![African billionaires such as Johann Rupert, Nassef Sawiris, Folorunsho Alakija, Patrice Motsepe and Aliko Dangote have built fortunes that intersect with global luxury brands, from high-end watches and jewellery to premium fashion and lifestyle businesses. [Getty Images]](https://dotolivenews.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-Capture-2026-01-28-20-37-06.jpg)
African billionaires such as Johann Rupert, Nassef Sawiris, Folorunsho Alakija, Patrice Motsepe and Aliko Dangote have built fortunes that intersect with global luxury brands, from high-end watches and jewellery to premium fashion and lifestyle businesses. [Getty Images]
This list highlights the continent’s wealthiest figures linked to luxury goods and lifestyle brands that resonate globally or within premium markets.
1. Johann Rupert (South Africa)
Johann Rupert stands out as the most significant African billionaire in the luxury sector. He is the founder and chairman of Compagnie Financière Richemont, a Swiss luxury goods conglomerate behind some of the world’s most prestigious names.
Richemont’s portfolio includes iconic brands such as:
- Cartier — luxury watches and jewellery
- Montblanc — premium writing instruments and leather goods
- Van Cleef & Arpels — high jewellery
- IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, and Vacheron Constantin — renowned luxury watches
Under Rupert’s leadership, Richemont has become one of the top global players in luxury goods, placing his name firmly on the worldwide luxury map.
![Baume & Mercier watches in the display case of a store in Passeig des Born. Photo: Clara Margais/dpa [Photo by Clara Margais/picture alliance via Getty Images]](https://dotolivenews.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-Capture-2026-01-28-20-52-43-300x168.jpg)
2. Nassef Sawiris (Egypt)
![Nassef Sawiris [Photo by Zac Goodwin/PA Images via Getty Images]](https://dotolivenews.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-Capture-2026-01-28-19-30-05-300x205.jpg)
Adidas isn’t positioned as ultra-luxury like Cartier, but its limited releases and designer partnerships (with high-end fashion houses and celebrities worldwide) place it in the premium and aspirational segment of fashion, making Sawiris a notable figure in global lifestyle branding
![General view of the corridor at Global Harbor, with the Adidas store logo clearly visible on the glass façade. [Photo by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images]](https://dotolivenews.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-Capture-2026-01-28-19-31-56-300x192.jpg)
3. Folorunsho Alakija (Nigeria)
Alakija studied fashion design in London and launched Supreme Stitches in the 1980s. Her designs attracted wealthy Nigerian clientele, including political and social elites.
While Alakija’s primary wealth now comes from oil (via Famfa Oil), her early luxury fashion house remains part of her entrepreneurial legacy.
![Folorunsho Alakija, Founding Grand Matron of Africa Cinematography Festival, walks in to address to pressmen on the coming cinematography festival on Monday August 7 2017 in Lagos, Nigeria. Photo by Adekunle Ajayi [Photo by Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images]](https://dotolivenews.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-Capture-2026-01-28-19-49-32-300x191.jpg)
4. Patrice Motsepe (South Africa)
Patrice Motsepe owns the majority shares at TymeBank. [Photo by Tnani Badreddine/vi/DeFodi Images via Getty Images]
Motsepe himself isn’t known for owning a luxury brand, but his family’s influence in the luxury fashion realm comes through his wife, Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, a fashion entrepreneur and founder of African Fashion International (AFI).
AFI organizes high-profile fashion events, supports luxury designers, operates an e-commerce and luxury retail platform, and positions itself as a pan-African facilitator of luxury fashion.
While AFI isn’t owned directly by Motsepe as a billionaire brand owner, it is a major luxury fashion ecosystem in Africa, driven by his immediate family’s investments and leadership.
A model presents a creation by fashion brand Kreyann’ during the African Fashion International (AFI) fashion week in Sandton on November 19, 2022. [Photo by MICHELE SPATARI/AFP via Getty Images] ]
5. Aliko Dangote (Nigeria)
![Nigerian multinational industrial conglomerate Dangote Group's CEO Aliko Dangote arrives for a dinner in honour of the President of Nigeria, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on November 28, 2024. [Photo by Thomas SAMSON/AFP]](https://dotolivenews.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-Capture-2026-01-28-20-44-34-300x165.jpg)
Aliko Dangote is Africa’s richest billionaire, built on cement, sugar, flour, and oil refinery businesses through the Dangote Group.
In May 2025, Alterra Capital, which is backed by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, announced the acquisition of Pollman’s Tours in Kenya as part of a broader $500 million investment plan focused on Africa.
The Competition Authority of Kenya cleared the transaction without conditions, concluding that the deal posed no competition risks because the acquiring firm and Pollman operate in different segments of the tourism value chain.
The takeover represents a new phase in Pollman’s long history as a leading Kenyan tourism brand dating back to the 1950s and a member of the Africa Travel Group. It also reflects a growing trend towards long-term private capital backing in East Africa’s consumer-focused, experience-led industries.
![Pollman'S Tours & Safaris. [X, formerly Twitter]](https://dotolivenews.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Screenshot-Capture-2026-01-28-20-48-10-300x167.jpg)
6. Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch (Morocco)
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch [Getty Images]
She is the founder and CEO of AKSAL Group, a diversified Moroccan conglomerate that holds franchises for some of the world’s most prestigious luxury names, including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Dior, Zara, and Galeries Lafayette in Morocco.
Through these partnerships, Idrissi Akhannouch has positioned Morocco as a major luxury shopping destination, blending international brands with local cultural aesthetics.
Beyond fashion retail, her business empire extends into luxury hotels, malls, and real estate, reinforcing her billionaire status and influence in Africa’s luxury economy. Her success has made her one of the continent’s most powerful female entrepreneurs and a symbol of Africa’s growing footprint in the global luxury market.
Written by Segun Adeyemi
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