2022 Bold African Female Voices in Entertainment
Uncle Waffles
Uncle Waffles
Uncle Waffles
South Africa
Lungelihle Zwane (above), known as Uncle waffles in a South African DJ from eSwatini known for playing amapiano. Social media went wild wen she got reposted by Drake on his Instagram stories. She has become more than a social media sensation and recently released her EP Red Dragon and continued to tour the world.
Tems
Uncle Waffles
Uncle Waffles
Nigeria
Nigerian producer, singer, and songwriter Temilade Openiyi popularly known as Tems has made her mark as a musical force to be reckoned with. From learning how to make beats through watching Youtube videos, to collaborating with iconic music superstars such as Drake, Future, and Wizkid, Tems has made it clear that she is one of one when to comes to music.
Thuso Mbedu
Uncle Waffles
Elsa Majimbo
South Africa
South African actress Thuso Nokwanda Mbedu, who made her international debut in the Amazon Video limited series The Underground Railroad , soared as one of Hollywood's most prominent black female voices this year when she starred in hit movie The Woman King alongside Viola Davis. She has also won the Independent Spirit Award, Gotham Award, and Hollywood Critics Association Award.
Elsa Majimbo
Osas Ighodaro
Elsa Majimbo
Kenya
Elsa Majimbo went from being an internet sensation, getting us through the the COVID-19 lockdown with her satirical monologues, to becoming the first Kenyan to grace the cover of Forbes 30 under 30.
Osas Ighodaro
Osas Ighodaro
Osas Ighodaro
Nigeria
Nollywood actress Osas Ighodaro recently celebrated 10 years in the entertainment industry, and was awarded as "Best Actress in a Drama" at the 2022 AMVCA for her role in "Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story". She has gone out to become a humanitarian and through her foundation, she managed to raise funds and awareness for the fight against Malaria.
Anne Kansiime
Osas Ighodaro
Osas Ighodaro
Uganda
Ugandian comedian Anne Kansiime Kubiryaba, popularly known as Anne Kansiime, went from posting some of her sketch comedy skits on YouTube to becoming a philanthropist. She was recently featured on Beenie Gunter’s ‘Elevated’ album which was released on 18th April 2022.
2022 Bold African Female Voices in Corporate and Enterprise
Mpumi Madisa
Diane Karusisi
Diane Karusisi
South Africa
Nompumelelo Thembekile Madisa is an executive and the first black African female to be appointed as CEO of Bidvest Group, a JSE top 40 company. The South African CEO holds a Masters in Finance and Investment, BComm Honours in Economics and BSc in Economics and Mathematics.
Diane Karusisi
Diane Karusisi
Diane Karusisi
Rwanda
Dr. Diane Karusisi is the CEO of one of Rwanda's largest banks, Bank of Kigali. She previously worked as the head of strategy and policy as well as chief economist for the President of Rwanda. As CEO, Diane has managed to work on the growth of BK Group into General Insurance, Investment Banking and Technology
Rebecca Miano
Diane Karusisi
Catherine Lesetedi
Kenya
Rebecca Miano is the CEO KenGen Plc, one of East Africa's largest producer of electricity. Rebecca has a background in law, which has made her an eligible candidate in politics, as she now serves as a Cabinet Secretary
at Ministry of EAC,ASALs & Regional Development Kenya.
Catherine Lesetedi
Catherine Lesetedi
Catherine Lesetedi
Botswana
Catherine Lesetedi is the CEO of Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited (BIHL). Catherine is a Statistics graduate from the University of Botswana and started her career in innsurance back in 1992.
Miriam Olusanya
Catherine Lesetedi
Miriam Olusanya
Nigeria
Miriam Chidiebele Olusanya is a managing director and the first African woman to fill the prestigious position at Guaranty Trust Bank, Nigeria. She joined Guaranty Trust Bank back in 1998 as a trainee and obtained her MBA at the University of Liverpool in 2011.
Anne Juuko
Catherine Lesetedi
Miriam Olusanya
Uganda
Anne Juuko is the managing director and CEO of one of Uganda's largest commercial banks, Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited. Anne obtained her Master of Strategic Planning from Heriot-Watt University Business School in the UK. She started working in banking from 2001 and held various positions including head of Global Markets for Stanbic Bank Uganda and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Namibia.
2022 Bold African Female Voices in Business
Mo Abudu
Dr Nonhlanhla Sitole, and Thato Schermer
Dr Nonhlanhla Sitole, and Thato Schermer
Nigeria
Mo Abudu is a Media mogul, and CEO of EbonyLife Network which encompasses EbonyLife TV, EbonyLife Films, EbonyLife ON, EbonyLife Studios, and EbonyLife Productions Limited (UK). She has been extensively involved in creating Nollywood African Films from the year 2006 and was part of the Forbes 100 most powerful women for 2021.
Dr Nonhlanhla Sitole, and Thato Schermer
Dr Nonhlanhla Sitole, and Thato Schermer
Dr Nonhlanhla Sitole, and Thato Schermer
South Africa
Dr Nonhlanhla Sitole, and Thato Schermer are cousins who co-founded a digital health and wellness clinic Zoie Health, which aims to facilitate virtual medical consultations, contraceptive delivery subscriptions and a community chat for women in Africa to make quality women’s healthcare more accessible for millions of women.
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch
Dr Nonhlanhla Sitole, and Thato Schermer
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch
Morocco
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch is a Moroccan business woman who founded the AKSAL Group in 2004. The group is the sole franchisee for 45 leading brands in Morocco, including Emporio Armani, Fendi, Gucci, Oysho, Ralph Lauren, Zara, Banana Republic, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, and Gap. The company specializes in retail beauty, cosmetics, luxury goods and malls.
Jihan Abass
Tomilola Majekodunmi
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch
Kenya
Jihan Abass is the founder of Lami, a insurance technology company based in Kenya. Jihan has raised $3.7 million in a seed extension round, and is focused on democratising access to insurance using technology.
Mpoomy Ledwaba
Tomilola Majekodunmi
Tomilola Majekodunmi
South Africa
Mpoomy Ledwaba is a Podcaster, digital entrepreneur, and international speaker. Mpoomy made her first million at the age of 27, and has since been involved in digital entrepreneurship focused in content creation and recently ventured into having her own podcast named Wisdom & Wellness with Mpoomy Ledwaba podcast.
Tomilola Majekodunmi
Tomilola Majekodunmi
Tomilola Majekodunmi
Nigeria
Tomilola Majekodunmi is the the co-founder and CEO of Bankly, a company that uses ahybrid model (humans and tech) to enable people to make payments, save, withdraw, and transfer money to other people, especially in locations where physical banks are difficult to access.
2022 Bold African Female Voices in Activism and Leadership
Vanessa Nakate
Vanessa Nakate
Vanessa Nakate
Uganda
Vanessa Nakate is a Ugandan climate justice activist. Vanessa has been an instrumental voice in raising awareness on the danger of climate change, the causes and the impacts. She spearheaded the campaign to save Congo’s rainforest, which is facing massive deforestation and has recently been appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Aya Chebbi
Vanessa Nakate
Vanessa Nakate
Tunisia
Aya Chebbi is a multi award-winning Pan-African feminist and activist. She became the first appointed African Union Envoy on Youth in November 2018 and youngest senior official in the history of the African Union and youngest diplomat in the chairperson's cabinet. Aya is also the founder of Nala Feminist collective, focused on mobilizing young women and closing the gap between policy and implementation.
Edith Yah Brou
Vanessa Nakate
Edith Yah Brou
Côte d'Ivoire
Edith Yah Brou is a digital activist, writer, and founder of online women's magazine called Ayana. Edith co-founded Akendewa and AfricanContents Group which is a production company.
Mzikazi Nduna
Mzikazi Nduna
Edith Yah Brou
South Africa
Prof Mzikazi Nduna is the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at University of Fort Hare. Her research interests in sexuality include aspects of gender and gender-based violence, psychological distress, safe sex, HIV risk, living with HIV and cultural influences in sexuality. She is interested in studies of women, young people and sexual minorities (LGBTI). Mzi is a member of the gender-based violence Prevention Network for the Horn, East and Southern Africa and Management Committee of GenderDynamix.
Waris Dirie
Mzikazi Nduna
Judy Kihumba
Somalia
Waris Dirie is a Somalian model author, actress and human rights activist in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation. She opened the world's first holistic medical center for the treatment and care of FGM victims in Berlin together with the Waldfriede Hospital as a cooperation hospital of the Desert Flower Foundation, and also gives girls access to education and empowers women.
Judy Kihumba
Mzikazi Nduna
Judy Kihumba
Kenya
Judy Kihumba is a sign language interpreter and an advocate of maternal mental health and wellness of deaf nursing mums. She is also the founder of Talking Hands, Listening Eyes on PPD (THLEP), which focuses on walking the motherhood journey with deaf mums and breaking the silence on postpartum depression (PPD).