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South African billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe’s net worth has plummeted by millions of dollars since the start of the year due to a decline in the value of the South African rand against the U.S. dollar.
The tumbling of South Africa’s national currency has significantly impacted the market value of Motsepe’s mining and financial services companies.
One of Africa’s richest businessmen and the wealthiest Black billionaire in Southern Africa, Motsepe has seen his net worth fall by $400 million since the year began — from $3.1 billion to $2.7 billion at the time of writing.
The majority of his net worth is derived from his 39.7-percent stake in African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), a South African mining company he founded in 1997. Motsepe also owns a substantial shareholding in Ubuntu-Botho Investments and African Rainbow Capital.
Motsepe’s stake in the mining firm, which has positions in a variety of mines including iron, coal, copper, gold, and other precious metals, was valued at $1.16 billion at the close of trading on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Tues., Aug. 9, significantly lower than its value of $1.3 billion at the start of this year.
His recent wealth loss puts him in the ranks of those African billionaires whose net worth has dropped by more than $300 million this year, including Ethiopia’s richest man Mohammed Al-Amoudi, South African billionaire Johann Rupert, Zimbabwean tech tycoon Strive Masiyiwa, and Swazi billionaire businessman Natie Kirsh.
The sharp depreciation of the rand, which has impacted the market valuation of his companies, most of which are based in South Africa, comes on the heels of a recent surge in demand for the U.S. dollar, as investors seek the safety of the greenback in an era of high economic uncertainty.
Despite his declining net worth, Motsepe remains not only one of South Africa’s richest men, but also one of the continent’s wealthiest billionaires.
