Top 10 Richest Musicians In Africa

Africa continues to produce immensely talented musicians who rise above their talents thus crossing over internationally.  At number 8, we have our very own legend Hugh Masekela. Brace yourself for the richest and most powerful African Musicians (The actual figures are not available). In no particular order, we present to you the top 10 most succesful musicians in Africa.

Jose Chamelelon- Ugandan artist who sings in English, Swahili and Luganda.

Music Type– Traditional Ugandan folk music, a bit of rumba and a heavy reggae influence.

Proof : He has a mansion outside of Kampala and four cars (including a Cadillac Escalade and a Benz) are evidence of his success, particularly with his hit, Valu Valu. He’s been credited with changing the face of music in Uganda, as well as making local music accessible to the rest of the world.

Banky W-  Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981) Born in the United States.

Proof: Most of his wealth have come from endorsement deals with companies such as Estisalat and Samsung in Nigeria. He also started the Mr. Capable Foundation, an education charity that provides tuition scholarships for disadvantaged children.

Hugh Masekela- (born 4 April 1939) is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.

Proof: He was nominated for Grammy award in the ” Best Contemporary Pop Perfomance- instrumental” category in 1968.

2Face Idibia- Is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer. Born in September 18, 1975.

Proof : His most popular song, African Queen, took off after being featured in the movie Phat Girlz in 2006, but all of his five albums have been very well received around the world. His wealth comes from various real estate investments across Nigeria, as well as the $80,000 he commands per show.

Manu Dibango- Emmanuel “Manu” N’Djoké Dibango is a Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player. Born December 12, 1933.

Proof: He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk and traditional Cameroonian music.African music legend, Manu Dibango is arguably the most successful and richest African musician. His wealth and success come from concerts, record sales and other investments.

Fally Ipupa- is a Congolese singer-songwriter, dancer, philanthropist, guitarist and producer . Born December 14, 1977.

Proof: A former member of Quartier Latin International (along with Koffi Olomidé, who also made this list), went solo in 2006 and has been incredibly successful, both in his home country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as internationally. With MTV Africa Music and Kora awards under his belt, he’s racked up clothing endorsement deals in Paris as well as high commissions for his shows across the world, which are almost always sold-out.

Salif Keita- is an afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. Born August 25, 1949.

Proof: Salif Keita is a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire Sundiata Keita. He has a private island in France.

P-Square- are a Nigerian R&B duo composed of identical twin brothers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye.

Proof: After forming the group in 2005, their music developed a devoted following, particularly in South Africa, and each album outsold the previous one. They were named Artistes of the Year at the 2010 Kora Awards and now bring in more than $150,000 per show. Best of all, their shared home is worth more than $3 million and has been dubbed ‘Squareville’. 

D’banj- Born Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo (aka Koko Master)

Proof: has been performing in Nigeria and around the world since 2007, and was the first African artiste who signed with the music label GOOD, owned by Kanye West. The recipient of countless awards, D’banj is known for his unique sound of dance music and Afro beats. He is involved in a variety of investments, including a nightclub in Nigeria, brands such as Glo, Koko Garri Koko and was given his own reality show, Koko Mansion.

Koffi Olomid- Dubbing his style of music as tcha tcho, he considers it a blend of soukous music (dance music that originated from African rumba music).

Proof: He is noted for taking on controversial subjects in his lyrics, which has led him to be widely praised and criticized worldwide. Raking in over 100,000 euros per show, Olomidé is extremely popular across Africa and the world. One of his albums is listed in Robert Dimery’s book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Youssour N’dou- is a Senegalese singer, percussionist, songwriter, composer, occasional actor, businessman and a politician.

Proof- He is the second richest musician in Africa. He is the owner of the most biggest media house in Senegal.  This Grammy award winner owns a night club, a record label and television station.