Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 - January 2026 i Forbes Africa

Announced in November, at this year’s COP30 conference, Ethiopia, known as the Land of Origins, will become the fifth African nation to lead the UN-led policy framework—the first being Zimbabwe in 1996, followed by Kenya in 2006, South Africa in 2011, and Egypt in 2022. Victors are decided once a unanimous decision has been agreed among all countries in the host nation’s region; Nigeria reportedly bowed out of the running, believing Ethiopia to be better prepared. “We are deeply grateful for the trust and confidence bestowed on the Ethiopian people and government,” Leulseged Tadese Abebe, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Brazil, said in a plenary session during the COP30 summit. This could be a defining moment during President Taye Atske Selassie’s administration, who will be given the authority to shape 2027’s COP…

Part of the evolution of the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) Group has been geographic. ‘’We have reformed to selectively expand our geographical footprint towards the Western seaboard of the continent to more effectively support continental trade and leverage regional complementarities–in line with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) ambitions,’’ TDB Group President and Managing Director Admassu Tadesse (pictured) tells FORBES AFRICA. The institution’s foundation, Tadesse explains, was rooted in the need “to address large gaps in access to finance in the context of market failures and financial sector weaknesses in developing economies”. That sense of duty shaped a sweeping set of reforms within the institution. It now operates through several subsidiaries, special purpose funds and strategic business units that span development banking, impact-oriented funding, asset management, captive insurance…

On a recent afternoon at African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) glassfronted headquarters, Dr George Elombi sits in the same office he has attended meetings in for more than a decade as Vice President. The view outside, stretching over the sprawl of Cairo’s Heliopolis district, is familiar. So are the stacks of reports and the screen where he has fielded hundreds of calls during the same period. “There hasn’t been much of a change,” Elombi says to FORBES AFRICA with a gentle laugh. “I have used everything inside here… So, nothing, nothing really is new.” Yet, something has changed. About two weeks before this virtual conversation, Elombi, 59, from Cameroon, assumed the presidency of the Afreximbank, succeeding his longtime colleague, Professor Benedict Oramah. After nearly three decades inside the institution, his appointment…

One of the most common questions I get asked by other parents when they find out what I do for a living is, “What are the most important lessons I should teach my children about borrowing?” While there is no simple answer to this question, there are a few basic tenets that will stand the next generation in good stead. The most important of these is understanding the difference between good debt and bad debt, as well as how leverage should– and should not–be used. Avoid Borrowing For Lifestyle Spending The first lesson I taught my children was to save up for lifestyle spending. Avoid borrowing for anything you consume or that exclusively depreciates, and that does not have an income stream attached. After you have set aside your long-term…

In August, 29-year-old Zainab Yusuf was scrolling through her feed on X, the social network still known to many as Twitter, when a post caught her attention: someone showing off a polished digital storefront, the kind she had long imagined for herself as a pan-African event moderator and community builder. The caption mentioned a name unfamiliar to her—Gebeya. “I clicked out of curiosity,” Yusuf, based in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, recalls to FORBES AFRICA. “And I was amazed by how organized everything looked.” Within minutes, she had downloaded the app after a ‘’quick research’’. By the following month, she had used it to redesign the way she offered her services, even launching a 50% discount campaign to attract new clients. “It was fantastic,” she says. “The platform helped me look more…

At Tempo Luxury, located in Johannesburg, South Africa, dining transforms into an art form–a love language expressed through food. It’s one where every plate tells a story and every bite feels personal. The restaurant’s philosophy goes beyond serving great meals; it’s about understanding each guest’s palate and crafting moments that linger long after the last course. Tempo is a restaurant that caters to everyone, and one dish perfectly reflects its inclusive, innovative identity. Capturing hearts across cultures and traditions is its signature baby chicken. Tender, flavorful, and perfected through a secret recipe, it has become the restaurant’s proud staple. It’s more than a dish, it’s a symbol of the way in which the brand bridges culinary tradition with modern creativity, bringing people together around the table. Wynand Glen Rootman, Chief…

THE GROWTH CONTINENT Africa stands at a defining moment for health and growth. In 2025, the continent navigates rising care costs, tighter budgets, and renewed geopolitical tension. However, South Africa’s G20 health presidency, which ran from December 2024 to November 2025, gave African leaders a platform to turn those pressures into a shared agenda for access, resilience, and locally anchored capability across regulation, manufacturing, and financing. “As a country, we appreciated the opportunity to chair the G20,” says Dr Tebogo Makube, Chief Director of Industrial Procurement and Development at the dtic “Our focus was on inclusive growth, with health at the center of that agenda. This aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, partic- ularly in reducing poverty and advancing the role of women in society. We used the G20 as a…

Meet Moflin, Casio’s AI-powered fluffy robotic companion. It’s adorable, huggable and develops its own personality and emotions based on how you interact with it, just like a real pet. Unlike traditional robotic toys, Moflin is designed to act like a living creature. It wiggles, squeaks and senses when you’re nearby. It has AI-induced independent emotions that evolve through daily interaction–you’ll pet Moflin, talk to it, hug it and in doing so, you’ll begin to form a bond. Over time, Moflin will recognize your voice and become attached. The more time you spend with Moflin, the more unique its character will become. In fact, there are over four million possible personality traits this little AI robot pet can acquire. It’s essentially a portable, emotional support robot, a high-end fluffy Tamagotchi (handheld…

Understanding the root causes of the continent’s employment gap, how education can align with labor market needs, and how academia, industry, and government can collaborate to bridge it, was the focus at The 2025 Future of Education Summit, hosted by CNBC Africa and moderated by Editor-in-Chief, Godfrey Mutizwa. On September 4, Professor Mark E. Smith, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Southampton, participated in a panel discussion on the topic. He shared insights from his experience leading a top 100 global university (QS World University Rankings, 2026) with an award-winning inclusive access and economic mobility plan embedded in its strategy. Together with Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg; Siegie Brownlee, Chief Executive Officer of Eduvos (one of South Africa’s largest private higher education institutions);…

Swanky new roads, shiny construction sites, and cranes inching skyward mirror the conversation happening across Africa’s financial capitals: how to fund the continent’s next growth chapter without leaning too heavily on the world’s tightening purse strings. This is where the continent’s pan-African development finance institutions (DFIs) step in, to serenade Africa’s rise, with ambitious blueprints and creative masterplans for transformation. “The tightening of global capital flows in Africa has been a reality for quite some time. The pressure has intensified in recent years in the polycrisis environment we find ourselves in,” Admassu Tadesse, the Group President and Managing Director of Trade and Development Bank (TDB), says to FORBES AFRICA. For Tadesse, the strain is visible in the rapid retreat of correspondent banks from African markets. He traces the exodus to…

1. African Development Bank (AfDB) ← ABIDJAN, CÔTE D’IVOIRE, West Africa 2. African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) ← CAIRO, EGYPT, North Africa 3. Africa50 ← CASABLANCA, MOROCCO, North Africa 4. Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) ← LAGOS, NIGERIA, West Africa 5. Trade and Development Bank (TDB) Group ← NAIROBI, KENYA, East Africa 6. African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re) ← LAGOS, NIGERIA, West Africa 7. Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) ← NAIROBI, KENYA, East Africa 8. Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) ← MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA, Southern Africa 9. West African Development Bank (BOAD) ← LOMÉ, TOGO, West Africa 10. Central African Development Bank (BDEAC) ← BRAZZAVILLE, CONGO, Central Africa…

Rwanda believes in the power of technology to connect people and foster real transformation, said President Paul Kagame in his address at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Africa’s premier connectivity event hosted in the nation’s capital, Kigali, in October. For years, the ‘land of a thousand hills’ has been driving the conversation around digital inclusion. Rwanda has consistently made technology and innovation central to its strategy for driving economic growth, according to a World Economic Forum report. “For the last 28 years, Rwanda has deliberately explored every avenue available to deliver national transformation through economic growth. Technology and innovation have been at the heart of our transformation. We expect this to become an even greater driver of our economic development in the coming years,” the 2022 report read. Kagame echoed…

The Africa Debate–UAE 2025 convened leading voices from government, finance and business to deliberate on how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Africa can further explore a sustainable growth corridor. Discussions focused on the next frontiers for investment, innovation, and a new chapter in bilateral cooperation. In his opening remarks at the event, Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, UAE, highlighted Africa’s growing global importance: “Africa is a continent that will not only be a new center of growth, but a cornerstone of the economic ambitions around the world… we are looking forward to more partnerships with Africa.” The UAE is currently one of Africa’s biggest global trading partners, with billions invested in the continent; and with renewable energy, infrastructure, digital technologies, and agriculture earmarked as…

In a continent where the community, family, cousins, neighbors and elders are more than a social ideal–they’re a survival network–we’re beginning to see something new: people forming emotional bonds with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Sometimes it’s harmless–a late-night chat with a bot when nobody’s awake. But when it starts replacing the warmth of a hand on your shoulder or a voice that really listens, that’s when AI stops comforting and starts eroding what makes us human. The question for Africa is not whether people-AI relationships are coming. They’re here. The question is what they will do to the bonds that have kept us alive for generations. Dan Stillerman, an AI Adoption Strategist and Coach in South Africa, remembers the moment AI stopped being a toy. “I started dabbling with AI in…

South Africa’s EV landscape is shifting gears as 2025 draws to a close. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), alongside the South Afri can National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) and the uYilo eMobility Programme at Nelson Mandela University, co-ordinated the e-Mobility Energy Drive in October to promote EV adoption. A road trip from Johannesburg to Gqeberha gathered real-world data on charging, energy consumption and infrastructure readiness, which will be used as research by the DSTI and SANEDI. Acting Chief Director for Hydrogen and Energy at DSTI, Mandy Mlilo, says the initiative proves that clean mobility is not just a vision for the future; it is happening now. “Through strategic partnerships with SANEDI, uYilo and Volvo, we are building public confidence in electric mobility, advancing our just energy transition…

The continent has no bigger sporting event than football’s Africa Cup of Nations, with the tournament in Morocco from December 21 to January 18 to keep millions of fans transfixed. It is also recognized now that the Cup of Nations is also not far behind the World Cup and European Championship in terms of its international reach and television audience, offering a window to Africa to a wider audience. The tournament itself has come a long way since three countries–Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan–first played an African championship in 1957. It then evolved into an eight-team affair and remained so right through until 1992, when the commercialization of sport was rapidly evolving and the size of the field went up to 12 teams. Kwesi Appiah, a coach at the tournament in…

Ahead of the G20 Summit, hosted for the first time on African soil, the B20 South Africa 2025 Summit– which took place at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from November 18-20–was the culmination of a year of cross-sector and border collaboration, dialogue and engagement. The historic gathering, held under the theme, Inclusive Growth and Prosperity through Global Cooperation, wrapped up as South Africa’s President and 2025 G20 Chair Cyril Ramaposa took to the podium to reiterate the resilience of African economies–as well as the global economy–and accelerate the push towards multilateralism. “We are a sovereign country, and we need to be treated as equals. Sovereignty should not come second. We deserve a seat at the table with the same access to knowledge, the same opportunities, and without any form of…

Two years on and Gloot stands as one of South Africa’s fastest-growing health consumer brands– reshaping how women experience self-care. Building on this vision, founder, Greg Tinkler has created a new blueprint for what modern health brands can become. The rise of Gloot, which blends science-backed supplements with vibrant, aspirational branding, has not only disrupted the traditional supplement space, but is now poised for global expansion. What began as a small line of functional wellness products designed for gut health, hormone balance, and sustainable fat-burning, has evolved into a full ecosystem of beautywellness solutions. Gloot now spans supplements, collagen-enhanced waters, protein waters, beauty body care, and more. But success didn’t happen overnight. “It took me 10 years to become an overnight success. Gloot’s rapid rise is the result of a…

Around the world, Rwanda is synonymous with rich, high-quality coffee. The coffee sector is a cornerstone of the national economy, contributing about 24% to agricultural exports and generating over $450 million in export revenue between 2017 and 2023, according to the International Trade Centre. Rwanda produces around 20,000 metric tons of coffee annually, with over 90% destined for the international specialty market. The economy supports an estimated 400,000 smallholder farming families who rely on coffee for their livelihoods. But coffee isn’t the only warm beverage that Rwandans enjoy, nor is it the only one powering the agricultural economy. Tea also plays a major role in Rwanda’s export landscape. The Silverback Tea Company is one of the companies shaping the sector. Its CEO Nzeki Munyao says tea earns Rwanda more foreign…

When Herriot Tabuteau started a drug development company in 2012, he decided to do so differently. First, he’d focus on brain disorders, treatments for which are notoriously difficult to develop and whose efficacy can be hard to prove. And he’d be both CEO and the scientific founder, bringing to bear his decades of experience investing in biotech startups and his medical training. But he’d take no venture capital, self-funding with help from friends and family. “If you do things exactly the same way as everybody else, you’re going to have the same outcomes as everybody else. And we wanted to have outcomes that stand apart,” Tabuteau, 57, says, during his first-ever interview with a reporter about his company, Axsome Therapeutics. Named for two parts of a nerve cell, the “axon”…

Terms like ‘artificial intelligence’ and ‘chatbot’ have found their way into our everyday vocabulary, yet, African languages have been largely left out of the technology conversation—until now. “For information to be useful and accessible, barriers need to be lowered so that it can be used by everyone,” says Google’s Country Director for South Africa, Kabelo Makwane, to FORBES AFRICA. It is that philosophy that underpins Google’s new AI Glossary which introduces isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, and Swahili words into the digital lexicon. Amongst the 100 terms are phrases used in the tech space like ‘open source’ (umthombo ovulekile), ‘deepfake’ (ifihlabuwuwa) and ‘conversational AI’ (ingxoxo yobuhlakani obakhiwe). “There were fierce disagreements about some meanings,” Makwane admits. “People have different interpretations of the same words and the meaning can also completely change depending…

3D printing started with hobbyists. Weekend makers constructing trinkets out of plastic filament. Today, it’s used to manufacture everything from lightweight aircraft parts to EV batteries and modular houses. But the health care sector is where things get a little sci-fi. There are biocompatible synthetic materials, like titanium, that have life-changing applications. A great example is through the work of Professor Mashudu Tshifularo, a South African otolaryngologist, who not only 3D-printed the world’s first middle ear bones, he used them in a transplant, successfully restoring hearing to a patient. Then there’s 3D bioprinting, which goes a step further, using living cells, biomaterials and tissue scaffolds to create biological structures that can integrate (or even replicate) living tissue. “People are often surprised and a little curious,” says Dr Hafiza Parkar, a…

Few have captured the balance between elegance and empowerment as gracefully as Nailporium, the beauty brand founded by South African entrepreneur, Chama Christine Mulolo. Since its inception, Nailporium has redefined what it means to operate in the modern beauty landscape. Mulolo’s philosophy is simple yet profound: beauty is not vanity, it is a vehicle for confidence, community and change. Each client encounter is carefully crafted to reflect this ethos. The salon’s signature is not only the quality of its treatments but also its warmth and professionalism. It’s about creating an experience of care, precision, and empowerment. Behind this refined experience lies a business culture built on authenticity and growth. Mulolo leads her team with the belief that excellence begins within. By nurturing talent, encouraging teamwork, and fostering self-belief, she has…

The rise in status of the SA20 cricket competition over the past few years has been no better illustrated than at the auction for the fourth season which will get under way on Boxing Day in a revamped South African summer of cricket. With no traditional incoming test series over the festive season for the men’s national team, the SA20 will take centerstage and fill the void, a perfect metaphor for the realities of the South African game at present. The SA20 has become the cash cow that keeps Cricket South Africa (CSA) afloat. According to their most recently published Annual Report for the 2024/25 season, the SA20 generated R1.8 billion ($105 million) in direct spend, contributed R5.3 billion ($310 billion) to GDP and supported “approximately 8,199 jobs”. CSA has…

In Dallas in the Unites States, thousands of miles from the streets of Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, where his story began, Baba Kuboye is arranging sounds he considers both ancient and futuristic. He calls the project Afroverse—a “living universe of Afrobeats.” Kuboye’s ambition is to honor a family legacy rooted in Afro-jazz and Afro-beats while charting a path that stretches far beyond the genre’s borders. He is the son of Fran and Tunde Kuboye, Afro-jazz pioneers in Nigeria, and the grand-nephew of Fela Kuti, who helped cement Afrobeat as a cultural force. “For me, Afroverse is about continuity and evolution,” Kuboye tells FORBES AFRICA. “Fela laid the foundation by using Afrobeat as both a sound and a voice for freedom, identity, and social change. I honor that legacy by carrying…