Billionaire wealth in Africa continues to surge, fueled by rising equity markets, corporate profits, and more stable regional currencies. In 2026, the continent’s 23 richest individuals are worth $126.7 billion, up 21% from 2025, adding $20.3 billion collectively to their fortunes.
Leading sectors include telecommunications, mining, cement, energy, luxury goods, and banking.
Africa’s population is estimated at over 1.5 billion people in 2026, accounting for roughly 18% of the global population.
It is the world’s fastest-growing region, with projections expecting the population to reach 2.5 billion by 2050.
While billionaires are spread across the continent, some countries have become hotbeds for ultra-wealth, hosting the largest number of dollar-denominated billionaires. These countries combine large populations, diversified economies, and deep capital markets, enabling entrepreneurs and industrialists to build vast fortunes that rival global peers.
In this feature, we take a look at the top 7 African countries with the highest number of dollar-denominated billionaires based on Forbes ranking index.
Eswatini has only one billionaire with a dollar-denominated net worth. That individual is Nathan Kirsh, whose fortune is estimated at around $7.8 billion, placing him among the richest people in Africa and the world.
Kirsh built most of his wealth through Jetro Holdings, a U.S.-based wholesale distribution business that owns Restaurant Depot and Jetro Cash and Carry. These companies supply food and other goods to small retailers, restaurants, and independent stores across the United States.
Although Kirsh’s businesses operate globally, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, he is widely recognized as Eswatini’s richest person and the country’s only billionaire on the Forbes global billionaires list.
Kirsh began building his fortune in the late 1950s when he launched a corn milling business in Swaziland (now Eswatini). Over the decades, he expanded into food distribution, supermarkets, and property investments across several countries, eventually creating a global retail and real estate empire. As of March 6, 2026, the country has an estimated population of about 1.27 million people.
