African Business profiles the women leaders that have been making waves in business and governance over the last year.
Defining what female leadership looks like across the African continent is no easy task, writes Emily Allen. It cannot be reduced to a single career path, industry or personality. Instead, it is reflected in the women whose influence extends far beyond their job titles and leaders who have navigated corporate hurdles to shape industries and redefine success on their own terms.
This African Business Women in Leadership 2026 profiles 20 leaders - among them founders, CEOs, innovators, entrepreneurs and change-makers - who have risen to senior roles business and governance. In doing so, they have reshaped the narrative around women's leadership across the continent and the wider African diaspora.
Read about all the 20 women in Parts One, Two, Three and Four.
Despite slow but steady progress over recent decades, systemic challenges mean that female representation in African boardrooms, senior leadership teams and governance structures still remain uneven.
To coincide with International Women's Day on 8 March, we profile the women pushing beyond merely occupying seats at the table.
They are redefining business and governance practices across the continent, mentoring future female and male leaders and laying the groundwork for more equitable cultures.
Their influence extends beyond balance sheets and boardrooms, signalling a shift in who leads, how leadership is exercised, and what success looks like.
In looking at women leaders over the last 12 months, this initiative affirms that women's leadership is not a trend or exception, but a defining force in Africa's business and governance future.
Africa is a continent on the move. According to UN estimates, the population is set to reach 2.5bn by 2050. In that year one in three young people globally is projected to be born on the continent. The decisions women are making in boardrooms and public office today will help shape Africa's future for decades to come.
A new generation will grow up seeing women in leadership not as exceptions but as drivers of growth, innovation and sustainable change.
It is the female leaders of today whose visible success will influence the ambitions and opportunities of future generations of young Africans, including those not yet born.