9 Africans Who Define Royalty, Wealth and Power

King Mswati III

If mention of an African ruler unsettles something within you, you might be conjuring a character akin to King Mswati III. The King of Swaziland and head of the Swazi Royal Family is considered Africa’s last absolute monarch. He has held the throne for 24 years now, since the age of 18. Mswati’s policies and lavish lifestyle has been known to incite controversy on the home front. Last week when pro-democracy activists and labor unionists took to the streets, his response was a three-part cocktail similar to what you’d recognize from America’s segregated south—teargas, weaponized water and beatings. He keeps a firm handle on the media, but news gets out about his life of obscene luxury and playboy exploits outside of his 13 wives, and his nonexistent plans to deal with the poverty and disease crippling Swaziland.