Innholdsfortegnelse for February - March 2025 i Forbes Africa

Barely a month into the new year, and there’s a surfeit of AI news in my inbox. Take it or leave it, for good or for worse, AI is undeniably mainstreaming and pervading every aspect of our lives as a common thread, provoking wonderment, and even woe. The stats predict widespread adoption of AI; 92% of South African CIOs anticipate that for this year, with continued AI rollout. There are also facts emerging that we need to examine with equanimity: that cutting-edge technology will have not just a pivotal but also a deep, personal and intimate role in our lives. In a way, it has unwittingly made multi-hyphenates of each one of us, as we lead our lives adapting, with multiple tabs open at all times and adding more hyphens…

John Mahama (pictured left) was sworn in as Ghana’s President, returning to power in January after winning 56.6% of the vote in December 2024’s election. The inauguration in the capital Accra also marked a historic moment as Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang became the first woman to serve as Vice President. In his address, Mahama acknowledged the country’s economic struggles, stating, “The circumstances we find ourselves in are indeed dire, and even so, I’ll be decisive and swift in my actions.” He outlined plans to focus on economic stability, business growth, governance reforms, and anti-corruption efforts. “Imagine a Ghana where our markets are alive and bustling at all hours of the day,” Mahama said, emphasizing the potential for growth in agriculture and agribusiness. He pledged to take “26 actions within my first…

Reinvention is not to be taken lightly. Just ask the women in their 30s and 40s doing just that, armed with a tote bag filled with hard-learned lessons and a playbook stuffed with life notes. These women will tell you that their 20s were spent wearing out their heels, to be able to bring their true selves to work and confidently stride into the next chapters of their life - the thriving 30s and fabulous 40s - that they are determined to script themselves. They are defying society’s conventional definitions of success to boldly stand out from the crowd - in their pointed Manolo Blahniks. “The biggest lie we have ever been told is that we are stagnant at this stage. I am thriving; I love my 30s,” says Rawdah…

THE 2013 collision that resulted in Bandile Dlabantu’s vehicle rolling onto the opposite side of the road after being hit by a bus that lost control could easily have been fatal. Instead, it served as a catalyst for one of Africa’s most innovative waste management solutions. “Life can end this quickly. I could have been gone in that moment…” Dlabantu recalls thinking as he emerged from the wreck with only a few bruises and a handful of glass cuts. “I thought to myself, if I can go through that and walk out, what’s stopping me from doing whatever it is that I want to do?” That revelation nurtured a seed that had already been planted — to pioneer an alternative approach to farm feed production. The idea had fascinated Dlabantu…

The fact that Africa has a shortage of clinical oncologists has been widely publicized. One international medical journal estimated that Nigeria, for example, has around 70 oncologists to serve a population of 213 million people. In South Africa - and in Johannesburg, in particular - it’s been reported that Gauteng’s health department has allocated millions to cancer care to assist the main hospitals that have become overwhelmed with patients needing critical treatment. And while there is definitely a skills shortage, Dr Duvern Ramiah, the head of radiation oncology at the University of the Witwatersrand and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, explains that no one had really done a deep dive into what is actually holding up access to these life-saving interventions. “The main bottleneck with radiation and oncology treatment is…

It is a word that does not roll off the tongue, though “kakistocracy” perfectly captures the wave of frustrations many encounter at work. Derived from the Greek words ‘kakistos’ (worst) and ‘kratos’ (rule), it refers to leadership by the least competent or most inept. Once confined to political commentary, kakistocracy is increasingly a talking point in all types of organizations, from large corporations to small businesses, not-for-profits and community groups. It is not that there are not enough excellent examples of well-led organizations out there. Yet, as we start the new working year, too many organizations will continue to flounder, steered by leaders who prioritize ego over expertise and appearances over meaningful outcomes. Kakistocracy epitomizes a leadership style driven not by progress but by personal gain, favoritism and an unfortunate…

Imagine a young entrepreneur in Nairobi, a brilliant mind with a game-changing idea. She has the passion, the drive, and the solution to a critical problem. Her name is Akinyi. With no real experience in business, Akinyi sensibly decides to invest some time immersing herself in the top management books. She devours The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and becomes super-proactive. She studies Good to Great and meticulously crafts her niche offering using the hedgehog model. She reads Start with Why and contemplates the deeper purpose of her product. And she diligently applies the lessons from How to Win Friends and Influence People in all her day-to-day interactions. Yet, despite this, Akinyi, like hundreds of thousands of other entrepreneurs before her, ultimately fails in her quest. Why? Because all…

In December last year, Benin-born artist Hubert Sodoganji, popularly known as Amémé, released his remix of five-time Grammy award-winning singer Angelique Kidjo’s 30-year-old iconic track Agolo. The significant cultural connection and collaboration, as both artists are from the West African nation of Benin, has allowed Sodoganji to house his distinct brand of Afro-house to the track, which for him emphasizes the importance of bridging generational gaps in music. Before gaining global recognition between 2019 and 2020, from Monday to Friday, Sodoganji worked in the finance sector, in banking, in New York City. On weekends, he honed in on his skills as a DJ playing gigs around the city. That came to a stop when he decided to pursue his passion full-time, leaving his corporate job to integrate fully into the…

ACCORDING TO REGION: West Africa - 48% Southern African Development Community (SADC) - 36% East Africa -16% The industry represented the most on the list is the entertainment sector, which also points to the prevalence of Africa’s creative economy and the growing contributions of women in this sector. The youngest person on the list is Ada Nduka Oyom who is 30 years old.…

It’s 9 p.m. in Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre when five performers take the stage. Eminem’s “Shake That” blasts from the speakers, and the male dancers start to tear off their clothes. As they strip down to their last layer, an energized Alexandra Cooper appears behind them in her signature pink sweat set. “Welcome to the Unwell Tour!” Cooper, 30, shouts to the 5,000 screaming young women who have packed the house. After the burlesque show, Cooper talks about growing up in Newtown, Pennsylvania, playing Division I soccer at Boston University and her rollercoaster sex life. Multiple dance numbers and outfit changes later, pop star Camila Cabello and comedian Heather McMahan join her for on-stage interviews before a performance by “Man Eater” singer Nelly Furtado closes out the show. It’s the…

LATE LASTYEAR, Penelope Terranova posted a call to action on LinkedIn. Her post wasn’t just another entry in the digital ether; it was a rallying cry to experts. She sought professionals skilled in accounting, legal, and business growth to help transform Africa’s overlooked startup ecosystems. The post, which listed 18 priority countries — excluding the continent’s ‘Big 4’ of Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa — sparked a reaction. One comment from a Nigerian Linked In user encapsulated a common sentiment: “Coming to Africa and leaving out Africa’s most populous nation and biggest economy, which is Nigeria, is very strange.” Terranova responded with a measured explanation. “The Big 4 capture over 80% of all investment on the continent,” she wrote. “That is why they are not in our priority of…

A few decades ago, South Africa witnessed the rise of Japanese automotive brands like Kia, Hyundai, and Suzuki, which boldly entered the market to challenge well-established mass volume players like Toyota, Volkswagen (VW) and Nissan. Over time, these brands not only carved out significant market shares but also won the hearts of South Africans with their affordability, innovation and reliability. Today, a similar story is unfolding - this time with Chinese automotive brands rapidly making their mark on South Africa and the broader African continent. Brands like Great Wall Motor Company (GWM), Haval and Chery have already secured spots in the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa’s (NAAMSA) top 10 sales charts. Meanwhile, newer entrants such as GAC, Jetour, LDV and Dongfeng are aiming to steadily build momentum.…

Nigerian Ndubuisi Egbo is little known on his own continent even though he played professionally in both Egypt and South Africa and kept goal for the Super Eagles. His playing career ended in Albania, a most unlikely destination for an African footballer but a country where he has gone on to write his own piece of personal history. Egbo holds the distinction of being the only African coach to have won a league title in Europe, hopefully breaking down an up-to-now formidable barrier of entry. African coaches in Europe have been sparse; a handful of Angolans in the Portuguese league, the Senegalese Omar Daf in France’s Ligue 2 and former Nigerian superstar Sunday Oliseh, who took Fortuna Sittard up to the Dutch first division but has battled to get a…

The artificial intelligence (AI) landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, moving away from its reliance on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). These powerful computer chips, initially designed for rendering graphics, have been the backbone of AI advancements for over a decade, enabling breakthroughs in deep learning, natural language processing, and self-driving cars. However, as AI systems become increasingly complex and demanding, the limitations of GPUs are becoming increasingly apparent. GPUs are inherently energy-intensive, requiring vast amounts of electricity and water to power the complex calculations that underpin AI training. This contributes to rising operational costs and raises significant environmental concerns due to the carbon emissions associated with energy and water consumption. Furthermore, while adept at parallel processing, GPU architecture must facilitate handling the massive datasets and intricate algorithms that characterize modern…

The policies of all powers are inherent in their geography. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) of the European Union (EU) refers to a tool to put a fair price on the carbon emitted on goods entering the EU. The EU would have us know. Climate change is a global problem that needs global solutions. Although caused by the indiscriminate few, it’s disproportionately affecting the innocent many. ‘Carbon leakage’ allegedly occurs when EU companies move carbon-intensive production to countries with less-stringent climate policies or when EU products get replaced by them. So, African economies in dire need of rapid industrialization and accelerated energy access have to tread carefully lest they run foul of this policy. There is an inherent risk of arbitrary application, as the policy is ‘to ensure the…

The China Development Bank recently released a $254.76-million loan for the construction of a 203-kilometer standard-gauge railway linking Kano and Kaduna, two major states in northern Nigeria. The railway is being built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. The railway project is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which Nigeria joined in 2018. According to the bank, the railway will promote the development of related industries along the route, creating numerous job opportunities in Nigeria. The bank has also supported other projects in Nigeria, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port in the commercial capital Lagos. “This railway will also promote the development of related industries along the route. The construction and operation of the project will create numerous job opportunities in Nigeria,” the bank said. The loan announcement preceded…

Twenty years on since your mother, Professor Wangari Maathai, won the Nobel Peace Prize, how much does she influence your thinking even now? We are working on a year-long celebration of the 20 years of the Nobel prize. In 2004, my mother was the first environmentalist and first African woman to receive the prize, and it has so many moments of resonance with things that we are still realizing 20 years later. We feel that it’s really important to unpack the power of that prize, the foresight that she had, a lot of the warnings that she gave us, and just the way she so effortlessly and brilliantly wove sustainability with the environment. That message still resonates, and she made history 20 years ago. The power, beauty, wisdom and genius…

Remember those illustrations in the 1976 children’s book The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Story of Louis Pasteur? Tiny warriors drawn inside syringes, ready to battle disease. What once captured children’s imagination is now a scientific reality. Today, AI is turning this vivid imagery into a radical new approach to fighting cancer: nanorobotics - sophisticated molecular machines that are redefining how we target and treat tumors. “These are kind of like rocket ships,” explains Dr Divya Chander “your rocket ship could be a bacterial cell, or it could be a virus… or it can be a nanorobot that we create, but essentially it can hold a payload. And so, the shell, the main structure, is something that can actually be activated, like a heat seeking missile.” These tiny machines,…

The continent is anticipated to reach $2.9 billion in cryptocurrency revenue this year, and this growth is only going to grow exponentially as crypto becomes increasingly relevant to a digital-sawy population that’s distrustful of traditional banking services. In 2022, the World Bank reported that well over 50% of adults in 16 economies across 36 surveyed have a bank account. While account ownership has increased, the continent remains a financial playground where innovative solutions and transformative approaches to money management flourish. Mobile money, says the World Bank, has redefined financial inclusion in countries like Kenya - M-PESA, for example, is the continent’s biggest success stoty and the lingo around its transactions has crept into local dialect. And cryptocurrency, says the 2024 Geography of Crypto Report by Chainalysis, has equally found its…

Italian coach Stefano Cusin started his adventures in African football with the tough assignment of trying to improve the fortunes of South Sudan, which, as the world’s youngest nation, had much catching up to do. His time spent in the country’s capital Juba helped transform South Sudan into a more competitive outfit, earning their rivals respect and the 56-year-old coach a good reputation. When he took on the job as Comoros Islands coach, it was a step-up in terms of potential even if the Comoros are among the continent’s smallest countries, and in footballing terms, also young. They exceeded expectations by qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon three years ago and at that tournament inflicted a shock defeat on four-time champions Ghana before booking an unlikely…

Towards the end of 2024, the discovery of trafficked minors at the Stilfontein mines in South Africa’s North West province spoke to a severe trafficking crisis. As it emerged, undocumented children, some as young as 10, were reportedly coerced into forced labor under alleged armed criminal syndicates. Trafficked from neighboring Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, these children had endured extensive abuse and exploitation. This harrowing discovery revealed systemic failures in combating trafficking. Throughout the annals of history, human trafficking has emerged as a deeply disturbing scourge of humanity. United States Senator Josh Hawley argues: “The swelling epidemic of human trafficking makes a mockery of the law and its protections.” Endeavors to deal with human trafficking, viewed from both international and legal perspectives, have required a multifaceted approach. By its…