The article is dedicated to the analysis of business elites of African countries. The author relies on the annual ratings of billionaires of the American magazine Forbes and the Chinese research institute Hurun, as well as statistical studies of millionaires of various consulting firms. These sources create an empirical basis for research. The number, wealth, age and gender characteristics, the level of self-made, territorial distribution, sectoral specialization, global mobility and the degree of oligarchy of business elites in African countries are considered. The author compares the capitalist classes of African countries with the communities of major entrepreneurs of the world’s leading countries. Primarily the raw and agrarian nature of the African economies hinders the emergence of numerous and rich business elites on the continent. The positions of African entrepreneurs within the global capitalist class remain rather weak. Business elites of all African countries are united by a high degree of dependence on the main centers of global capitalism. This is manifested not only in the nature of the economies of African countries, but also in the orientation of African billionaires to receive education in the USA and Europe. This is also indicated by the orientation of global migrations of large entrepreneurs in African countries. The main centers of African capitalism are South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. The author pays special attention to the characteristics of the capitalist class of South Africa. This country has the most powerful and developed economy of the continent, which provides the appearance of the most numerous and wealthy capitalist class. An important feature of the business elite of South Africa is the transformation of its racial structure after 1994