CATEGORIES

The Storyteller In Fashion

Tanzanian entrepreneur Nisha Kanabar is elevating the vernacular African fashion space employing content and engagement.

Virus. Vaccines. And Vacillations

Vaccine mandates... and why everyone is talking about it.

Africa's Richest People 2022

"The continent’s billionaires are collectively 15% richer than a year ago, thanks mostly to soaring stocks."

The Finest Art

"As hospitals gasp for breath at the height of each wave of the pandemic, the nurses working with Covid patients never let go of hope and healing, even when they are battered themselves. The virus has become more advanced — but so have these professionals dealing with it."

Breaking New Ground

"Southern Africa has been largely slow to capitalize on the growing global billion-dollar industry of medical cannabinoid products. One company in Lesotho is aiming to bridge that gap, and has become the first medical cannabis company on the continent cleared to export their pharmaceutical products into the European Union."

‘The Covid-19 crisis taught us that whilst the world could survive with less planes, cars and trains, it couldn't survive without the phone!'

Sam Darwish has chosen emerging markets as the universe in which to grow and connect. Read on about the towering ambitions of this entrepreneur who rose as an engineer to run one of the world’s largest providers of telecoms infrastructure, recently listed on the new york stock exchange.

50 over 50 EMEA 2022

Women around the world are proving that 50 and beyond is the new golden age. Here are the founders, business and political leaders, scientists and vanguards leading the way throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The Anti-Amazon

Josh Silverman is using cutting-edge technology and an army of 5 million artisan-entrepreneurs to transform ETSY from a hippie flea market into a Wall Street hero—without losing its soul.

Electric dreams: East Africa on the move

Electric Vehicles (EV) are fast becoming a mainstay of daily commutes around the world. From battery-powered vehicles to electric public buses, we are on the precipice of a revolution in the automotive industry. Africa is not excluded in this new movement with burgeoning sectors looking to change the way African cities move – and breathe! FORBES AFRICA looks at how the EV market is moving in East Africa.

‘I Haven't Seen A Day Of Peace In My Life'

Faced with an uncertain present, women and girls in Afghanistan hope the new Taliban regime will ease the restrictions on them and that the international community will intervene. For now, their only option is to stay strong and reconcile their dreams with the current reality.

African Of The Year

Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana’s president, has repositioned the country in the global marketplace as one reliant on its own resources and strengths. He is redefining economic development and it’s resonating across Africa. In an exclusive interview with Forbes Africa, he dwells on the new focus of the West African nation that has in recent years consistently been one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

The $30 Billion Kitty

The standard playbook in private equity is to borrow, buy and cut costs ruthlessly. But a massive windfall from investments in PetSmart and Chewy has taught BC Partners’ Raymond Svider that sometimes, doubling down on risks is a better option.

Appetite For Business

Starting with just $45, Ghanaian entrepreneur Violet Amoabeng’s startup has progressed with skincare products you can eat and the unpalatable realization that the only way to make it in business is to crash, break, stretch and succeed.

The Future In Motion

The six-month Expo 2020 bringing together 192 countries to Dubai that opened on October 1 is exploring opportunities for partnerships between Africa and the Middle East. Get a load of barista bots that make coffee and tell jokes, do calligraphy or tai-chi, and ones that bring Beethoven’s work to life through performance.

The Together Man In Regional Cinema

At the cornerstone of contemporary Swahili cinema, Tanzanian filmmaker Amil Shivji is adamant about telling stories of contrast and community and promoting local talent.

Change Is Brewing

Coffee shops were amongst the biggest casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, while the café industry suffered, coffee itself was able to survive with consumers attempting to emulate the cups they craved.

Future Of The Cannabis Market In Africa

With the cannabis economy gradually opening up in Africa, leading players talk about the commercial opportunities as also the consumer and patient wellness it offers. What are the barriers to building something new from the ground up in this space?

Ideas And Industries For The Next 10 Years

We asked three renowned futurists for their predictions of what will shape Africa – and the world – in the next decade. Brace yourself for what’s coming.

SOIL TOIL

Tanzanian agripreneur Darpan Pindolia is trying to balance local production with global offerings. The versatile earth in East Africa is his calling card to international success in regenerative farming.

Lights, Camera, Animation!

South Africa’s emerging animation industry has a new star in creative entrepreneur Lwazi Msipha, who has just debuted a first-of-its-kind African cartoon show on a global network.

Get, Set, Mo! $1.6 Billion And Counting

In recent years, he has dominated Africa’s rich lists as the continent’s youngest billionaire. Mohammed Dewji, the shrewd entrepreneur and CEO of MeTL Group in Tanzania, has previously been on two FORBES AFRICA covers – in 2013 and 2015. In this new decade, he is eyeing a much bigger chunk of African business.

The Man Who Found Peace In A Busy Restaurant In The Heart Of Africa

Philip Opperman lives and works in a picture postcard. On the banks of a tranquil lake east of Rwanda, this South African farmer runs a popular restaurant bar and sells fresh fish. He came looking for peace but found so much more.

The Smell OF MONEY

Globally, ingredients for most perfumes are often imported from small suppliers in Africa, processed, and then re-exported into the commercial market of their country of origin as the finished product. Now, the continent is beginning to look inward to explore and support ways that local production can be encouraged in furthering the olfactory story of Africa.

The FEMALE FORCE

As FORBES AFRICA celebrates its 10th birthday, the ABN Group, which it is a part of, lauds the women who tirelessly drive both CNBC Africa and FORBES AFRICA as the gatekeepers of information in a digital economy. The pan-African group places special emphasis on diversity, and these are the women in its South African headquarters leading the charge as they share the highs and highlights of their daily jobs running two of Africa’s much-loved business brands.

AN INCREDIBLE DECADE OF FORBES AFRICA

NELSON MANDELA, ALSO KNOWN as Madiba, proudly said “remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare the road ahead” and to honor his words, we celebrate this issue which marks an important milestone – FORBES AFRICA turning 10. To say the very least, it has been an incredible journey. I still remember our intense negotiations with Forbes in early 2009 that culminated in an agreement around May 2011.

Is South Africa Equipped To Handle Such A Crisis?

Faced with a severe shortage of oxygen, India choked for breath at the height of its catastrophic covid-19 pandemic peak in April and May. Critical medical oxygen is usually the first resource to run low during respiratory emergencies. Currently in its third wave and with talk of an impending fourth wave, is South Africa equipped to handle such a crisis?

The Pandemic Has Prompted A Surge In Entrepreneurship

The pandemic has prompted a surge in entrepreneurship, voluntary and involuntary. How do we leverage this moment to ensure that everyone who wants to pursue the American Dream can do so? The United States’ first female, Black and Asian-American vice president weighs in on this opportunity.

Nima Ghamsari Bet Big That Fintech Wasn't Just For Startups

Former semipro poker player Nima Ghamsari bet big that fintech wasn’t just for startups. He has built Blend Labs into a business worth more than $3 billion by weaning the nation’s biggest mortgage lenders of their steady diet of reams of dead trees — and he’s about to go public.

Designs On Africa

Through their retail tech platform, Natasha Buchler and Annie Rudnick are also shining a light on Africa’s unsung, talented artists.

Anger, Anarchy, The Despair Of Business And A People United In Hope

A Fierce Third Wave Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Notwithstanding, The Week That Violent Riots Tore Through The Heart And Soul Of South Africa, Driving The Economy Into Confusion And Chaos, The Week Ubuntu Also Took Over As Ordinary Citizens Rose Together To Pick Up The Pieces Of Their Shattered Present. Forbes Africa Was On The Ground Covering It All As It Happened.