On 3 November 2022, MEN alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. ALAMY
While there are relatively few female heads of state, African women in positions of real power are not just an exception. In politics, business, institutions, new technologies, design, sport and the arts, they are very much present, exercising authority, determination and influence. Here are 25 personalities to illustrate our point. It is also a way of acknowledging the many women who prefer to remain in the background..
She has been leading a large country of 66 million people, the continent's tenth largest economy, since 2021. Born in Zanzibar on 27 January 1960, Samia Suluhu Hassan's political career began in the 2000s with the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), the long-standing single party founded by Julius Nyerere.
She is undoubtedly one of the continent's sharpest economic minds, well versed in international realities, contemporary issues and the workings of international institutions.
She is a key player in one of the most strategic industries of our time. With a master's degree in economics and global development from the University of Copenhagen, this young Kenyan joined Nvidia, the American artificial intelligence giant and superchip manufacturer, in 2021.
She is undoubtedly the most remarkable musical phenomenon of the last ten years. Since 2018 and the release of her hit song ‘Djadja’ (which exceeded one billion views on YouTube on 25 February),
To convert her activism into concrete action, Sana Afouaiz founded the Womenpreneur Initiative in 2016, a borderless organisation dedicated to empowering women in entrepreneurship and technology that now has over 20,000 members.
This 71-year-old economist and financing specialist has a wealth of experience. She has twice served as Nigeria's Minister of Finance and was the first woman to hold the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
An extraordinary visionary, she embodies the ideal balance between innovation and positive social impact. French-Central African Kate Kallot studied law and communication in France before diving into tech, an unusual career path that led her to Nvidia and Intel, and eventually to launching her own award-winning venture.
Following the death of Sam Nujoma, founder of independent Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah rose to the highest office in the land, a highly symbolic event for this vast southern African country (twice the size of Germany).
The first woman to hold this position, Kandia Camara has been President of the Senate of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire since 12 October 2023. Born on 17 June 1959 in Abidjan, not only is she an eminent political figure, she is also an accomplished sportswoman (in handball competitions) and teacher (originally teaching English).