Isabel do Santos, with an estimated net worth of $3.3 billion, the eldest daughter of Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos is the richest woman on the continent.
Isabel accumulated her wealth in oil, diamonds, as well as in the communications and banking sectors. She boasts shareholdings in Portuguese banks and energy firms such as Banco Portugues de Investimento and Portuguese Energias de Portugal respectively. In Angola, she’s the chairwoman of Unitel SA, one of the country’s largest mobile network companies, valued at more than $5 billion.
While it’s unclear how the 42-year-old mogul got her start, she says she used her savings to open one of Luanda’s most expensive nightclubs, Miami Beach. From there, she started a trucking company to transport products for the club and other businesses.
