Owner and president of Le Creuset, Paul van Zuydam, has been ranked among South Africa’s dollar-billionaires on Forbes’ annual rankings.
While Van Zuydam has been tracked by Forbes in its live rankings since December 2025, his debut in the annual ranking marks his official position among the 3,428 dollar billionaires.
The live rankings track daily fluctuations in wealth among the world’s entrepreneurs, investors and heirs, often seeing people dip in and out of billionaire status as markets shift.
The annual Forbes ranking, however, serves as the key snapshot of extreme wealth, with those ranked solidified in the status until the next year’s listing.
With his debut, Van Zuydam joins the seven other familiar faces who rank among South Africa’s billionaires, including investor Jannie Mouton, who was added to the list in 2025.
Leading as South Africa’s richest man is Johann Rupert, who retains the title with a net worth of approximately $16.1 billion (R264 billion).
The investor and heir saw a massive $2.1 billion gain on his net worth over the past year, much higher than anyone else on the South African ranking.
Rupert is followed by frequent number-two, Nicky Oppenheimer, whose net worth didn’t grow as significantly over the past year, adding $200 million.
Mining and minerals magnate Patrice Motsepe reclaimed the third position in the country, moving ahead of media tycoon Koos Bekker, who dropped to fifth, below Capitec founder Michiel le Roux.
Mouton climbed ahead of retail businessman Christo Wiese, with Van Zuydam making his entry at $1.7 billion (R28 billion).
Notably, all of South Africa’s billionaires saw their wealth grow over the past 12 months, adding at least $7.7 billion (R126 billion) to their collective wealth, bringing their total to $37 billion (R734 billion).
After Rupert, Le Roux saw the largest wealth increase, adding $1.6 billion to his net worth, followed by Motsepe (+$1.3 billion) and Mouton (+$1.2 billion).
| # | Billionaire | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
| 178 | Johann Rupert | $14.0 billion | $16.1 billion | +$2,100 million |
| 304 | Nicky Oppenheimer | $10.4 billion | $10.6 billion | +$200 million |
| 984 | Patrice Motsepe | $3.0 billion | $4.3 billion | +$1,300 million |
| 1137 | Michiel Le Roux | $2.2 billion | $3.8 billion | +$1,600 million |
| 1189 | Koos Bekker | $3.4 billion | $3.6 billion | +$200 million |
| 1560 | Jannie Mouton | $1.5 billion | $2.7 billion | +$1,200 million |
| 2177 | Christo Wiese | $1.5 billion | $1.9 billion | +$400 million |
| 2386 | Paul van Zuydam | $1.7 billion | +~$700 million | |
| Total | $37.0 billion | $44.7 billion | +$7.7 billion* |
100-year-old legacy
Van Zuydam’s fortunes are tied to the luxury Le Creuset brand, which has grown into a R14-billion-a-year cookware giant.
The brand was founded in 1925 in the small French town of Fresnoy-le-Grand, strategically located along major shipping routes for iron, coke, and sand.
The company stood out early by applying colourful enamel to cast-iron cookware, first showcased in its now-famous “Volcanic Flame” orange pot.
By the mid-1980s, however, the company’s success had unravelled. Family infighting and rising debt left Le Creuset financially weakened.
Around this time, Van Zuydam, then chairman and CEO of homeware group Prestige, caught wind of the troubles and, convinced of the brand’s potential, negotiated a deal to buy it.
Van Zuydam resigned from Prestige, obtained French government approval, and personally purchased Le Creuset.
Under his ownership, Le Creuset was rebuilt around its core strengths. Capacity was doubled, output rose to more than 20,000 products a day, and the company expanded globally.
It also diversified into ceramics and other cookware while keeping cast-iron production in France. Today, it generates over $850 million (R14 billion) in annual revenue.
The success of Le Creuset has cemented Van Zuydam’s position among the world’s richest people, ranking as the 2,386th wealthiest person in the world.
Among South Africa’s billionaires, Van Zuydam, at 87, is also the oldest, with Christo Wiese, three years his junior, at 84.
