day 2025.

Mohammed Dewji  

• Donation: $350,000+ 

Mohammed “Mo” Dewji, Tanzanian billionaire businessman and philanthropist, has built a reputation not only as Africa’s youngest billionaire but also as one of the continent’s most committed givers. Through the Mo Dewji Foundation, he channels his resources into initiatives that expand access to education, healthcare, clean water, and climate resilience for underserved communities.

Founded in 2001, the Foundation operates on three core pillars: education to enhance livelihood, healthcare, and water access & climate action, with the overarching mission of giving every Tanzanian the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and empowered life.

Key donations 

• $350,000 (2021–2024) – Supported the Georgetown Pivot Program, empowering 80 formerly incarcerated Black Americans with career pathways, entrepreneurship training, and second-chance opportunities. More than 90% of graduates secured jobs within three to four months, and over 15 launched entrepreneurial ventures.
• Mo Scholars Program (launched 2025) – Provides new opportunities for Tanzanian students to pursue higher education through scholarships.
• Ongoing Initiatives – Investment in rural wells, health interventions, and scholarship schemes impacting hundreds of thousands across Tanzania.

Femi Otedola 

• Donation: N11 billion+($7.4 million) 

Femi Otedola is widely regarded for his approach to philanthropy, favoring direct, high-impact donations over formal foundations. His generosity spans education, healthcare, religion, and humanitarian causes, making him one of Nigeria’s most visible philanthropists.

• In 2019, he donated N5 billion to the Save the Children Fund, one of the largest single charitable gifts in the country’s history.
• His strong commitment to education is reflected in a N2 billion donation for the construction of the Faculty of Engineering at Augustine University and a N1 billion scholarship fund for students of the institution during the 2023/2024 academic year.
• Otedola has also given N300 million to the National Ecumenical Centre and N75 million to the Ilorin Central Mosque.
• On a personal level, he has covered the medical expenses of public figures such as Victor Olaotan, Christian Chukwu, and Majek Fashek. His documented donations exceed N11 billion.

Mohamed Mansour 

• Donations: Estimated $11 million+ 

Mohamed Mansour is an Egyptian billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and Chairman of the Mansour Group, one of the largest family-owned conglomerates in the Middle East and Africa.

With operations in over 100 countries and more than 60,000 employees, the Group has interests in automotive, real estate, retail, finance, and food services.

A former Egyptian Minister of Transport (2006–2009), Mansour is recognized for combining business leadership with a strong sense of civic duty. Under his guidance, the Group has expanded its charitable footprint, especially during times of crisis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mansour led the Group in committing around $11 million in relief support, ranging from healthcare donations to food aid and quarantine facilities. His leadership reflects a philosophy of corporate responsibility deeply rooted in service to communities where the Group operates.

Key Philanthropic Contributions 

Here’s a breakdown of some of his core donations,

• (2019/2020) Donated $3.2 million via Al Mansour Automotive to the Ministry of Health for PPE, ventilators, ambulances, and other essential equipment.
• Through Palm Hills Developments, it converted one of its Cairo hotels into a fully-funded quarantine centre for patients and medical teams. Donated an additional $320,000 (5m EGP) to the Ministry of Health.
• Supported 10,000 low-income families affected by the pandemic with $158,000 (2.5m EGP) in direct aid.

Al Mansour Holding Company for Financial Investments (MHCFI) contributed $3.3 million, including: $1.6 million personal donation from Board Member Youssef Mansour to hospitals treating chest and fever patients and $635,000 to the Tahya Misr Fund.

• Distribution of 200,000 food cartons worth $1m+ through Metro & Kheir Zaman retail chains, benefiting frontline workers and families hit hardest by COVID-19.

Mansour Automotive Company East Africa (Uganda): Donated $21,000 and 10 Hero motorcycles to the Ugandan Ministry of Health.

• Mansour Automotive Ghana: Donated 10 Chevrolet Cobalt vehicles to Ghana’s national COVID-19 Task Force to support mobility and logistics.

Mike Adenuga 

• Donation: $20 million + 

Michael Adeniyi Agbolade Ishola Adenuga, more popularly known as Mike Adenuga, is Nigeria’s third-richest man and founder of Globacom, the country’s leading indigenous telecommunications company. Beyond his reputation as a telecoms and oil magnate, Adenuga is also one of Nigeria’s most impactful philanthropists.

Through the Mike Adenuga Foundation, he channels resources into health, education, rural development, and entrepreneurship. Fiercely private about his personal affairs, Adenuga is known to keep many of his donations away from the spotlight. Nevertheless, his influence in philanthropy is wide-reaching, spanning scholarships, humanitarian relief, and support for national causes.

Ongoing Contributions 

• $20.5 million annually – One of his foundation’s landmark initiatives is its scholarship program, which annually awards nearly $20.5 million in aid to undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students across Africa, the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, Indonesia, and India.

Key Donations: 

• $250,000 – to Nigeria’s football team, the Super Eagles.
• N1billion (2020) – listed among contributors to the CACOVID Relief Fund as of June 30, 2020.

Patrice Motsepe 

• Donation: $72 million + 

South Africa’s first Black billionaire and founder of African Rainbow Minerals, Patrice Motsepe, has built a philanthropic legacy that ranks among the largest in Africa. Through the Motsepe Foundation, he has committed over $500million to causes spanning health, education, rural development, sports, and innovation.

Motsepe’s giving includes a $57 million (R1 billion) contribution to COVID-19 relief in 2020. He also funds global innovation through the Milken-Motsepe Prizes, with $6 million already awarded to entrepreneurs in AgriTech, Green Energy, FinTech, and AI.

In sports, he donated $10 million to the African Schools Football Championship. Earlier, he became the first African to join the Giving Pledge, committing at least half his wealth to philanthropy.

Here is a breakdown 

• $500 million – cumulative charitable giving by 2019 (Motsepe Foundation reports).
• $57 million (R1 billion) -COVID-19 pandemic relief (2020).
• $10 million -African Schools Football Championships (2025).
• $6 million -Milken-Motsepe Prize funding to innovators (2021–2025)

Nicky Oppenheimer 

• Donation: $110 million+ 

Nicky Oppenheimer, South African billionaire businessman and philanthropist, is best known as the former chairman of De Beers, the diamond giant his family controlled for more than 85 years.

As the third generation of the Oppenheimers to lead the firm, he oversaw its privatization in 2001 before selling the family’s 40% stake to Anglo American for $5.1 billion in 2012, ending their direct influence over the global diamond trade.

Since stepping back from mining, Oppenheimer has focused on philanthropy, conservation, and private enterprise. In 2014, he launched Fireblade Aviation in Johannesburg, a luxury charter flight company.

Beyond business, Oppenheimer is one of Africa’s largest private landowners, with over 720 square miles of conservation land spread across South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

Key Philanthropic Contributions 

• COVID-19 Relief (South Africa): Donated over $110 million to support small businesses struggling during the pandemic, one of the largest private contributions in South Africa.
• Conservation & Land Stewardship: Owns and manages extensive wildlife conservation areas across Southern Africa, safeguarding biodiversity and promoting eco-tourism.
• Oppenheimer Memorial Trust: Through the family trust, supports education, scholarships, and community development projects across South Africa.

Abdulsamad Rabiu   

• Donation: $100 million+ 

An astute businessman, philanthropist, and industrialist, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Founder and Chairman of BUA Group, has embedded philanthropy into his legacy.

Beyond building one of Nigeria’s largest privately-owned conglomerates, Rabiu channels wealth through the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), launched in 2021 with a $100 million annual pledge dedicated to health, education, and social development across Africa. His philanthropy is highly structured, focusing on infrastructure and systemic transformation.

Documented Key Donations 

• $100 million annual ASR Africa Fund (2021–present): Half dedicated to Nigeria, half across Africa.
• $23.8 million Security Support Fund (2022): N10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
• $11.8 million Tertiary Education Grants (2021): N5.5 billion distributed across 22 Nigerian universities.
• $2.4 million to the University of Maiduguri (2021): For a Centre for Innovation and Product Development.
• $2.4 million to the University of Ibadan (2021): To enhance academic infrastructure.
• $2.4 million to Ahmadu Bello University (2021): Infrastructure and institutional strengthening.
• $2.4 million COVID-19 Response (2020): N1 billion to CACOVID for health infrastructure and food support.
• $500,000 USAID Partnership (2022): To strengthen TB, HIV, and gender-based violence prevention efforts.
• N7.5 billion Specialist Hospital in Kano (ongoing): A 200-bed teaching hospital project.
• N5 billion Teaching Hospital in Akwa Ibom: First of its kind in the state.
• N2.5 billion each to 4 states (2021): Tertiary Healthcare Development Grants in Sokoto, Ogun, Kwara, Edo.

Strive Masiyiwa  

• Donations: $160 million +  

Strive Masiyiwa, alongside his wife Tsitsi, ranks among Africa’s biggest philanthropists. Together, they co-founded the Higherlife Foundation in 1996, a platform initially set up to support orphaned children in Zimbabwe. Today, the foundation has grown into a leading force for education, healthcare, disaster relief, and rural transformation across Africa. The couple were recognised by the Time100 Philanthropy 2025.

Beyond philanthropy, Masiyiwa is the Founder and Chairman of Econet Group, a multinational telecommunications and technology company with operations spanning Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S.

Key donations 

• Delta Philanthropies (Till date): Invested $100 million in programs supporting employment opportunities and entrepreneurship.
• Healthcare & Crisis Response: Invested $60 million in health interventions, including HIV/AIDS, maternal health, and disaster relief projects.
• Beginnings Fund (2024) : Acted as a founding donor to the nearly $500 million fund aimed at improving newborn and maternal healthcare across Africa.

Aliko Dangote 

• Donations: $200 million+ 

Africa’s richest man has long embraced philanthropy as a central part of his legacy, channelling billions through the Aliko Dangote Foundation and direct interventions. His focus spans nutrition, health, education, empowerment, and nationwide poverty alleviation, making him one of the continent’s most consistent givers.

According to reports, the foundation spends $35 million on average every year for donations and philanthropy across Africa. Among the foundation’s ongoing efforts is a $100 million multi-year initiative to combat severe childhood malnutrition.

Documented Donations: 

2025 

• University donation (May 2025): Donated N15 billion to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Kano, for student hostels, a world-class engineering lab, a computer lab with 24-hour internet, and a mini-solar power plant.
• ($10.8 million)Rice distribution (June 2025): The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) distributed over one million 10kg bags of rice, valued at N15.5 billion, nationwide to support vulnerable Nigerians during food price hikes.
• Global recognition (May 2025): Time Magazine honored Dangote for philanthropy, highlighting the ADF’s work in fighting childhood malnutrition, supporting polio eradication (with the Gates Foundation), and driving educational initiatives.

2024 

• Flood relief (Sept 2024): Donated N2 billion to assist victims of severe flooding in Maiduguri, Borno State.
• National food intervention (Mar 2024): Launched a rice relief program, distributing 1 million+ 10kg bags of rice across all 774 LGAs in Nigeria, valued at N15 billion.
• CSR contributions (2024): Dangote Cement reported N13.19 billion in corporate social responsibility spending.
• Scholarships (Oct 2024): Dangote Granite Mines awarded scholarships to students in host communities in Ijebu-Igbo.

2022 

• Flood relief distribution (Late 2022): Through the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation (chaired by Dangote), N1.5 billion in relief materials was distributed nationwide.

2020 

• COVID-19 relief (2020): Donated N1.5 billion to support the federal government’s pandemic response.

Note: Please note that the figures here are estimated monetary commitments of the billionaires listed. Other African billionaires have also carried out noteworthy philanthropic initiatives; however, in the absence of publicly verifiable data, the monetary value of their contributions cannot presently be assessed accurately, and thus, their exclusion from this list.