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.
- 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.
