African billionaires are increasingly looking to foster growth in their countries and communities, improving the lives of those around them. Many have dedicated their time and resources to give back to society, focusing on enhancing healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. Here are ten prominent African billionaires leading the charge in philanthropy.
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1. Aliko Dangote
Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, is the founder and chairman of the Dangote Group and president of the Dangote Foundation. The Dangote Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the Dangote Group and has contributed over $100 million to various charitable causes across the continent.
For instance, the foundation issued $659,000 for Nigerian universities including $326,000 for the development of a business school in Bayero University and $65,000 for the proposed Otuoke University in Bayelsa State.
The Foundation also disbursed $150,000 to women in Kogi State as a micro-grant as part of the Kogi Human Capital Development initiative.
Further, the foundation donated $2 million to the World Food Programme to aid flood victims in Pakistan.
2. Tony Elumelu
Tony Elumelu is a Nigerian billionaire businessman and philanthropist responsible for the Tony Elumelu Foundation. The Foundation has a keen interest in supporting budding African entrepreneurs.
The foundation has disbursed over $100 million in direct funding to 20,000 young African entrepreneurs. The beneficiaries include over 5000 entrepreneurs from Nigeria, 795 from Uganda, 748 from Kenya, 638 from Benin Republic, 418 from Cameroon, 331 from Ghana, 331 from Tanzania, 331 from Chad, 221 from Zambia, and 220 from Rwanda.
These beneficiaries have in turn created over 400,000 employment opportunities and generated about $2.5 billion.
3. Prince Arthur Eze
Prince Arthur Eze is a Nigerian oil tycoon and one of the wealthiest people in Africa. He is the CEO of Atlas Oranto Petroleum and is also a politician. The prince, born into a traditional Nigerian royal family is known for his extensive philanthropic work through his NGO, Prince Arthur Eze Philanthropy and Empowerment International.
He donates a large portion of his fortune to charitable ventures like educational causes, universities, health care, anti-crime initiatives, disaster relief, politics and youth development.
Some of his philanthropic ventures include a $12 million donation for the construction of a youth development centre, an $800,000 donation for the construction of two schools in South Sudan and an $800,000 donation to the victims of the jihadist group Boko Haram.
4. Manu Chandaria
Kenyan businessman Manu Chandaria is the chair and CEO of the Kenyan-based steel and aluminium group Comcraft. He is responsible for the Chandaria Foundation founded in 1955. The goal was to help the less privileged in society. The foundation’s key interests are Education, Health, Arts and culture as well as any other innovative projects.
The foundation offers hundreds of scholarships to the less fortunate with a particular preference for more girls than boys. The charity organization operating in Kenya, Uganda, Mumbai and the UK has built schools, and medical clinics and is even involved in conservation, and planting trees. In addition, in 2022, they gave $78,000 to rehabilitate Langata Women’s Prison inmates.
5. Patrice Motsepe
South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe is one of Africa’s top philanthropists. The Motsepe family was the first family In Africa to join The Giving Pledge, started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. In 2013, the billionaire pledged half of the funds generated by his family assets to the poor.
Motsepe’s main focus is healthcare and through his Motsepe Foundation, he has contributed to HIV/AIDS cure research and cancer research. He has also contributed to wildlife, nature conservation and environmental protection.
The tycoon also recently donated $1 million to African countries affected by ebola. Over the past few years, Motsepe has contributed over $50 million to sustainable projects in South Africa.
His latest donation was $500,000 to the catholic church and Muslim faith in Ivory Coast.
6. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma
General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma is a Nigerian philanthropist, politician and businessman. Danjuma founded the TY Danjuma Foundation, a grant-making organization focusing on education and healthcare.
The foundation provides grants to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across Nigeria working in impoverished and underserved communities.
The foundation has awarded over $41 million in grants across Nigeria.
7. Strive Masiyiwa
Zimbabwean businessman is the founder and executive chairman of Econet, a diversified global telecommunications group with operations and investments in over 15 countries. His business interests also include renewable energy, financial services and hospitality.
Masiyiwa and his wife are signatories of the Bill Gates and Warren Buffett initiative known as the Giving Pledge. The magnate has made significant contributions to education, health and development programs.
He is the co-founder of Higherlife Foundation which has awarded scholarships to over 250,000 young Africans.
Moreover, the tycoon and his wife pledged $100 million to establish a fund to invest in rural Zimbabwean entrepreneurs.
In 2020 when Zimbabwean doctors went on strike, Masiyiwa swooped in and agreed to pay each of them a subsistence allowance of about $300 as well as provide them with transportation to work.
8. Mike Adenuga
Nigerian businessman Mike Adeunga is the founder of the Mike Adenuga Foundation. Having come from a humble background. Adenuga has a passion for helping the less fortunate in society. His foundation focuses on health, education, rural development, and entrepreneurship to promote growth and improve the living conditions of people across Africa.
The billionaire donated $326,000 to Nigeria’s Bayelsa State following devastating floods. He also contributed $979,000 to the Nigerian government during the COVID-19 pandemic.
9. Beny Steinmetz
Beny Steinmetz is an Israeli businessman and philanthropist. Steinmetz and his wife Agnes founded the Agnes and Beny Steinmetz Foundation, with a focus on education.
The foundation supports education, welfare, and health programs for children from their formative years until college. The foundation’s grants have benefited over 50,000 children and 7,000 parents.
10. Mohammed Dewji
Tanzanian business magnate Mohammed Dewji founded the Mo Dewji Foundation in 2014 to support the underprivileged in Tanzania.
In 2016 he became a signatory of Bill and Melinda Gates’s Giving Pledge where he pledged to give half his fortune to charity.
The foundation awards scholarships to determined and underprivileged youths.
The charity organization also has interests in healthcare with a keen focus on health programs for children.
