Jannie Mouton back on Forbes’ list – Here are South Africa’s dollar-billionaires

Forbes’ real-time list of billionaires, which tracks the world’s richest people, now includes seven South Africans, following the addition of Jannie Mouton & family.

The list provides ongoing updates on the net worth and ranking of each individual confirmed by Forbes to be a dollar-billionaire.

On the list are the likes of Capitec Bank founder, mining giants, and a luxury jewellery founder.

Forbes says, “The value of individuals’ public holdings is updated every five minutes when respective stock markets are open. Individuals whose fortunes are significantly tied to private companies will have their net worths updated once a day.”

How is net worth calculated?

A person’s net worth is calculated by subtracting their liabilities (debts and obligations) from their assets (everything they own of value).

Assets include cash, investments, real estate, businesses, and luxury items. Liabilities include mortgages, loans, and other debts.

For billionaires, their business holdings (like shares in a company) often make up the most significant part of their net worth. Since stock values fluctuate, their net worth changes frequently, so Forbes tracks it in real time.

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Johann Rupert is South Africa’s wealthiest billionaire

The list includes Johann Rupert and family as the 166 richest in the world, making him the richest in South Africa.

Rupert’s net worth on Friday is sitting at $13.6 billion (more than R246 billion). Johann is the founder and chairman of the Swiss-based luxury goods company Richemont.

Richemont was founded in 1988, and is a major player in the luxury goods industry, owning brands like Cartier and Montblanc. 

Others on the billionaires list

Nicky Oppenheimer

The second South African on the list is Nicky Oppenheimer and family, sitting at 247. Oppenheimer’s net worth is $10.4 billion (over R188 billion).

He is an heir to the De Beers diamond fortune. He sold his 40% of the firm to mining group Anglo American for $5.1 billion in cash in 2012.

Oppenheimer was the third generation of his family to run De Beers, and took the company private in 2001.

For 85 years, until 2012, the family occupied a controlling spot in the world’s diamond trade.

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Koos Bekker

Koos Bekker is at 1 062 on the list, with a net worth of $3.3 billion (more than R59 billion).

Bekker is known for his leadership at newspaper publisher Naspers, where he transformed the company into an e-commerce investor and cable TV provider.

Forbes says that in 2019, Naspers put some assets into two publicly traded companies: entertainment firm MultiChoice Group and Prosus, which contains the Tencent stake.

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Patrice Motsepe

Patrice Motsepe is at 1 169 on the list, making him the fourth-richest person in SA with a net worth of $3.1 billion (more than R56 billion).

Forbes adds that Motsepe is the first black African on the list. He is the founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, and he became a billionaire in 2008.

Motsepe also has a stake in Sanlam, and is the president and owner of the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.

In March 2021, he was elected president of the Confederation of African Football.

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Michiel Le Roux

The fifth dollar billionaire in SA is Michiel Le Roux, who is ranked 1 565 on the overall list and has a net worth of $2.2 billion (over R39 billion).

Le Roux founded Capitec Bank in 2001, owning about 11% of the shares.

He served as chairman of the board of Capitec from 2007 to 2016 and has continued as a board member.

Le Roux previously ran Boland Bank, a small regional bank in Cape Town’s hinterland.

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Christo Wiese

Christo Wiese, founder of Pepkor and Shoprite’s chairman, is the sixth richest billionaire in SA and is ranked 2071 on the overall list.

Wiese’s net worth is $1.6 billion (over R29 billion).

He stepped down as Steinhoff chairman in December 2017 after the company disclosed accounting irregularities. Its share price plummeted, and Wiese lost his billionaire status.

“Wiese regained his nine-figure fortune in 2022 when he settled his dispute with Steinhoff for cash and stock, including a 5% stake in Pepkor.

“His most valuable asset is Shoprite, but he also holds stakes in real estate firm Collins Property Group, investment holding company Brait, and industrial products distributor Invicta Holdings.”

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Jannie Mouton

According to the list, the seventh-richest South African is Jannie Mouton and family, ranked at 2 093 on the overall list.

Mouton is the founder and chairman of PSG Group. He has a net worth of $1.6 billion (over R29 billion).

PSG has interests in financial services, banking, private equity, agriculture and education.

His sons serve on PSG Group’s board, and the other son, Piet Mouton, is the CEO.

The 2011 book, And Then They Fired Me, details how Mouton started PSG Group after getting fired at age 48.

His fellow partners had fired him from Senekal, Mouton & Kitshoff, a stockbroking firm he cofounded.

The richest in the world

The top five richest people in the world are Elon Musk (net worth of $348.3 billion), followed by Jeff Bezos (net worth of $217.0 billion), Mark Zuckerberg (net worth of $208.3 billion), Larry Ellison (net worth of $182.0 billion), and Warren Buffett (net worth of $166.7 billion).

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