South Africa’s 7 dollar billionaires just got even RICHER
It's comparatively 'easy' to make money - when you have money. Compound interest really is the eighth wonder of the world!
It’s comparatively ‘easy’ to make money – when you have money. Compound interest really is the eighth wonder of the world!
As they say, the rich get richer, while the poor stay, well, poor.
Money makes money – and these seven South Africans have made a lot of it over the years.
And by a lot, we mean a LOT!
How they made their cash
According to Forbes’ real-time tracking of billionaires, Johann Rupert and his family are the richest in South Africa, with a net worth of $14.6 billion.
The Ruperts are followed by diamond magnate Nicky Oppenheimer, who boasts a net worth of $10.4 billion.
They are followed by Koos Bekker, Patrice Motsepe, Michiel Le Roux, Jannie Mouton and Christo Wiese.
South Africa’s seven dollar billionaires all made their money in different ways – from luxury goods, diamonds, mining, media, banking and retail.
In the last week alone, Rupert added a whopping $500 million (R9 billion) to his net worth, while Nicky Oppenheimer saw his wealth drop by $100 million (R1.8 billion).
Cumulatively, South Africa’s seven dollar billionaires are worth $37.4 billion (R675 billion).
Meanwhile, in terms of the overall world list, South Africa-born Elon Musk remains the world’s richest person with a reported $420.2 billion.
Below, the list of the top seven richest South Africans in the world as of 20 May 2025.
| Rank | Name | Last week | This week | Source |
| 165 | Johann Rupert & family | $14.1bn | $14.6bn | Luxury goods |
| 264 | Nicky Oppenheimer & family | $10.5bn | $10.4bn | Diamonds |
| 1 085 | Koos Bekker | $3.5bn | $3.5bn | Media, investments |
| 1 214 | Patrice Motsepe | $3.1bn | $3.1bn | Mining |
| 1 506 | Michiel Le Roux | $2.5bn | $2.5bn | Banking |
| 2 043 | Jannie Mouton & family | $1.7bn | $1.7bn | Retail |
| 2 194 | Christo Wiese | $1.6bn | $1.6bn | Financial services |
| TOTAL | $37bn | $37.4bn |
How far off are YOU from joining this list of SA dollar billionaires?
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