5 Richest South Africans in 2021
South Africa might be a developing country but it has no shortage of super-wealthy people. A handful of people in Mzansi are so rich they are dollar billionaires. Here is a list of the five wealthiest people in South Africa and their sources of income.
Nicky Oppenheimer
According to data by Statista, Oppenheimer is worth an impressive $8 billion – which is an estimated R113.6 billion. Oppenheimer made his billions through the diamond business.
He started his career at the mining company Anglo American in 1968. Well, he was promoted to director in 1974, before becoming the deputy chairman in 1983. He resigned from Anglo American in 2001 but continued to act as the non-executive director until 2011.
However, Oppenheimer used to be the Chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited before stepping down in 2012.
Johann Rupert
Johann Rupert is the second richest person in South Africa with a nett worth of $7.1 billion (R100.8 billion). Rupert made it to the 385th position on Forbes Billionaires List for 2021.
Rupert’s fortune had ballooned since the start of the pandemic last year. From an estimated $4.6 billion to a whopping $7.1 billion. However, according to Forbes Rupert is Africa’s fourth-wealthiest person.
Rupert serves as the chairman of the Rich Goods company, which is located in Switzerland. He also serves in the same capacity in a South African company known as Remgro.
5 Richest South Africans in 2021
Patrice Motsepe
Patrice Motsepe might just be the most beloved billionaire in SA. As of June 2022, Motsepe is said to be worth R41 billion ($2.9 billion.) He made most of his wealth through the mining industry. In 1997, gold prices hit rock bottom and it enabled Motsepe to buy six gold mine shafts from AngloGold for $7.7 million.
Koos Bekker
Koos Bekker is right there with Patrice Motsepe with a nett worth of $2.9bn (R41 billion.) Bekker is best known for his revered role as chair at Naspers Media Group. The billionaire has crossed borders and managed to build one of the most influential market capitalizations outside of China and the United States.
Michiel le Roux
Michiel le Roux is the founder of one of Mzansi’s most popular banks, Capitec. After getting his LLB degree and deciding law isn’t for him, Michiel landed a job at Distillers Corp. He worked as the managing director until the mid-90s.
However, He then worked for Boland Bank Ltd for several years. In 2001, Michiel founded Capitec bank. He served as the bank’s board chairman from 2007 to 2016, as still holds a seat on the board. Today, Michiel holds only 11% of the stakes in Capitec.
However, his success has seen him become a very wealthy man. He is one of South Africa’s dollar billionaires. According to Forbes, Michiel is worth a whopping $1.4 billion – which is about R19.89 billion at the current exchange rate.