Forbes Africa

reloading the continent

IF YOU HAVE TRAVELED THROUGH AFRICA, there are some indelible impressions on the mind’s eye that no Virtual Reality headset or 4IR can ever recreate. The thick green forests with tall foliage and wet earth in equatorial Kenya, the overwhelming scent of cinnamon and cardamom in the spice gardens of Zanzibar, the chilli plantations up the verdant hills of Rwanda, the inebriating vineyards of Stellenbosch in wine country South Africa, the swaying sugarcane plantations in wind-swept Mauritius, the salty, surf-sprayed beaches in KwaZulu-Natal or the saccharine-sweet air at Jinja by the source of the Nile in Uganda. Covid may have restricted our travel sojourns, but my mind can instantly conjure and call up these vistas that I have inhabited on my many visits into the lush continent from Johannesburg. Somehow, editing this…

the 100 th  issue and celebrating change

I LOVE MILESTONES AND rejoice each one. We have so many challenges in our lives, therefore, we must stop to rejoice moments that fill us with pride. This is the 100th issue of FORBES AFRICA and we joyously celebrate this occasion even as the publishing industry remains battered after a bloodbath of unmeasurable losses; both tangible and intangible. Well done to Renuka Methil, Sid Wahi, Roberta Naicker and the fantastic team at ABN Publishing and FORBES AFRICA; you folks are the best. For each of us, there are some places that have a sublime effect on our mind. Away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, this is the retreat we look forward to; sometimes drawn by childhood memories. These memories are reflective of a time when the world was…

‘if you want to change the world…’

“I’M A FIGHTER. I’M THE KIND OF PERSON THAT for better or worse runs towards a problem and tries to solve it even if it’s in a burning house.” These powerful words come from 31-year-old Somalian-Canadian activist, Ilwad Elman, who spoke at the 6th FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit on March 8. The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize nominee spoke about her natural instinct to invoke change. The daughter of entrepreneur and peace activist Elman Ali Ahmed and social activist Fartuun Adan, Elaman says once the Somalian war broke in the 1990s, her parents had to make the difficult decision to split up. Adan took Elman and her sisters to Canada where they were refugees, and Ahmed stayed in Somalia fighting for peace. “My father was killed in pursuit of peace,” Elman said.…

quotable quotes from the 2021 forbes woman africa leading women summit

Africa Reloaded: The Power of The Collective was the theme of the 6th annual FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit held as a virtual event on March 8 and 9. Some of the memorable lines from the unique collection of female powerhouses that attended from around the world: “Only six black women have been crowned Miss Universe in the past 68 years... it's because of the five women before me that I get to wear the Miss Universe crown. I am the first black Miss Universe to win with her short natural hair or what I call my natural crown.” – Miss Universe 2019, Zozibini Tunzi “For me, my dad is from South Africa and many of my family members have been affected by apartheid and displaced. So there was a personal resonance…

rwanda lays ground for space technologies

There a new view from atop Rwanda’s beautiful green hills – that of new hopes and dreams in outer space. On March 12, the country’s parliament, in a virtual sitting, voted a law establishing the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) to act as a driver that will propel Rwanda into a new era of space technologies. “We are convinced that this is a great move the government has made to establish a foundation to take us into an era of technologies that will drive transformation,” Damien Nyabyenda, a member of parliament leading the committee that reviewed the law, tells FORBES AFRICA. “We also thought it was critical for Rwanda to deliberately invest in technologies that other [developed] countries have invested in for a long time, giving us an edge in the end.” The industry…

sho madjozi on culture in new song

South Africa’s Limpopo-born award-winning singer and FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 alum, Sho Madjozi, released her latest song and music video, Shahumba, which features the legendary Tsonga singer and producer, Dr Thomas Chauke. It tells the story of a young girl navigating life in her hometown and the special relationship she has with her father, who has influenced her musically. In this story, the John Cena artist pays homage to her Tsonga culture. Madjozi has said that she felt like Chauke contributed immensely to the development of the XiTsonga language, so it was only fitting that he featured in the reflective video.…