When compared to their counterparts in the West, women in Africa are often denied the ability to freely express their thoughts and experiences. Conversely, as a result of higher educational attainment, African women are starting to feel more independent and welcome the opportunity to pursue greater entrepreneurship. Ten women have risen to the top of Africa’s wealthiest women’s list and, via their businesses and projects, employed thousands of others, proving their worth. These women are challenging the status quo on the continent and leaving their mark in fields such as business, politics, the media, science, technology, and public life.
List Of Top 10 Richest Women In Africa
10. Elizabeth Bradley -$32 Million
Albert Wessels, who introduced Toyota to South Africa in 1961, is her father. Her network is worth 32 million dollars, and she made her wealth by investing in assets and enterprises. She is vice-chairman of Toyota South Africa Limited and chairperson of Wesco Investments South Africa. Elizabeth is also a director of AngloGold and a board member of other prestigious companies, such as Standard Bank Group, Hilton Hotel, and Rosebank Inn. Bradley made at least $150 million when his holding company, Wesco Investments, sold Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan a 25% stake in Toyota South Africa in 2008 for 320 million dollars.
9. Sharon Wapmick -$50 Million
Alec Wapmick, her father, founded Octodec Investments and Premium Properties, two listed loan stock companies of which Sharon Wapmick is one of the largest individual owners. Wapmick works as a partner at the Johannesburg-based business law firm TWB Attorneys. She has a 50 million dollar net worth. Real estate and investments helped her accumulate fortune. Following her father, she assumed leadership of Octodec as non-executive chairman in October 2011. She is a lawyer with extensive knowledge of the real estate industry.
8. Bridget Radebe -$100 Million
Bridget became one of the wealthiest women in Africa thanks to the success of her mining company. The Mmakau Mining founder is worth a hundred million dollars. The sixty-year-old started her prosperous career as a mine worker in South Africa by engaging in gold, platinum, uranium, coal, chrome mining, and exploration. In the process, she overcame gender inequalities. She is currently married to Jeff Radebe, the South African Minister of Justice, and serves as president of the South African Mining Development Association. Although Radebe won the 2008 International Businessperson of the Year Award from the Global Foundation for Democracy, her network is not very well-known.
7. Irene Charnley -$150 Million
A former South African labor unionist with a $150 million fortune. She was employed by the National Union of Mineworkers in South Africa for 13 years as a negotiator before taking a position as Executive Director of MTN, the biggest telecommunications company in Africa. At Smile Telecoms, a company that sells telecoms equipment in Mauritius, Charnley serves as CEO. She was the impetus behind MTN’s expansion throughout Africa and beyond, and she played a key role in the company obtaining operating licenses in Iran and Nigeria. But she left the company in 2007 amid criticism. She used to work for MTN and serve as a governor of FirstRand Bank, Johnnic, and Johnnic Communications.
6. Wendy Ackerman -$200 Million
Among the wealthiest women in Africa is a non-executive director of Pick N Pay Holdings Limited, with a net worth of 200 million dollars. Retail mogul Wendy Ackerman hails from South Africa. In South Africa, her spouse owns nearly half of the Pick & Pay retail chain. The $3 billion South African company, which operates in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Australia, Namibia, Zambia, and Mozambique, has her as its executive director.
5. Wendy Appelbaum -$260 Million
One of the richest women in Africa, the 58-year-old South African entrepreneur has a net worth of 260 million dollars. Appelbaum is a South African businesswoman who joined Liberty Investors, her father’s real estate and insurance company. The millionaire from South Africa is the sole child of Donald Gordon. Her previous position was Vice Chairman of Women’s Investment Portfolio Limited (Wiphold), the first company with a majority of women that debuted on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) and had assets in excess of R1 billion. After selling her shares, she generated her own revenue. She entered the renowned wine region of Stellenbosch and visited the DeMorgenzon vineyard. Appelbaum has shown her altruism by giving the Donald Gordon Medical Center and the Gordon Institute of Business Science more than US$23 million in honor of her father.
4. Hajia Bola Shagaya -$650 Million
Nigerian entrepreneur Hajia Shagaya has a 650 million dollar net worth. The 61-year-old is the chairman of Bolus Group International as well as an entrepreneur and founder. The global Nigerian company Bolus Group has stakes in the fields of communications, finance, real estate, and oil. In addition to serving on the board of the National Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPD), a commercial organization with its headquarters in Nigeria, she is a co-chair of Unity Bank PLC. She own homes in Europe and the US in addition to a large number of townhouses in some of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Nigeria. Her holdings include oil and gas, real estate, banking, and finance.
3. Ngina Kenyatta -$1 Billion
Being involved in a variety of enterprises has enabled Ngina Kenyatta to establish herself as a successful businesswoman and rank among the wealthiest women in Africa. She is the mother of Uhuru Kenyatta and the widow of Jomo Kenyatta, the country’s first president. She goes by the name Mama Ngina sometimes. The estimated value of Mama Ngina’s net worth is $1 billion. The 88-year-old, who once guarded and advanced the family business, is now more withdrawn. Because of her role in defending and advancing the family’s numerous commercial holdings in banking, farming, education, insurance, hospitality, manufacturing, and real estate, she is also well respected by Kenyans. She holds significant stock in the Commercial Bank of Africa, one of Kenya’s biggest privately held banks, as well as a share in the Heritage hotel chain. The list is endless and includes giants of the East African dairy industry Brookside Dairies, whose market share extends all the way to the Middle East. These days, Mama Ngina is managing a number of holdings, investments, and portfolios.
2. Folorunsho Alakija -$1 Billion
With a net worth of 1 billion dollars, she is the richest woman in Nigeria and the second richest woman in Africa. In addition to serving as Vice Chairman of the gas and oil exploration and production company Famfa Oil, Folorunsho Alakija is currently the Director of the Rose of Sharon Group. She was employed at Sijuwade Entertainment in Nigeria prior to joining the First National Bank of Chicago’s workforce. In addition, the 66-year-old lady is a fashion icon. She served as secretary of the erstwhile International Merchant Bank of Nigeria, one of the first financial organizations in West Africa, in the 1970s. Before founding her Nigerian fashion company, Supreme Stitches, she made the decision to study fashion design in the United Kingdom. In less than a year, in 1985, she rose to prominence as the country’s top designer.
1. Isabel Dos Santos -$2 Billion
With a current net worth of 2 billion dollars, she is the richest woman in Africa. José Eduardo dos Santos, the wealthy president of Angola, has an older daughter named Isabel. Isabel, who is over 47, is a member of the corporate boards of numerous companies in Portugal and Angola. Not counting a journalistic organization and big Portuguese banks that own gemstones and oil. She owns about 14% of Zon Multimedia, a massive Portuguese media company. She also owns sizable stakes in Energias de Portugal, a Portuguese energy company, and the Portuguese banks Banco Esprito Santo and Banco Português de Investimento. She also has shares in Banco Africano de Investimentos and Ciminvest, an Angolan cement company. She is the first African woman to exceed the $1 billion milestone thanks to her investments. Forbes claims there’s no concrete proof of her financial origins given the way the ruling party’s business is conducted in Angola. However, Isabel Dos Santos continues to be the richest woman in Africa.