One South African university has produced 28 living centi-millionaires and five billionaires
South Africa’s Stellenbosch University has produced more living centi-millionaires and billionaires than any other university in Africa.
This was highlighted in the latest New World Wealth’s 2026 Africa Wealth Report published in June 2026.
Stellenbosch University has produced 28 living centi-millionaires and five living billionaires as of June 2026.
This gives the university what the report described as an “unmatched track record” for producing ultra-wealthy alumni.
According to the report, South Africa has 48,200 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), 131 centi-millionaires and 10 billionaires living within its borders as of June 2026.
“Following a strong past two years, South Africa is now the wealthiest country in Africa by some margin with 48,200 HNWIs in residence as at June 2026, along with 131 centi-millionaires and 10 billionaires,” New World Wealth said.
“This means South Africa now accounts for a substantial 38% of Africa’s total millionaires and 36% of its billionaires.”
The report also ranks South Africa 34th globally by the number of millionaire residents, ahead of countries such as Turkey and Thailand and just behind Poland.
Stellenbosch University’s history stretches back to the 19th century. Academic activity in the town began with the establishment of the Theological Seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1859, followed by the opening of Stellenbosch Gymnasium in 1866.
An Arts Department was added in 1874 to provide tertiary-level courses, while the institution became Victoria College in 1887. On 2 April 1918, it became an independent university under the University Act of 1916.
Today, Stellenbosch University is a major public research institution with 10 faculties across five campuses in the Western Cape.
It operates in a multilingual academic environment incorporating English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.
The university’s research and academic performance have also helped establish its reputation beyond South Africa.
Its academics produced about 17,000 peer-reviewed papers over a five-year period, according to the 2026 QS World University Rankings for Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Billionaires who studied at Stellenbosch University
The university also has the second-highest proportion of academic staff with PhDs in South Africa.
Its research also has a strong international citation impact, with Stellenbosch leading South Africa in citations per faculty member in the QS World University Rankings.
However, the wealth of some of its former students has attracted particular attention in the New World Wealth report.
Among its billionaire alumni is Christo Wiese, who graduated with a BA and LLB from Stellenbosch in 1967.
Wiese became one of South Africa’s best-known retail entrepreneurs through his involvement with Shoprite and Pepkor.
Koos Bekker, former Napers’ chief executive and current chairman, also studied at Stellenbosch, completing an undergraduate law degree and an honours degree in literature.
Michiel le Roux, founder and former chief executive of Capitec Bank, graduated with a BCom Law and LLB from the university.
Businessman Jannie Mouton, founder of PSG Group and an important figure in the development of Capitec, completed a BCom Honours degree at the university.
Johann Rupert, South Africa’s richest man, also has longstanding ties to the university.
While he left before completing his economics and law studies to pursue a business career in New York, Stellenbosch later awarded him an honorary doctorate in economics in 2004.
Rupert subsequently served as the university’s chancellor from 2009 to 2019 and is an honorary professor at Stellenbosch Business School.
Additionally, the surrounding region, the Cape Winelands (Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek), is identified as Africa’s second-largest billionaire hub after Cairo.
More images of Stellenbosch University
Loading ...