Forbes Africa

Forbes Africa is the drama critic to business in Africa. The magazine helps readers connect the dots, form patterns and see beyond the obvious, giving them a completely different perspective. In doing this, it delivers sharp, in-depth and engaging stories by looking at global and domestic issues from an African prism.

Forbes Africa

2025, What Will Your Story Be?

FROM CORPORATE BANKER TO GLOBAL DJ

CHINA STRENGTHENS 53-YEAR-OLD NIGERIA TIES WITH RAILWAY LOAN

‘24-HOUR ECONOMY’: GHANA’S RETURNING PRESIDENT MAHAMA ON ECONOMIC ACTION

MORE YOUNG PEOPLE AND WOMEN GETTING CANCER

‘TRULY AFRICA’S WORLD CUP’: MOROCCO’S 2030 FOOTBALL SHOWCASE

COVER STORY OVER 30 UNDER 50 REDEFINING SUCCESS • THE FEMALE POWERHOUSES IN FORBES AFRICA’S OVER 30 UNDER 50 LIST - COMPILED FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR - ARE THE BUSINESS LEADERS, MUSICIANS, MODELS, MOVIE STARS, INNOVATORS AND ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE INTENT AND IMPACT ON THEIR VISION BOARDS, AS THEY SCALE GREATER HEIGHTS, REINVENT THEMSELVES AND REWRITE THE RULES IN THEIR 30s AND 40s.

THE TRAILBLAZERS ON FORBES AFRICA’S 2025 ‘OVER 30 UNDER 50’ LIST ARE FROM THESE COUNTRIES:

NATURE’S WARRIOR • THE MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR AFRICA AND GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS AT THE WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE, WANJIRA MATHAI HAS LED THE GREEN BELT MOVEMENT IN KENYA AS THE FORMER CHAIR, THE ORGANIZATION HER MOTHER, THE LATE WANGARI MAATHAI FOUNDED IN 1977. FROM NAIROBI, SHE SPOKE TO FORBES AFRICA ABOUT ISSUES SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND LANDSCAPE RESTORATION - CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS AS SHE HONORS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER MOTHER’S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. HERE ARE EXCLUSIVE EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW.

FARMER FERVOR • A NEAR-FATAL ACCIDENT COULD HAVE ENDED IT ALL FOR BANDILE DLABANTU BUT HE QUICKLY MOVED ON TO ACCOMPLISH HIS DREAMS, SETTING UP A BIOTECH COMPANY TRANSFORMING WASTE INTO VALUE.

TALK AIN’T CHEAP • PODCAST SUPERSTAR ALEX COOPER BUILT A MEDIA EMPIRE IN THE STREAMING ECONOMY. IN AUGUST, SHE INKED A $125 MILLION DEAL WITH LEGACY RADIO SERVICE SIRIUSXM TO BRING A NEW GENERATION OF FANS TO THE AGING SATELLITE NETWORK. NOW SHE HAS TO DELIVER.

ADVANCING AGRICULTURE • AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS ABROAD ARE RETURNING TO PURSUE AGRICULTURE AND INVEST IN OPPORTUNITIES ON THE CONTINENT, PROVIDING SUBSISTENCE FARMERS WITH THE TECH TOOLS AND KNOW-HOW TO BRING CROPS LIKE FONIO AND CASSAVA TO THE WORLD’S TABLES.

KINGDOM CALLING • SAUDI ARABIA IS LOOKING HARD AT AFRICA TO UNLOCK GROWTH BEYOND OIL.

FALLING HOOK, LINE AND SINKER • HEARD OF CATFISHING? DISTURBING TRENDS FROM THE WORLD OF ONLINE DATING AND HOW THESE DANGEROUS SCAMS ARE ON THE RISE. WATCH OUT FOR THE RED FLAGS.

THE NEXT CRITICAL FRONTIER • ACCESS TO VACCINES REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE ACROSS AFRICA, BUT TECHNOLOGY IS EMERGING AS A KEY TO BREAKING DECADES OF RELYING ON OTHER NATIONS FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT - AND TO THEREBY STOP THE SPREAD OF DISEASE MUCH, MUCH FASTER.

POWER TUSSLE: THE HIDDEN CLIMATE COSTS OF AI • OUR SMARTEST TECHNOLOGY JUST MIGHT BE ACCELERATING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES RATHER THAN SOLVING THEM.

A NEW ERA IN ONCOLOGY: TACKLING THE DREADED ‘C’ WORD WITH AI • AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESHAPES HEALTHCARE, THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER IS WITNESSING UNPRECEDENTED BREAKTHROUGHS, FROM MICROSCOPIC NANOROBOTS TO VIRTUAL TREATMENT TWINS. THIS ACCELERATION IN DRUG DISCOVERY IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF AI’S IMPACT ON ONCOLOGY, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.

WILL NEXT-GEN ONCOLOGY BE DRIVEN BY NANOROBOTS?

AI INNOVATION MEANS IMPLEMENTATION: WHAT THIS DOCTOR IS MAKING POSSIBLE

IN THE SPOTLIGHT • AFRICA’S NEXT WAVE OF INNOVATION WILL LIKELY EMERGE NOT FROM LAGOS OR NAIROBI BUT FROM KIGALI, DAKAR, OR TUNIS - OFFERING GLOBAL INVESTORS THE CHANCE TO DISCOVER UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IN THE CONTINENT’S DIVERSE AND...