All of South Africa’s dollar-billionaires have climbed the world’s richest list in 2024—and almost every single one of them studied a law degree. As of August 2024, South Africa’s elite group of billionaires continues to dominate the country’s wealth landscape. Leading the charge is luxury goods titan Johann Rupert, whose net worth has soared to $12 billion (R214 billion).
Rupert, chairman of Swiss-based Richemont, the luxury conglomerate behind iconic brands like Cartier, Dunhill, and Montblanc, holds a commanding 51% voting power in the company. He also chairs Stellenbosch-based Remgro, an investment holding company with interests spanning healthcare, food, sports, and media. Rupert remains South Africa’s richest individual and is currently the wealthiest person in Africa, with Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote trailing by four spots and $100 million (R1.
7 billion). Rupert climbed 21 places on the world’s richest list to secure the 174th spot, making him the only South African in the top 200 wealthiest people worldwide. Former diamond magnate Nicky Oppenheimer has also made strides, increasing his global rank by 23 places to land at 282, with a fortune of $9.
5 billion (R169 billion). His legacy in the diamond industry continues to shine, and he is one of the world’s top 300 billionaires. Meanwhile, Patrice Motsepe, Africa’s first black billionaire, has crossed the $3 billion (R53 billion) threshold, propelled by the growth of TymeBank, which now serves 12.
4 millio.