South Africa leads Africa in personal wealth, according to New World Wealth’s 2026 Africa Wealth Report. The report says the country is home to 48,200 resident high-net-worth individuals (millionaires), including 131 centi-millionaires, and 10 billionaires.
The figures are presented as a snapshot of where wealth is concentrated across African countries, with South Africa positioned at the top based on the number of residents at different millionaire-to-billionaire wealth thresholds. While this outlet highlights South Africa’s leading position, the underlying data focus on counts of wealth holders rather than changes over time or comparisons of income distribution. The report’s approach and definitions of “resident” and the wealth categories shape how the results are interpreted.
Because only one source is provided here, additional perspectives on methodology, year-to-year movement, or how other countries rank are not included.
