By Samuel Ouma*
As Africa rolls into 2026, the continent’s story is being shaped not just by large institutions or headline politics, but by a rising generation of bold, creative, and entrepreneurial individuals. These trailblazers are redefining what it means to lead in business, in innovation, in sport, and in the arts. Here are some of the standouts of this year, whose work is resonating across Africa and beyond.
Dr. George Elombi — President of Afreximbank
In 2025, Dr. George Elombi was appointed the fourth President and Chairman of the Board of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), following a vote at the Bank’s 32nd Annual General Meeting in Abuja. A Cameroonian national who has worked at Afreximbank since 1996 rising from legal officer to Executive Vice President in charge of governance, legal affairs, and institutional services – Elombi brings nearly three decades of institutional knowledge to the top job. His appointment comes at a time when the institution is charting ambitious growth: during the vote, shareholders emphasized a strategic goal of transforming Afreximbank into a US $250 billion institution over the coming decade. Elombi has pledged to build on the Bank’s legacy, maintaining its role as a catalyst for trade finance, industrialization, and economic dignity across the continent.
Dr. Sidi Ould Tah — President of African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
On 29 May 2025, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah was elected as the ninth President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), winning over 76% of the vote, the largest first-term margin in the Bank’s history. He formally assumed office on 1 September 2025, marking a new leadership era for Africa’s premier multilateral development bank. A Mauritanian economist and former head of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Dr. Ould Tah brings decades of experience in development finance, financial reforms, and mobilizing resources for African development. At his swearing-in, he outlined a leadership agenda centered on fast-track reforms, greater public–private partnerships, and responsive financing solutions aimed at spurring growth, infrastructure, and social development across Africa. In his first months in office, he has already pushed the Bank’s priorities towards mobilising capital, strengthening financial architecture, promoting climate-resilient infrastructure, and driving regional integration — signalling a renewed drive to translate Africa’s development needs into concrete financing and action.
René Awambeng — Founder & Managing Partner at Premier Invest
René Awambeng confirmed his status as one of Africa’s most dynamic energy & infrastructure deal-makers. As Founder and Managing Partner of Premier Invest (launched 2024), he has positioned the firm as a bridge between ambition and execution, especially in the oil, gas, and power sectors. In March 2025, Premier Invest’s “Deal Room” at the Congo Energy and Invest Forum (CEIF) in Brazzaville attracted a broad array of developers, financiers and investors from across Central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea not just for networking, but to broker real financing for projects in hydrocarbons, renewables, and infrastructure. Under Awambeng’s leadership, the company is advancing over US$10 billion in active energy and infrastructure transactions across Africa: from planned refinery expansions, renewable-energy plants, to offshore drilling programmes and hybrid solar/wind projects. His philosophy that Africa can finance and build its own energy future has resonated widely, transforming what are often symbolic summits into practical marketplaces of capital and concrete deals. Many now regard Awambeng as a rare “closer” in a sector too often bound by rhetoric.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf – Political Leadership & Continental Influence
In 2025, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti’s long-serving foreign minister, was elected as the new Chair of the African Union Commission, becoming one of the most powerful bureaucratic leaders on the continent. His election marks a turning point: Youssouf will navigate complex geopolitical terrain, including military tensions in West Africa and conflict in eastern Congo. For a diplomat from a small nation to take the helm of the AU demonstrates both his personal influence and the rising importance of consensus leadership in continental institutions.
Joseph Nguthiru – Innovation & Environmental Entrepreneurship
From Kenya, Joseph Nguthiru is redefining sustainability through climate-tech and circular economy solutions. He founded HyaPak, a startup that transforms invasive water hyacinth into biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics. His work has earned him recognition as a 2025 UNEP Young Champion of the Earth, an Obama Foundation Leader, and an award at COP28 for his prototypes. In a continent disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, Nguthiru’s innovation is both bold and urgently needed.
Iyinoluwa “E” Aboyeji – Venture Capital & the Future of African Startups
Tech-entrepreneur turned investor Iyinoluwa Aboyeji continues to shape Africa’s startup ecosystem. As the founding partner of Future Africa, he is backing more than 100 African startups in areas such as health, climate, education, and agriculture. In 2025, Aboyeji’s influence expanded further, as he extended Future Africa’s reach into Francophone and North African markets. By combining patient capital with a systems-thinking approach, he is helping fill critical gaps in early-stage funding and supporting the next generation of African founders.
NJ Ayuk – African Energy Chamber
NJ Ayuk remains one of the most high-profile voices in Africa’s energy sector. As Executive Chairman of African Energy Chamber (AEC) and founder/CEO of his law-and-advisory firm, he has used 2025 to double down on his long-held message: African energy wealth should serve Africans first. In April 2025, at the African Refiners & Distributors Association forum in Cape Town, Ayuk urged African investors, including pension funds, to harness the continent’s own capital to invest in power plants, refineries, pipelines, and other energy infrastructure arguing that “Africa has the financial resources needed to build its future.” Later in the year, his role was honored globally when the Moscow Power Engineering Institute conferred him the title of Honorary Professor (Professor Honoris Causa), recognizing his efforts to advance Africa’s energy agenda and promote sustainable investment, energy access, and capacity-building across the continent.
Clarisse Iribagiza – Digital Infrastructure & Youth Empowerment
Rwandan tech pioneer Clarisse Iribagiza, CEO of HeHe Labs, is delivering digital tools to Africa’s most underserved entrepreneurs. Her platform empowers small and informal businesses to manage operations, access markets, and scale. In 2025, HeHe Labs reported more than 2 million users, and Iribagiza signed new government partnerships across East Africa to expand her impact into agriculture and education. Her work demonstrates how “digital infrastructure” isn’t just about skyscrapers it’s about inclusive systems that touch people’s everyday lives.
Tsonam Cleanse Akpeloo – Economics Meets Tech
Ghanaian economist-entrepreneur Tsonam Cleanse Akpeloo has made a name for himself through SUKU Technologies, which builds decentralized systems for trade and finance in Africa. In 2024 he was elected Chairperson of the Trade and Industry Cluster of the AU ECOSOCC, and in 2025, he continues to influence both business and policy. His dual expertise in economics and technology makes him a powerful connector between public and private sectors; a kind of bridge-builder for the next phase of Africa’s economic transformation.
Samson Jikeme – Media, Music, and Cultural Advocacy
In the realm of entertainment law and media, Samson Jikeme stands out. He is a Nigerian entertainment lawyer and the co-founder of Afrocritik, a media platform dedicated to promoting African music, fashion, and art. In 2025, he was invited to join the Grammys Recording Academy, a historic recognition that elevates his influence beyond Africa’s borders. Afrocritik’s weekly music-spaces discussions on Twitter (now X) help spotlight up-and-coming artists, driving not only conversation but real careers.
Ayra Starr – Music & Global Soft Power
At just 22, Ayra Starr is proving that African musical talent is not just local — it’s global. In 2025, she made history: at the MOBO Awards, she became the first woman in 16 years to win Best African Music Act, and also took home Best International Act. Earlier in the year, her single “All The Love” confirmed her growing influence, and her prior collaboration “Santa” with Rvssian and Rauw Alejandro earned a Latin Diamond certification in the U.S., making her the first Nigerian female artist to achieve that. From Lagos to Los Angeles, Ayra Starr is redefining Afrobeats and transcending genres.
Fundi Sithebe – Business Leadership & Barrier-Breaking
In South Africa, Fundi Sithebe made waves not only in business but in sport and racing. As the first Black female CEO of 4Racing, the country’s largest horse racing operator, she shattered long-standing racial and gender barriers. Her leadership reshaped both the racing industry and the narrative around who leads high-stakes, traditionally exclusive institutions. In 2025, news of her stepping down as CEO (effective May) highlighted her as a transformative executive whose tenure sparked conversations about inclusion, governance, and legacy.
Nissi Ogulu – Creativity, Engineering & African Narrative
Nissi Ogulu, a multidisciplinary artist, engineer, and entrepreneur from Nigeria, is one of the continent’s most dynamic young voices. According to Feelnubia’s list of 2025 changemakers, she leads Creele Studios and Kemet Automotives, which designs electric vehicles for Africa’s future. Her creative and technical work challenges conventional divisions: she doesn’t just make music, she builds infrastructure; she doesn’t just tell stories, she engineers the future.
Kirsty Coventry – Sport & Global Representation
In a moment of history, Zimbabwe’s swimming legend Kirsty Coventry became in 2025 the first African and first woman to be elected as President of the International OlympicCommittee (IOC). Her rise is deeply symbolic: a former Olympic champion now leading the global movement that once cheered her. Coventry’s leadership is a powerful example of sport translating into global governance, and she promises to bring more focus on inclusivity, African representation, and athlete welfare.
Looking Ahead: What Their Impact Could Mean for 2026 and Beyond
- Scaling innovation: As these trailblazers grow their influence, they could help catalyze even more investment, mentorship, and infrastructure across Africa’s innovation ecosystem.
- Shaping global narratives: Artists and media entrepreneurs are not just telling African stories; they’re shaping how the world sees Africa. That has long-term implications for soft power, tourism, and global partnerships.
- Institutional change: With Youssouf at the AU and Coventry at the IOC, African priorities could gain more weight in international forums pushing for stronger continental integration, sports equity, and athlete development.
- Inspiring new generations: Perhaps most importantly, these figures serve as role models. Their rise signals to young Africans everywhere that it’s possible to invent, lead, and influence — without leaving home.
The year 2025 is not just another chapter in Africa’s story; it may well be one of its most defining: a year where a new class of trailblazers stepped forward, reshaped institutions, and pushed boundaries. From climate innovators to cultural icons, from business leaders to global sports figures, these individuals are doing more than succeeding. They are changing the game.
As African nations navigate economic challenges, digital transformation, and global ambition, the contributions of these trailblazers are not just noteworthy — they are indispensable. Their voices, their inventions, and their leadership represent not only the best of the continent today, but a powerful vision of what Africa can become tomorrow.
*Culled from December Issue of PAV Magazine
