The Forbes magazine rich list 2012 chronicles Africa’s 40 richest people, last years list consisted of  individuals from South Africa,  Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Angola, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with a  combined wealth of $72.9 billion, and despite the challenges faced within today’s global economy the  list has seen an increase of 12% on the previous  year.

1. Aliko Dangote – $12 billion (Nigerian)
2. Nicky Oppenheimer & family – $6.4 billion (South African)
3. Johann Rupert & family – $5.7 billion (South African)
4. Nassef Sawiris – $5.5 billion (Egyptian)
5. Mike Adenuga – $4.6 billion (Nigerian)
6. Christoffel Wiese – $3.7 billion (South Africa)
7. Othman Benjelloun – $2.75 billion (Moroccan)
8. Patrice Motsepe – $2.65 billion (South African)
9. Naguib Sawiris – $2.5 billion (Moroccan)
10. Mohamed Mansour – $2.2 billion (Egyptian)
11. Onsi Sawiris – $2.17 billion (Egyptian)
12. Miloud Chaabi – $2.1 billion (Moroccan)
13. Yasseen Mansour – $2 billion (Egyptian)
14. Youssef  Mansour – $ 1.95 billion (Egyptian)
15. Desmond Sacco – $1.4 billion (South African)
16. Anas Sefrioui – $1.35 billion (Moroccan)
17. Stephen Saad – $975 million (South African)
18. Sudhir Ruparelia – $900 million (Ugandan)
19. Jim Ovia – $825 million (Nigerian)
20. Shafik Gabr – $720 million (Egyptian)
21. Abdulsamad Rabiu – $675 million (Nigerian)
22. Cyril Ramaphosa – $675 million (South African)
23. Lauritz  Dippenaar – $625 million (South African)
24. Folorunsho Alakija – $600 million (Nigerian)
25. Theophilus Danjuma – $600 million (Nigerian)
26. Oba Otudeko – $575 million (Nigerian)
27. Raymond Ackerman – $550 million (South African)
28. Mohammed Indimi – $550 million (Nigerian)
29. Samih Sawiris – $525 million (Egyptian)
30. Said Salim Bakhresa – $520 million (Tanzanian)
31. Isabel dos Santos – $500 million (Angolan)
32. Moulay Hafid Elalamy – $500 million (Moroccan)
33. O.B. Lulu-Briggs – $500 million (Nigerian)
34. Alami Lazraq – $490 million (Moroccan)
35. Gerrit Thomas Ferreira – $480 million (South African)
36. Koos Bekker – $450 million (South African)
37. Sani Bello – $425 million (Nigerian)
38. Jannie Mouton – $415 million (South African)
39. Naushad Merali – $410 million (Kenyan)
40. Hakeem Belo-Osagie – $400 million (Nigerian)

The list omits well-known Sudanese born billionaire Mo Ibrahim and Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, as both reside in the UK, and for the first time includes two women Folorunsho Alakija and Isabel dos Santos. The criteria for being added to the list is that individuals must be African citizens who reside on the African continent, and must have a minimum net worth of $400 million, an increase from the $250 million specified in 2011.

The current list shows:

Newcomers: 10

Growing fortunes: 19

Shrinking fortunes: 10

Fortunes which remained even: 1

Number of fortunes which were self-made: 32

Source

Forbes