Sawiris tops the list again... the 5 richest families in Africa

Written by: Mohamed Ragab

Forbes magazine has revealed its list of the richest families in Africa for 2026, in a ranking that reflects the continued dominance of a limited number of major economic families over the continent's wealth, with the five richest families alone accounting for approximately 88.31 TP3T out of the total wealth of nine African families, which was valued at a combined $60.5 billion.

According to Forbes data issued on May 22, 2026, the Egyptian Sawiris family maintained its top position on the list with an estimated wealth of $16.6 billion, supported by the return of businessman Samih Sawiris to the billionaires list this year, along with his brothers Nassef and Naguib Sawiris, which strengthened the family’s position as the strongest family economic empire in the African continent.

The ranking reflects the growing influence of major investment families in Africa, particularly in the telecommunications, construction, mining, energy and retail sectors, which have played a pivotal role in shaping the continent’s economic landscape in recent years.

South African businessman Johan Rupert and his family came in second with a fortune of $15.4 billion, benefiting from the expansion of their investments in the luxury goods and retail sector, while Nicky Oppenheimer and his family came in third with a fortune of $10.6 billion, based on the family's historical legacy in the diamond and mining industry in South Africa.

The fourth place went to the Egyptian Mansour family, with a fortune of $7.2 billion, led by businessmen Mohamed, Youssef and Yassin Mansour, who continue to strengthen their presence in the automotive, industrial and commercial investments and financial services sectors, thus confirming Egypt’s strong presence in the list of Africa’s richest people through two families in the top four positions.

Rebrab and his family are happy

In fifth place came Algerian businessman Issad Rebrab and his family with an estimated fortune of $3.6 billion, supported by his huge investments in the food and industrial sectors, maintaining his position as the richest businessman in Algeria and one of the most prominent investors in North Africa.

The report indicates that large family fortunes in Africa are playing an increasing role in directing regional investments, especially as many of these families expand into renewable energy, infrastructure and technology projects, in parallel with African governments seeking to attract local capital and reduce reliance on external financing.

Distribution of wealth within the continent

The ranking also reveals the continued large disparity in wealth distribution within the continent, with billions concentrated in a limited number of families and countries, particularly Egypt and South Africa, which dominate the largest part of the list, at a time when many African economies are facing challenges related to poverty, unemployment and slowing economic growth.

Observers believe that the continued rise of these families reflects the development of the African private sector and its ability to compete globally, especially with the expansion of African companies in international markets and the increase in cross-border investments within the continent, which gives Africa greater opportunities to build giant economic entities capable of leading development in the coming years.