South Africa’s economy grew by 0.5% between the third and fourth quarters of 2024. The country’s growing number of billionaires is a reflection of this economic growth.
Who are these billionaires? What do they do? What is their net worth, and their most recent gains and losses? This article reveals the richest men in South Africa and their source of wealth.
Who Is the Richest Man in South Africa in 2025?
Johann Rupert is the richest man in South Africa as of 2025 with a net worth of $14 billion, about ZAR 242 billion.
How Many Billionaires Are in SA?
South Africa currently has 12 billionaires in dollars according to the Forbes report ― the highest in Africa, followed by Egypt and Nigeria with four billionaires each.
1. Johann Rupert & Family ($14 Billion)
With a net worth of $14 billion, Johann Rupert is the second richest person in Africa, coming on Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote’s heels.
His fortune stems from luxury goods, mostly in the fashion industry. The bulk of his investments is in Switzerland, with Europe as his major market.
Johann Rupert also invests in wine businesses and the banking sector. His fortune grew $2.8bn in the first quarter of 2025 alone ― one of the fastest growths in net worth among African billionaires.
2. Nicky Oppenheimer & Family ($10.4 Billion)
Nicky Oppenheimer engaged in mining as his primary trade before switching to other businesses. He invested the money he made from mining in different businesses, particularly in the conservation and private equity sectors. By November 2023, the family’s fortune had grown by $1.3bn, bringing the total to about $10.4 billion.
3. Clive Calder ($6.9 Billion)
Clive Calder is a South African-British music maverick who made his first billion dollars when he sold his music company Zomba Group to German mass media corporation Bertlesmann for $2.7 billion in 2002. He founded Zomba in London in 1975. With a net worth of $6.9 billion in 2025, and his love for staying out of the limelight, he lives in the Cayman Islands with his wife.
4. Koos Bekker ($4 Billion)
The Media and Entertainment industry is Koos Bekker’s primary source of wealth. First, he was the CEO of Naspers, a newspaper publisher at the time he took over the company’s reign. The company soon went international under his leadership. Bekker was the mastermind of this global expansion that turned a relatively small and localized company into a technology and investment giant that serves people worldwide.
5. Patrice Motsepe ($3 Billion)
Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe is another South African billionaire who amassed his wealth from the mining sector. He is worth about $3bn at the time of writing. Patrice’s mining company, the African Rainbow Minerals, has managed to edge its way into the list of top 2000 global miners and secured the 1,257th position.
He has also diversified into sports, but his fortune dropped by $200 million due to falling commodity prices. Motsepe currently serves as the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
6. Michiel Le Roux ($3 Billion)
Michiel Le Roux made his money from banking. He’s the founder of Capitec Bank, which has been providing banking services to South Africans since 2001. The bank appreciated by a whopping $105 million in just two weeks in June 2025, bringing his net worth to $2.6 billion. At the time of writing this article, he is worth about $3 billion.
7. Jannie Mouton & family ($2.1 Billion)
Johannes “Jannie” Mouton, also known as “Buddha Buffett”, is a South African businessman and founder of PSG Group, an investment holding firm. The firm invests in different businesses and industries, including financial services, banking, private equity, agriculture, and education. He has a substantial stake in Capitec, one of South Africa’s leading banks today. His net worth grew by $52 million or about 2.84% in 2025. He is worth about $2.1 billion.
8. Christoffel Wiese ($1.5 Billion)
Christoffel Wiese made his fortune in the Fashion & Retail sector. He currently controls Africa’s largest supermarket chain, Shoprite, with a 10.67% stake. Wiese made a lot of profits, recovering from a net worth of less than a billion dollars to $1.5bn today.
9. Stephen Saad ($1.2 Billion)
Stephen Saad is a co-founder of Aspen Pharmacare, a pharmaceutical company worth $1.2bn. He owns 12.8% of the company.
The company produces medicines for cough, colds, epilepsy, skin diseases, constipation, and a range of other health problems, under brands like Borstol, Woodwards, Movicol, and others. Its products are widely used in over 115 countries.
10. Desmond Sacco ($1.1 Billion)
Most sources say Sacco maintains a relatively low public profile. That’s probably why information on his yearly net worth is scarce. In 2025, he is estimated to be worth $1.1bn. The bulk of this money came from mining, a business his family has been engaged in since his childhood.
11. Zak Calisto ($1.01 Billion)
Zak Calisto joined the global billionaires club in 2025 after a company, Karooooo, he holds a majority stake in achieved a market capitalization of $1.65bn. This is a dramatic increase in his wealth from just above $200 million in 2019.
12. Ivan and Lynette Saltzman ($1 Billion)
Ivan and Lynette are a billionaire couple running businesses worth some $1 billion. They mostly invest in supplements, beauty products, and health diets. The married couple’s fortune significantly grew in recent years, from a few hundred million dollars to a billion.
13. Laurie Dippenaar ($610 Million)
Laurie Dippenaar made his money in the banking and finance industry. He co-founded Rand Consolidated Investments, which empowered people by making access to financial services, like lending, easier. He boasts some $610 million in assets. His wealth grew by double digits from $485M in 2019 to $610 million.
14. Raymond Ackerman ($500 Million)
Raymond runs a retail business through a supermarket chain called Pick n Pay, a firm he purchased from the owner when it had just four stores at the time. The brand has since then grown to over 800 stores scattered across South Africa, making it one of the country’s largest. Raymond’s fortune is estimated at $500 million. In 2019, he was worth $393.4 million. This is a $100 million+ increase in six years.
15. Mark Shuttleworth ($500 Million)
Mark Shuttleworth, the brain behind Ubuntu, an open source software used by millions worldwide. Ubuntu is owned by the company, Canonical Ltd. Although we put him at #15, his and Raymond Ackerman’s fortunes are equal by estimates. He is worth $500 million.
16. Cyril Ramaphosa ($450 Million)
Cyril Ramaphosa is the President of South Africa and a billionaire. He made money before becoming president, mainly from an anti-apartheid company known as Shanduka Group. Serving as chairman, the company invested in various industries, including telecommunications, mining, and real estate. From $530.3 million in 2019, Cyril is currently down to $450 million, a decrease of more than $80 million.
17. Gerrit Thomas Ferreira ($420 Million)
He confounded Rand Consolidated Investments with Laurie Dippenaar. As one of South Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs, Gerrit is worth $420 million. Gerrit’s net worth remains fixed at $420 million from 2023 without any noticeable increase or decrease.
18. Michael Guy Attridge ($410 Million)
Michael Guy Attridge is a co-founder of Aspen, a company that specialises in and worths $410 million. His net worth is estimated at $410 million, according to StartupMag. His net worth is estimated at $325 million in 2021. It has increased by over $80M since then. Michael currently serves as the assistant CEO of Apsen.
19. Giovanni Ravazzotti ($330 Million)
Giovanni Ravazzotti is multimillionaire who moved to South Africa from Italy and became a citizen. He is the founder of Italtile, a ceramics company in South Africa. The company has seen significant growth in recent years. He is worth $330 million.
20. Adrian Gore ($34.9 Million)
Adrian is the founder and CEO of one of the biggest financial institutions in the country, Discovery Limited. This business once made him boast a net worth of $480 million, but this fortune had since shrunk drastically to $34.9 million.
Honourary Mention
21. Allan Gray – $8.5 Billion
Allan William Buchanan Gray was the founder of Allan Gray Limited, a company worth $8.5 billion. He died of a heart attack in November 2018 at the age of 81. Allan Gray Limited, an investment management company, has maintained its fortune long after Allan Gray’s death.
Conclusion
There you go. What are your thoughts about our list of the top 20 richest Men in South Africa and the men featured on it? Your comments and suggestions will help us compile more lists in the future.
Disclaimer
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References
- Billionaires Africa: https://www.billionaires.africa/2025/08/01/south-african-billionaire-jannie-mouton-capitec-52-million-gain/
- Billionaires Africa: https://www.billionaires.africa/2025/08/04/patrice-motsepe-net-worth-drops-200-million/
- Business Day: https://businessday.ng/news/article/the-six-richest-people-in-south-africa-at-the-start-of-2025-worth-32-3-bn/
- Business Tech: https://businesstech.co.za/news/wealth/825239/south-africa-has-a-new-dollar-billionaire-2/
- Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/profile/adrian-gore/
- Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/profile/christoffel-wiese/
- Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/profile/jannie-mouton/
- Nairametrics: https://nairametrics.com/2023/11/29/south-africas-2nd-richest-oppenheimer-gains-1-3-billion-ytd/
- Rhodes University: https://www.ru.ac.za/facultyofcommerce/alumninews/allangrayclimbstothetopoftherichlistinsouthafrica.html
- Startup Mag: https://startupmag.co.za/2021/08/businesses-owned-by-gus-attridge/
- Statistics South Africa: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=18124
- Techpoint Africa: https://techpoint.africa/guide/richest-people-in-south-africa/
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