The wealth of six South African billionaires has increased in 2024. Picture: Dhivana Rajgopaul
The wealth of six South African billionaires increased this year, according to Forbes, despite the bumpy start to 2024.
According to data from the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list, the wealth of these South African billionaires have gained $4.6 billion (R83 billion), or R461 million a day, since January.
Johann Rupert is the richest South African on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List, as well as the Forbes Billionaire List 2024.
Metals and mining mogul Nicky Oppenheimer and family are the second wealthiest on both the Forbes Billionaire List 2024 and the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List.
The four other billionaires include Koos Bekker, Christoffel Wiese, Patrice Motsepe and Michiel le Roux.
According to Forbes, Johann Rupert is the chairman of Compagnie Financiere Richemont, a luxury goods firm which is known for brands like Cartier and Montblanc.
He also owns 7% and is chairman of Remgro and holds 27% in Reinet.
Nicky Oppenheimer is the heir to De Beers. In 2012, Oppenheimer sold 40% of the firm to Anglo American, a mining group for $5.1 billion in cash.
In 2014, Oppenheimer started a chartered flights firm called Fireblade Aviation.
Christoffel Wiese started Pepkor by offering discount prices in the country and then moved into other African countries.
In 2015, furniture retailer Steinhoff International acquired Pepkor for $5.7 billion in cash and stock.
Wiese would later step down as the chairman of Steinhoff in 2017 after the firm disclosed irregularities. This resulted in the share price plummeting and Wiese losing his billionaire status.
Wiese regained his billionaire title in 2022 when his dispute with Steinhoff was settled for cash and stock, including a 5% stake in Pepkor.
Founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, Patrice Motsepe got his billionaire status in 2008. He is the first black African on the list.
Motsepe launched African Rainbow Capital in 2016 which focuses on investing. He has a stake in Sanlam, as well as the president and owner of Mamelodi Sundown Football Club.
Koos Bekker is the chairman of media group Naspers. In 2001, he led the buy of a third of Tencent Holdings, a Chinese internet company for $34 million.
In 2019, Naspers put some assets in MultiChoice and Prosus which has the Tencent stake. Naspers now holds 25% of Tencent after selling some of its stake.
Michiel le Roux is the founder of Capitec which he started in 2001. He owns 11% of the shares.
Capitec Bank trades on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Le Roux was chairman of the board from 2007to 2016. He continues to serve as a board member.
| Name | Age | Real-Time Billionaires ranking | World Billionaires ranking | Net worth (Real-Time Billionaires) | Source |
| Johann Rupert | 74 | 177 | 162 | $11.6 billionaire | Luxury goods |
| Nicky Oppenheimer and family | 79 | 243 | 249 | $9.5 billionaire | Diamonds |
| Koos Bekker | 71 | 1171 | 1286 | $2.9 billion | Media, investments |
| Christoffel Wiese | 82 | 2292 | 2410 | $1.3 billionaire | Retail |
| Patrice Motsepe | 62 | 1100 | 1238 | $3.1 billion | Mining |
| Michel Le Roux | 75 | 2063 | 2410 | $1.5 billion | Banking |
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