(Ecofin Agency) - 23 Africans have been listed in the 2016 edition of the world billionaire ranking published by Forbes on March 1, 2016. The top two of this list are Nigerians.

6 of the African listed in the ranking in 2015 exited it this year. These are Stephen Saad (South Africa); Onsi Sawiris (Egypt), Miloud Chaabi (Moroocco) Samih Sawiris (Egypt), Sudhir Ruparelia (Uganda) and Rostam Aziz (Tanzania) whose respective fortunes dropped below a billion dollars.

Here is the ranking listing the 23 African with a fortune exceeding the billion dollars :

1)    Aliko Dangote (photo): $15.4 billion (Nigeria)

2)    Mike Adenuga: $10 billion (Nigeria)

3)    Nicky Oppenheimer: $6.6 billion (South Africa)

4)    Christoffel Wiese: $5.8 billion (South Africa)

5)    Johann Rupert: $5.3 billion (South Africa)

6)    Nassef Sawiris : $3.7 billion (Egypt)

7)    Nathan Kirsh : $3.7 billion (Swaziland)

8)    Issad Rebrab : $3.1 billion(Algeria)

9)    Isabelle Dos Santos : $3 billion (Angola)

10)  Naguibs Sawiris : $3 billion (Egypt)

11) Mohamed Mansour : $2.5 billion (Egypt)

12) Mohamed Al Fayed : $1.9 billion (Egypt)

13) Othman Benjelloun : $1.9 billion (Morocco)

14) Femi Otedola: $1.8 billion (Nigeria)

15) Youssef Mansour: $1.7 billion (Egypt)

16) Folorunsho Alakija: $1.6 billion (Nigeria)

17) Allan Gray : $1.6 billion (South Africa)

18) Yasseen Mansour: $1.4 billion (Egypt)

19) Koos Bekker: $1.4 billion (South Africa)

20) Aziz Akhannouch: $1.3 billion (Morocco)

21) Abdulsamad Rabiu: $1.1 billion (Nigeria)

22) Patrice Motsepe : $1.1 billion (South Africa)

23) Mohammed Dewji: $1.1 billion (Tanzania)

At the global level, the number of billionaires dropped for the first time since 2009, their overall fortune also did according to Forbes.

There are 1,810 billionaires all over the globe, thus 16 less than a year before. Combined wealth was at $6,480 billion, thus $570 billion less than in 2015.

According to Forbes, the fall is attributable to unstable stock markets, tumbling oil price and strong dollar.

Among last year’s top 20 world billionaires, only two kept their position. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, for the third consecutive year, is the richest man in the world, with $75 billion, thus 4.2 billion less than the year before.

Founder of clothing brand Zara, the Spanish Amacio Ortega, comes second ($67 billion in 2015 against 64.5 billion in 2014) while American business mogul Warren Buffet remains third (60.8 billion, down 11.9 billion compared to the year before). Fallen from the second to the fourth place is Mexican Carlos Slim who lost 27.1 billion over the year reaching $50 billion, against 77.1 billion a year earlier.

Facebook’s 31-year CEO, Mark Zuckerbeg, is of all billionaires the one who had the best year. His wealth grew by $11.2 billion to $44.6 billion. He soared from the 16th place to the 6th.