Africa is home to some billionaires who have done very well in areas like technology, manufacturing, and real estate. Most of Africa’s wealthiest people are older, but a few younger people have made their mark with outstanding achievements.

According to Forbes’ annual billionaire rankings, here are five of the youngest billionaires in Africa, with the youngest being in his 40s.

Tope Awotona (43 Years) – $1.4 Billion

Tope Awotona, from Nigeria, is the founder of Calendly, a scheduling software company valued at $3 billion. His net worth is $1.4 billion, making him one of the wealthiest Black billionaires in the world.

Awotona grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, but moved to Atlanta, Georgia, after a tragic incident where his father was killed during a carjacking. This loss motivated him to work hard and follow his entrepreneurial dreams.

After earning a degree in business, Awotona worked for companies like IBM before using his savings to launch Calendly in 2013. Today, Calendly has over 10 million users worldwide, helping businesses organise their schedules more efficiently. His story is one of resilience and determination.

Mohammed Dewji (49 Years) – $1.8 Billion

Mohammed Dewji is a Tanzanian businessman and owner of MeTL Group, Tanzania’s largest domestic company. MeTL operates in 11 African countries, working in industries like manufacturing, trade, and finance. The company is valued at over $1.5 billion.

Dewji took over the business from his father and turned it into one of Africa’s most successful enterprises.

He is also a philanthropist, supporting healthcare, education, and community projects in Tanzania.

Patrice Motsepe (62 Years) – $2.7 Billion

Patrice Motsepe is a South African billionaire and the founder of African Rainbow Minerals, a company involved in mining gold, platinum, and other metals. His net worth is $2.7 billion.

Motsepe is also the owner of the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club and holds shares in Sanlam, a financial services company. He became the first Black African billionaire to appear on Forbes’ list in 2008. Through his foundation, Motsepe supports education, healthcare, and job creation in South Africa.

Strive Masiyiwa (63 Years) – $1.8 Billion

Strive Masiyiwa, from Zimbabwe, is the founder of Econet Wireless, a telecom company operating in Africa and beyond. He also owns shares in Liquid Telecom, which provides internet services across the continent.

Masiyiwa’s ventures include renewable energy, finance, and media, contributing to his $1.8 billion net worth. In 1996, he and his family started the Higher Life Foundation, which helps provide education to African children. His dedication to improving lives and his success in business make him an inspiration.

Yasseen Mansour (63 Years) – $1.2 Billion

Yasseen Mansour is an Egyptian billionaire with a stake in the Mansour Group, a company founded by his father in 1952. The Mansour Group is a major distributor of GM automobiles and Caterpillar machinery in Egypt and other countries. Mansour is also the chairman of Palm Hills Developments, one of Egypt’s largest real estate companies.

Air France on Tuesday deboarded an “unruly” passenger at the Abuja International Airport, according to Michael Achimugu, director of consumer protection and public affairs at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Achimugu, in a post on X on Wednesday, said the passenger’s disruptive behaviour in the aircraft was a safety risk for other passengers.

The NCAA official said the passenger did not possess a Nigerian visa, hence he was not allowed into Abuja.

“Being a French national, he was visited by staff of the French Embassy and a doctor and then granted accommodation in the hotel within the airport terminal,” Achimugu wrote.

“Later, British Airways deboarded him due to the same unruly behaviour he had put up aboard Air France.

“Today, he was supposed to depart via Asky but could not present evidence of payment for the e-‘ticket’ he presented. The airline declined to airlift him.

“Immigration officials had quite a hectic time handling the erratic passenger who can be seen littering our clean terminal with what seems to be tissue paper and screaming, ‘My passport, my passport’.

“Apparently, the Immigration officers wanted to ensure that he boarded his flight before handing the passenger his international passport to prevent him from escaping through the exit gate and into the city.”

Achimugu added that Miriam Anosike, NCAA’s consumer protection regional head, “understanding the security, safety, and diplomatic ramifications of the case, addressed Air France personnel sternly, reminding them that they brought the passenger to Nigeria and must be responsible for airlifting him out of Nigeria as he is becoming a liability to the country”.

“If you are afraid to airlift him, why do you expect other airlines to be responsible for him? Get him a ticket and move him tomorrow!” he quoted Anosike as saying.

He also commended Anosike, “whose years of experience as CPO came in handy”.

“Tomorrow night, we will monitor Air France operations to ensure that the passenger is safely airlifted,” he added.

Achimugu commended the immigration officials “who also kept their cool all through”.

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to consider reviewing call tariffs upwardly by the first quarter (Q2) of 2025.

In an interview with NAN on Wednesday, Tony Emoekpere, president of ATCON, said the hike is necessary to enable its members to improve the quality of their services.

The association, established on December 10, 1993, is a professional, non-profit and non-political umbrella organisation representing telecommunications companies in Nigeria.

Emoekpere said the biggest challenge in the industry is currency depreciation which has negatively affected the quality of service.

“Like I have said before, revenue being generated is not enough to support the ongoing operations of most of the telcos and the infrastructure providers as well,” the president said.

“So, the earlier a firm decision is made on this issue, the better for the industry.

“Nigeria does not have a stagnant population; the population is growing every day. More and more people are coming to the bracket where they need operators’ services.”

Emoekpere urged the ministry of communications, innovation and digital economy, and the NCC to seriously consider the call for a tariff increase, highlighting the value chain nature of the sector.

Although the NCC has not officially announced any tariff increases, Emoekpere said discussions about harmonising tariffs have taken place in the past.

He said while a growing population demands more products and investments, businesses need to charge reasonable tariffs to remain sustainable and avoid negative impacts.

“So, we call upon the Ministry of Communication and the regulators to look into this matter and take a firm decision, at least by the first quarter of 2025,’’ the president said.

“Already, people are complaining about quality of service and things like that.

“The big challenge is that as things stand, due to the current revenue depreciation, so to speak, especially on dollar terms, there is no way it is not going to have an adverse effect on quality of service.

“It will also have an adverse effect on service and status of the infrastructure because there will be no incentive to invest.”

On December 30, 2024, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) echoed similar concerns.