Here is your Forbes Daily Briefing bonus story of the week. Today on Forbes, Africa's billionaires

are richer than ever. It was a banner year for Africa's billionaires, whose cumulative

wealth surpassed $100 billion for the first time ever. Africa's 22 billionaires saw their fortunes rise to a total of $105 billion, up from $82.4 billion

and 20 billionaires last year.

It's no small feat to generate this level of wealth on the continent, where political uncertainty,

currency crises, and challenging consumer markets are routine.

Last May, Zimbabwe ditched the country's Zimbabwe dollar in favor of the Zieg,

a gold-backed currency aimed at curbing the nation's hyperinflation problem.

Still, the growth for Africa's wealthiest is in line with global equity markets,

which rose 22% in the 12 months

ended February 2025, according to MSCI. Aliko Dangote of Nigeria tops the list for the 14th year

in a row, with an estimated net worth of $23.9 billion, up from $13.9 billion a year ago. The big jump in his fortune is primarily

due to Forbes adding the value of his refinery, which opened last year on the outskirts of Lagos

after long delays. The refinery struggled for years to take off due to regulatory disputes

and other setbacks, but started

refining a small amount of oil in early 2024, and is slated to reach full capacity this

month.

That has allowed Nigeria, a major oil-producing country, to begin exporting some refined

petroleum products.

The 67-year-old Dengote told Forbes in February, quote,

this is a very, very big relief. Dengote, now one of the world's 100 richest people,

believes that his latest project is, quote, a pivotal step in ensuring that Africa has the

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