South Africa’s wealthiest individuals and families have a combined net worth of approximately $42.2 billion (about R705 billion), according to the latest data from the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List.
The ranking, which tracks global wealth using share prices, exchange rates and publicly available financial data, shows little change at the top of the country’s rich list in recent months, although there have been shifts further down.
Johann Rupert remains number one
Luxury goods magnate Johann Rupert continues to lead the pack as South Africa’s richest individual.
The 75-year-old chairs Richemont, the global group behind high-end brands including Cartier and Montblanc.
He is followed by Nicky Oppenheimer, whose wealth is rooted in his family’s historic association with De Beers.
Movement in the top five
There has been some reshuffling among the country’s top five billionaires.
Mining entrepreneur Patrice Motsepe has climbed to third place, overtaking Koos Bekker, the former Naspers chief who now sits fourth.
Fifth place is held by Michiel le Roux, founder of Capitec Bank.
Changes further down
In the lower half of the list, Jannie Mouton, founder of PSG Group, has moved ahead of retail veteran Christo Wiese, who slips to seventh.
The list is rounded out by Paul van Zuydam, known for building the premium cookware brand Le Creuset.
Wealth holds firm
Despite economic headwinds locally and globally, the overall fortunes of South Africa’s richest remain resilient, largely due to their exposure to international markets and diversified global business interests.
The latest figures highlight how South Africa’s top billionaires continue to operate on a global stage – even as the domestic economy faces ongoing pressure.
World’s Richest Person
On the global stage, 54-year-old South Africa-born Elon Musk continues to top the Forbes rankings as the world’s richest person, with a reported net worth of $788.7 billion.
Below, the list of the top eight richest South Africans in the world as of 4 May 2026.
| Rank | Name | Net worth | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 195 | Johann Rupert | $15 billion | Luxury goods |
| 310 | Nicky Oppenheimer | $10.6 billion | Diamonds |
| 1 145 | Patrice Motsepe | $3.8 billion | Mining |
| 1 228 | Koos Bekker | $3.5 billion | Media, investments |
| 1 284 | Michiel Le Roux | $3.3 billion | Banking |
| 1 768 | Jannie Mouton | $2.4 billion | Financial services |
| 2 243 | Christoffel Wiese | $1.9 billion | Retail |
| 2 391 | Paul van Zuydam | $1.7 billion | Le Creuset |
| TOTAL | $42.2 billion |
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