(Ecofin Agency) - In its 2017 rankings of African billionaires, Forbes revealed that the number of African billionaires has dwindled again amid persisting economic turmoil over the continent.

The US magazine has indeed listed only 21 billionaires in its rankings for the current year, against 23 in 2015 and 28 in 2014. The individuals’ combined wealth in 2017, according to Forbes, stood at $70 billion.

At the top of the rankings remains Aliko Dangote, who keeps his crown for the sixth consecutive year. The Nigerian businessman’s wealth was estimated at $12.1 billion, thus $5 billion less than at the end of 2015. Nipping at his heels is South African diamond tycoon Nicky Oppenheimer with a wealth of $7 billion, ahead of Nigerian Mike Adenuga ($5.8 billion) and South African Johann Rupert ($5.5bn).

In the rankings, South Africa and Egypt are the most represented six billionaires listed, each. (See full rankings down).

This year, Forbes listed only two women in the rankings. These are Isabel dos Santos from Angola who remains Africa’s richest women with an estimated wealth of $3.2 billion and Nigerian Folorunsho Alakija.

Youngest to be listed in the rankings is Tanzanian Mohammed Dewji, 41-year old ($1.4bn).

Forbes rankings of Africa’s billionaires in 2017

1-Aliko Dangote ($12.1 billion, Nigeria)

2- Nicky Oppenheimer ($7 billion, South Africa)

3- Mike Adenuga ($5.8 billion, Nigeria)

4-Johann Rupert ($5.5 billion, South Africa)

5-Christoffel Wiese ($5.5 billion, South Africa)

6-Nassef Sawiris ($5.3 billion, Egypt)

7-Naguib Sawiris ($3.7 billion, Egypt)

8-Isabel dos Santos ($3.2 billion, Angola)

9- Issad Rebrab ($3.1 billion Algeria)

10-Mohamed Mansour ($2.7, billion Egypt)

11- Koos Bekker ($2 billion, South Africa)

12-Othman Benjelloun ($1.9 billion Morocco)

13-Yasseen Mansour ($1.8 billion Egypt)

14-Folorunsho Alakija ($1.6 billion Nigeria)

15-Patrice Motsepe ($1.6 billion, South Africa)

16-Aziz Akhannouch ($1.4 billion, Morocco)

17-Mohammed Dewji ($1.4 billion, Tanzania)

18-Youssef Mansour ($1.1 billion, Egypt)

19-Onsi Sawiris ($1.1 billion, Egypt)

20-Anas Sefrioui ($1.1 billion, Morocco)

21-Stephen Saad ($1.1 billion, South Africa)