Forbes Africa - April - May 2025

En este asunto

Africa's rich have gotten richer! The continent has 22 billionaires in 2025, worth a combined $105 billion. Sixteen of them added to their fortunes this year, while three saw their net worth decline. We spotlight these industry titans in the April/May 2025 edition of FORBES AFRICA, with a particular focus on Nigeria’s ultra-wealthy, who have built empires rooted in the country’s soil and forged industries that not only create wealth but provide critical homegrown solutions to the country’s most pressing challenges. Also in this issue, the race is on for one of the biggest jobs on the continent as the African Development Bank (AfDB) prepares to elect a new president on May 29. With the possibility of utilizing AI-based solutions to advance the continent, we take a look at biohacking–imagine leveraging data and AI to create a digital twin of yourself to predict how your body will perform under different conditions, enabling you to optimize your health, reverse aging, and push your physical limits? Also, South Africa’s township economy contributes almost 6% to the country’s GDP. At the epicenter of this growth are the innovation labs, breaking the barriers for aspiring entrepreneurs and creating a new wave of economic transformation. We explore the plight of the pangolin; slap fighting–a raw, visceral, little-known combat sport gaining momentum–and speak to Lesotho Football Association (LFA) Secretary General, Mokhosi Mohapi and the new coach of Kenya’s Harambee Stars, Benni McCarthy on their respective roles in advancing the sport on the continent; all this and more in the latest issue of FORBES AFRICA. Get your copy today!

PLACING WOMEN AT CENTER COURT

Former professional basketball player and two-time NBA All-Star, Luol Deng, is a man on a mission, not just as a celebrity promoting sports in his home country, South Sudan, but also as an advocate for women's empowerment.

1 min

AFRICA'S B RICHEST PEOPLE 2025

THE CONTINENT’S 22 BILLIONAIRES ARE WORTH A COMBINED 105 BILLION. THAT’S UP 22.6 BILLION FROM LAST YEAR’S 82.4 BILLION.

1 min

AFRICA'S RICHEST MAN DOUBLED HIS FORTUNE ON A MASSIVE-AND RISKY-$23 BILLION BET

NIGERIAN BILLIONAIRE ALIKO DANGOTE BROKE HIS GOVERNMENT’S OIL MONOPOLY BY BUILDING THE LARGEST PETROLEUM REFINERY IN AFRICA. SO FAR, ONLY HE HAS REAPED THE REWARDS.

7 mins

NIGERIA'S BILLIONAIRE CLASS: HOMEGROWN TITANS REDEFINING WEALTH IN 2025

IN AN ERA WHERE GLOBAL MARKETS OFTEN DICTATE LOCAL FORTUNES, NIGERIA’S ULTRA-WEALTHY HAVE BUILT EMPIRES ROOTED IN THE COUNTRY’S SOIL, FORGING INDUSTRIES THAT NOT ONLY CREATE WEALTH BUT ALSO PROVIDE CRITICAL HOMEGROWN SOLUTIONS TO THE COUNTRY’S MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES.

7 mins

VIRAL MILESTONE

TRADITIONALLY, AFRICA HAS BEEN SEEN AS A RECIPIENT OF GLOBAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS RATHER THAN A LEADER IN MEDICAL RESEARCH, BUT UGANDA'S EBOLA VACCINE TRIAL IS CHANGING THAT NARRATIVE, AND REPRESENTS A MAJOR LANDMARK FOR AFRICA'S SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.

4 mins

TENTACLE TEMPTATION

OVER THE PAST DECADE, MAURITANIA HAS EMERGED AS A REGION KNOWN FOR ITS OCTOPUS FISHERY. CAN THIS AFRICAN DESERT COUNTRY, WITH ONLY 0.5% OF ARABLE LAND AND EXTENSIVE MINERAL RESOURCES, CONTINUE TO CASH IN ON ITS COAST?

4 mins

'CREATE JOBS AND INCREASE THE WEALTH FOR OURSELVES

IN THE RUNNING FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST JOBS ON THE CONTINENT, SENEGAL'S AMADOU HOTT

8 mins

SHOT FOR THE MON

INNOVATION, EDUCATION AND INSPIRATION ARE AT THE CORE OF THE AFRICA2MOON PROJECT, SOON SET TO SHOW- CASE THE POTENTIAL OF THE CONTINENT FOR DEEP-SPACE EXPLORATION.

3 mins

IF WE WORK TOGETHER SMARTLY,WE ALL WIN

THE CHAIRMAN OF EXXARO, ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA'S LARGEST BLACK-EMPOWERED AND DIVERSIFIED MINING COMPANIES, SPEAKS ABOUT HOW AFRICA'S BIGGEST ECONOMY MUST FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING ITS MARKETS AND REDOUBLING EFFORTS TO EXPAND TRADE TIES.

3 mins

THE RIGHT MOVES

NEIL DU PREEZ LEFT HIS JOB OVERSEAS TO RETURN HOME TO SOUTH AFRICA AND OFFER LOW-MAINTENANCE URBAN MOBILITY SOLUTIONS NOW TRANSFORMING THE COUNTRY'S TRANSPORTATION LANDSCAPE.

3 mins

CONTROL FREAK

FRANCIS PEDRAZA SOLD OFF HALF OF HIS AI CLICKWORKER FARM, INVISIBLE TECHNOLOGIES, TO VCS WHEN IT HAD FEW PROSPECTS.

5 mins

THE NEXT CRITICAL FRONTIER: ARE WE READY FOR AUTONOMOUS AI?

THE NEXT WAVE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DOESN'T WAIT FOR YOUR PROMPTS. IT WATCHES, DECIDES AND ACTS ON ITS OWN. HERE'S BREAKING DOWN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TODAY'S AI AND TOMORROW'S AGENTIC SYSTEMSAND WHAT MAY GO WRONG WHEN AI AGENTS GO ROGUE.

4 mins

HACKING THE GENETIC CODE FOR LONGEVITY

THE PRICE OF LIVING LONGER: CAN BIOHACKING CLOSE THE GAP?

4 mins

EXPRESSIVE ESPRESSO: WHERE PLANTS HAVE A VOICE

Picture a coffee bean and you'll probably think back to the bag you picked up from the artisanal shop to grind at home.

4 mins

NIGERIA'S RACE TO SAVE THE GUARDIANS OF THE FOREST

Mark Ofua vividly remembers the moment he met Ireti. It was in a crowded bushmeat market in Epe, on the outskirts of Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, six years ago.

9 mins

AFRICA'S RETURN TO FORMULA ONE

TWENTY-ONE COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD WILL HOST F1 RACES IN 2025. THE AFRICAN CONTINENT IS VYING TO BE A PART OF IT TOO IN THE NEAR FUTURE-FOR THE PRESTIGE AND PROFITS DOWN THE ROAD.

3 mins

THE HANDS ON SPORT

In the pantheon of African sports, where football reigns supreme, rugby commands fierce loyalty, and athletics showcase raw talent, a new contender is emerging from the shadows-slap fighting, a visceral, no-frills combat sport where opponents take turns delivering open-handed blows to each other’s faces.

5 mins

SMALL COUNTRY BIG GOALS

FOR LESOTHO, EVERY INCH ON THE FOOTBALL PITCH HAS BEEN GAINED THE HARD WAY. MOKHOSI MOHAPI IS OVERSEEING A REVOLUTION, FROM THE NATIONAL TEAMS TO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DOMESTIC LEAGUE, ACADEMY AND WOMEN'S FOOTBALL, ALL ON A RELATIVE SHOESTRING BUDGET.

2 mins

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Forbes Africa Magazine Description:

Forbes Africa is the drama critic to business in Africa. The magazine helps readers connect the dots, form patterns and see beyond the obvious, giving them a completely different perspective. In doing this, it delivers sharp, in-depth and engaging stories by looking at global and domestic issues from an African prism.