GLAMSQUAD AUGUST 2020

Glamsquad 

AUGUST 2020 

Racism 

in Fashion 

Time Black Lives Matter 

Top 100 African Influencers 

in the world 

being 

black

Inside 

Glamsquad 

Magazine 

August 2020 

LOUD WHISPERS: 

CALM DOWN 

By Erelu Bisi Fayemi 

From the mouth of 

a naughty little 

boy with the most 

admirable persuasive 

skillsFrom a beloved 

child whose mother is 

teaching a valuable lesson 

in consequences 

From one who we all recognise in every 

innocent little face around us 

Two simple words of the most profound 

wisdom 

Calm Down 

Yes, Mummy is fed up and angry 

She has told him not to do it, whatever it is, 

over and over 

Like most children his age 

Words are meant for entry into the left ear 

and exit from the right 

So Mummy decides to drive home her 

message with some permanence 

Somewhere in the center of his brain before 

it finds the door out again..... 

Read More at https://glamsquadmagazine. 

com/loud-whispers-calm-down-by-erelu-bisifayemi-first-lady-of-ekiti-state/ 

12 

Top 100 African 

Influencers in the world 

W 

hat a year 2020 turned out to be; what a 

year! The deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud 

Arbery and George Floyd – all victims of racial 

discrimination and prejudice sparked protests 

across the world. 

#BlackLivesMatter protests allowed blacks to stand and 

up against the systemic Racism in our world today. 

In our special July/August Edition, we have taken a step 

further to promote #BlackLivesMatter. 

Working from the UK, our Editor-in-Chief, Mrs Remi 

Diagbare has planned the best Glamquad edition yet. 

You will love the piece on how to care for your black 

skin, by our beauty editor – Sasha Bokamoso – writing 

from South Africa. Our fashion editor, Amenna Daayo 

(from Paris) takes a step further to give you the best 

colour-blocking tips. 

Our social butterfly and entertainment editor, 

Glory Uyi compiled the best list of 

top 100 Black living legends you 

will ever come across in 2020. 

Don’t say I told you, but this 

edition will blow your mind! 

Visit our online magazine on 

www.glamsquagmagazine.com 

for trending entertainment, 

fashion and lifestyle stories. 

glamsquadtv glamsquadNG glamsquadTV glamsquadtvmag

The Team 

Editor: 

Sebastiane Ebathemehi 

COPY Editor: 

Dodoiyi William-West 

Correspondents: 

Amenna Dayo 

Sasha Bokamoso 

Glory Uyiowi 

Contributors 

Abosede Panama 

Ifeoma Okoye 

Glamsquad Is 

Published By Tegali 

Communications 

Publisher 

Remmy Ifueko Diagbare 

Managing editor 

Sebastianne Ebathemi 

graphics / Web Manager 

Bolaji Success 

MARKETING Director 

Tega Diagbare 

Head Office: 

Suite B70/71, Ikota Shopping Complex, 

By VGC, Lekki , Lagos, Nigeria 

Tel: +2348115933500, +447424594773 

For advert enquiries please contact the marketing 

Director 08115933500 or email, 

info@glamsquadmagazine.com, 

glamsquad.magazine.tv@gmail.com 

We pay for exclusive celebrity stories. 

6 

Black Don’t Crack: 

Six Ways to Care for 

Your Black Skin 

According to the expert 

4 

Racism in Fashion 

& Approaches to 

Eradicate 

8 

Fashion Rules: 

How to 

Color 

Block 

Outfits 

10 

Time Black Lives Matter 

Disclaimer: 

Please note that all photos used in this special digital edition of Glamsquad Magazine were sourced freely online. 

Glamsquad maintains no rights over the images/photos, while we have tried to give appropriate credit where due, we are aware some artistes were not credited. 

We remain committed to supporting intellectual property and creativity. 

George Floyd Graffiti Photograph: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times 

Wole Soyinka: Wole Soyinka | Photo sourced from – Twitter – @ademide25 

Black Models: Instagram/Rex/Shutterstock 

2020 Tegali Communications

FASHION 

Racism in 

Fashion & How to 

Eradicate It 

Words by - 

Amenna Daayo 

cREDIT: GTB FASHION WEEK 

The death of George Floyd 

– another unarmed black 

man murdered by the 

police – fuelled protests and 

riots around the world. Of course, 

you know this already — you’ve 

seen the photos, the headlines 

and several social media posts 

and comments. The world has, 

rightly, had enough! 

People are looking for answers, 

not just from a police force many 

think has gone astray, but also 

from a society that seems to 

reduce racism’s repercussions 

altogether. And, the people 

poured onto pandemic-wracked 

streets to do so. 

Only, it’s not just up to us as 

individuals. This is the perfect 

time for businesses to take 

action and responsibility; 

particularly those that have 

profiteered by helping 

themselves to Black cultures and 

related phenomena, like the 

fashion industry. 

Fashion has made billions 

from Black culture for decades 

– from zoot suits to street wear. 

Among the surprises that the 

past few weeks and months 

have brought to most of us, 

especially Blacks working in 

the fashion industry is that, 

finally, people realize that 

racism is more than calling 

someone a derogatory 

name! In the fashion industry, 

the evidence to support this 

awakening is rife. 

Racism in fashion runs to 

the very core of the industry; 

from the experience of Black 

employees in companies 

such as Reformation to 

the lack of Black models 

in your Instagram feeds. 

4 

www.glamsquadmagazine.com

FASHION 

Being Black in the global 

fashion industry is knowing 

that all the make-up 

artists in a room have 

no idea how to colour 

match your foundation. It 

is seeing a White woman 

monetizing styles that you 

and your peers have been 

consistently ridiculed. It 

is going to a press show 

and people assuming 

your business will never be 

able to afford to stock their 

clothing! 

Racism in the fashion 

Adut Akech on 

Runway Credit 

British Vogue 

NYAKIM GATWECH 

www.glamsquadmagazine.com 5

FASHION 

ALEK WEK 

Marie Noelle Graobe 

on the Runway Credit 

Tendances People 

Magazine 

Adut 

Akech 

industry is so real; you 

can cut through it 

with a knife – literarily. 

During my time in 

Paris, I witnessed, 

first-hand, how top 

brands detest Black 

people; the only reason they 

are quiet about us using their 

brands is that our money isn’t 

Black! 

Celebrity brands have 

created a production model 

that keeps garment workers 

poor and working in unsafe 

conditions in order to 

maximize their profits. 

The buying practices 

of fast fashion include 

turning a blind eye to 

illegal sub-contracting 

and allowing forced and 

unpaid over time. These 

practices have incentivised 

the erosion of garment-worker 

rights by manufacturers and 

government. 

Even though the fashion 

industry is making small 

6 


FASHION 

Akuol-Mabior 

Ajak Deng 

steps in increasing outward 

representation and equality - 

47 percent of models at New 

York’s most recent fashion 

week were of people of colour 

– there is still a long way to 

go. Black people need equal 

representation at board level 

across management levels 

and in the creative spaces. For 

a cohort to be representative, 

it needs to make up at least 

30 percent of the overall staff. 

It is not enough to put one 

Black person in a room or on a 

billboard! 

To stop racism in the 

fashion industry, we must 

understand that while the 

burden of responsibility lies 

with the businesses making 

huge profits, we also have a 

responsibility as consumers. If 

you are planning on raiding 

the high street for its postlockdown 

sales, the only 

message you are sending is 

that you are more than willing 

to let them continue to leave 

garment workers in perpetual 

poverty. 

Every little step counts. 

Black people must begin 

to patronize Black-owned 

businesses. It is foolish to 

patronise a brand owned 

by a racist just because it is 

accessible. Imagine wearing 

a brand owned by someone 

who says his products are not 

made for Black people! 

“We can never solve 

our economic problems of 

the Black community while 

spending most of our money 

with the people that live 

outside of it. We can never 

control our community as long 

as others own most of the 

businesses in it,” said Minister 

Taharka Shakur during an 

August press conference in 

Chicago, USA, kicking off the 

National Black Business Month. 

I agree with Taharka. We 

must break the traces of 

racism in the fashion industry 

and it begins with you and 

me! 

Naomi Campbell 

on Runway Credit 

Harper Bazaar 


FEATURE 

Over time, the world 

has evolved at a 

break-neck pace 

– technology, 

information, 

transportation, 

telecommunication, way-oflife 

etc. – virtually all aspects 

of human existence have 

experienced innovation; except 

humanity itself! 

It is disheartening that we 

sacrifice so much to improve 

artificial intelligence without 

paying attention to protecting 

humanity. One cannot agree 

more with critics who argue that 

the greatest injustice in our world 

today remains the existence of 

racism. 

On the issue of racism and 

humanity, no one can sit on the 

fence; it is either you are against 

racism and uphold humanity – or 

you choose to be on the other 

side of the divide. 

“ 

sentiments 

that glorify 

humanity 

know no 

racial 

distinction. 

- Abhijit Nask 

Abhijit Naska, world-renowned 

neuroscientist and best-selling 

author could not have put it any 

better when he said: “sentiments 

that glorify humanity know no 

racial distinction.” 

For many years, Black 

people have been targeted 

Time 

Black Live 

Matter 

by Sebastian Ebatamehi 

for no reason, other than their 

colour. The world structure 

accommodates human and 

systematic racism, which identifies 

Black people as symbols of 

negativity, on one hand. White 

people, on the other hand, have 

been historically free of negative 

representations despite their 

numerous atrocities over time. 

To judge an entire race based 

on the actions of a few is, no 

doubt, a betrayal on humanity 

itself and utter disregard for the 

essence of human existence. 

The recent wave of police 

brutality across Europe and the 

United States has exposed the 

perception of Black people 

around the world. 

8 


FEATURE 

s 

18-year-old Orion “Owen” 

Anderson was taken from jail in 

Leesburg, Virginia, and lynched 

by a White mob; his crime? An 

accusation of fighting with a White 

girl – a daughter of a prominent 

White man in Loudoun County. 

These same atrocities against 

Black people are still evident 

today; after over 100 

years – nothing has 

changed! On 

February 23, 2020, 

Ahmaud Arbery, 

a 25-year-old 

Black man, 

was shot dead 

in Georgia; his 

crime? He was 

jogging in a White 

neighbourhood. 

The man who shot 

Ahmaud Arbery him saw it as a crime 

for a nigga to step foot in a 

White community! Yes, in this 21st 

century! 

Was this a coincidence? No! 

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, 

a 46-year-old Black man, was 

killed after White police officers 

kneeled on his neck, despite not 

History labelled the individuals 

who engaged in lynching Black 

people more than 130 years ago 

as uncivilized. According to the 

Tuskegee Institute, from 1882 to 

1951, 4,730 people of colour 

were lynched in the United States, 

on court orders. 

Today, even though the courts 

no longer place Blacks at the 

mercy of White mobs, ready to 

lynch them, they have turned a 

blind eye to a system that allows 

the daily slaughter of Black people 

around the world. After all, in the 

words of the great human-rights 

activist, Ginetta Sagan, “silence in 

the face of injustice is complicity 

with the oppressor.” 

You can’t be neutral on 

a moving train! The system 

designed to accommodate 

these atrocities is managed by 

people who believe and uphold 

racial discrimination in their hearts. 

On November 8, 1889, 

People Place 

Flowers Under 

a Graffiti of 

George Floyd_ 

Credit_Peoples 

Dispatch 

resisting arrest and in handcuffs; 

his crime? He spent a counterfeit 

20 dollar bill at a ‘White’ 

supermarket. A counterfeit bill he 

didn’t print! Can 20 dollars buy 

life? Yes, it can obtain the life of a 

nigga in our world! 


FEATURE 

“ 

For Black 

Lives to 

matter, 

Africa 

must 

matter”. 

- Burna Boy 

Racial discrimination and 

crimes against Black people are 

evident across the world; this is a 

global issue – far more significant 

than all the pandemics that 

have affected the world 

put together. According 

to the UK government’s 

Race Disparity Audit, 

relative to Whites 

and Asians, Black 

defendants at 

Crown Court were 

the most likely to 

be remanded in 

custody. Between 

2017 and 2018, 

Black people 

in Britain were 

approximately ten 

times more likely to be 

stopped and searched by 

the police than White people 

were! 

In the United States, Black 

people are more likely to be 

arrested for drug offences even 

though they are not more likely 

to use or sell drugs and, as a 

result, make up a disproportionate 

amount of the prison population. 

They also have a higher chance 

of getting shot by the police than 

White or Hispanic people. 

In 

today’s 

Brazil, Black 

people are still treated as secondclass 

citizens; while in India, 

students of African origin often get 

persecuted for crimes they did 

not commit. 

Even in South Africa, a 

majority-Black country – in a 

Black continent, 72 percent of 

the country’s private farm land 

is owned by White people who 

make up only 9 percent of the 

population! 

In the United States, Blacks are 

called “niggas”; in Brazil, termed 

“macaco”; in South Africa, they 

are nicknamed “kaffir”; in India, 

“bandar”; in China “hak gwai”... 

The list is endless! 

wThe time has come for the 

world to stand in one voice and 

take conscious steps against 

racism before it destroys the 

essence of human existence. 

10 www.glamsquadmagazine.com

FEATURE 

While receiving his BET Award 

for Best International Act, on 

Sunday, June 28, 2020; Nigerian 

singer, Burna Boy said: “For Black 

Lives to matter, Africa must 

matter”. He is right! 

The world must do more than 

pay lip service to the ‘Black Lives 

Matter’ movement. It is time for 

Africa to Matter! 

What are your thoughts? 

Please send us an email with your 

comments and opinions. 

BURNA BOY 


FASHION 

Fashion Rules: 

How to Colour 

Block Outfits 

Words by - Sasha Bokamoso 

Colour blocking outfits is one of the easiest ways 

to stand out and look fashionable, while still 

seeming approachable and cheerful. 

The other great thing about colour blocking is that it 

can be done with reasonably essential, comfortable, 

and affordable items. The only question is – how can 

you figure out which colour combinations will look 

good together? 

Read on to learn some basic colour theory that is very 

important for colour blocking, as well as some key 

colour combinations that will always look amazing. 

Lastly, remember: practice makes perfect. The more 

you play with colour, and as you become more 

adventurous, you will be able to tell quickly what looks 

good and what doesn’t, and you will also feel more 

comfortable taking risks. But first: 

12 www.glamsquadmagazine.com 

What is Color 

Blocking? 

Colour blocking is the combination of 

different solid panels of colour. When it 

comes to colour blocking in fashion, it 

means eschewing wild prints in favour of 

solidly coloured items, or single items that 

are colour blocked with panels of different 

colours. One dress made of three solidly 

coloured fabrics would count as colour 

blocking, as well as a solidly coloured 

T-shirt, jacket, and pant combination.

FASHION 

colour 

block 

makeup 

triadic 

colour 

block 

triadic 

colour 

block 

How to Colour 

Block Outfits in 

Fashion 

Triadic Colour Blocking: 

The triadic scheme for colour 

blocking includes three colours 

that are equidistant from each 

other on the colour wheel. The 

three primary colours, when put 

together, make up a triadic 

colour scheme. 

It is a little like the 

complementary colour scheme, 

in that the effect of the three 

colours together is very stark. So it is best to avoid 

wearing all three colours at full strength and to opt 

for darker or lighter shades, rather than something 

overly vibrant. I prefer triadic colour schemes with 

tertiary colours, like reddish-purple, greenish-blue, 

and yellow-orange, because they seem more 

sophisticated and subdued. 

Hope you learnt something? Please tag us on your 

that lovely colour-blocking outfit when next you 

make a post on social media! 


FASHION 

How to 

Colours 

jennifer 

lopez 

Complementary 

Color Blocking 

Pairing complementary colours can 

be excellent, or disastrous, depending 

on how you pull it off. Complementary 

colours are simply two opposite colours 

on the colour wheel—for example, 

purple and yellow, or green and red. 

Opposite colours stand out against each 

other, and both end up looking brighter. This 

effect can be eye-catching, but it can also 

cause an unflattering clash. 

There are a few ways to make 

complementary colours work: the easiest 

one is to have one of the colours dominate, 

and add its complementary colour as an 

accent – think a 5:3 ratio. 

lupita 

n’yongo 

ini edo 


FASHION 

Mix and Match 

in Outfits 

Monochrome 

Color Blocking 

This is the most uncomplicated colour 

blocking technique to pull off. Simply, 

pair items that are all the same colour. 

Your shade and tint could change 

from item to item so that you could 

wear dark blue jeans, a sky blue shirt, 

and navy shoes. 

You can also add black and 

white to a monochromatic colourblocking 

scheme. Usually, 

monochromatic schemes work 

well, although sometimes you 

risk looking washed out or 

overwhelmed with a single 

colour. It is why variation in 

shades and tints is essential. 

With a monochromatic 

look, it becomes necessary 

to understand what kind of 

effect lighter and darker colours 

can have. Darker shades absorb 

light, making things look smaller, while 

lighter shades make them appear 

larger. You can play with various 

kinds of illusions to flatter your figure 

when doing monochromatic colour 

blocking. 

kim 

kardashian 

Adut 

Akech 

Credit 

Style De 

Monde 

Key Colour 

Combinations 

understanding how 

colour blocking 

works in fashion, 

it’s important to 

remember what 

the primary colour 

combinations 

are. Based on this 

information, you 

will always mix and 

match colours in 

your outfit expertly! 


BEAUTY 

Black Don’t Crack: 

Ways to Care 

6for Black Skin 

Words by - Sasha Bokamoso 

As a woman of 

colour, one of 

the few things 

I pride in is my 

skin. “Black Don’t Crack” 

is a statement I’ve lived 

by since I was a kid. 

(Perhaps that was why I 

never considered joining 

the bandwagon of African 

women who embraced 

the bleaching trend!) 

Growing up, even as a 

fashion and beauty writer 

for many years, I believed 

my Black skin was eternal 

and guards me against 

ageing, no matter what; 

looking at celebrities 

like Naomi Campbell, 

Gabrielle Union and 

Angela Bassett, it seems 

to hold. 

But the older I get, the 

wiser I am about my skin 

care — I am a beauty 

editor, after all! While my 

melanin surplus helps 

to stave off wrinkles, it 

doesn’t guard against 

skin cancer or hyperpigmentation. 

That’s why 

I’ve started to get more 

serious about my skin 

care regimen and people 

with darker skin tones 

have specific issues. 

When my kind 

Managing Editor called 

me up to write this 

piece – and specifically 

demanding that I speak 

with a dermatologist who 

specialises in treating skin 

of colour for tips on caring 

for brown skin, I told him: 

“Sir, say no more!” 

Not only am I the 

right woman for this 

job, I know exactly 

where to get the right 

resources. So, I spoke to 

two dermatologists – not 

one! One thing they both 

agreed on at the first call 

was that even though 

Black doesn’t crack, 

women of colour must 

make conscious efforts to 

take care of their skin. 

1Use suns 


BEAUTY 

creen every day 

If you’ve read any skin care stories, 

you will notice that sunscreen is 

always on the list. But even I have to 

admit that I just started using a daily 

moisturizer a few years ago (don’t 

judge me). Before now, I thought 

sunscreen was just a beach essential. 

But when I learned how it could help 

slow skin ageing, I became more 

serious about applying it every day. 

“I explain to my patients of all 

ethnicities that we can all get photodamage. 

We only show it differently 

on our skin,” says dermatologist Amy 

McMichael, M.D. “Those with darker 

skin tend to show photo-damage 

with hyper-pigmentation that worsens 

over time on the cheeks and lower 

face. An uneven complexion is the 

outcome of sun exposure in darker 

patients.” 

2 

Treat skin 

irritation 

ASAP 

My mom would often slap 

my hand if she saw me 

picking at my pimples. 

That’s because darker skin is 

more prone to scarring and 

hyper-pigmentation. Many 

dermatologists recommend 

swift and stringent treatment 

courses for acne, rashes and 

eczema on brown skin tones. 

“Treating things like acne and 

other common skin conditions in darker skin type individuals, 

[I] tends to treat a little more aggressively because if 

you don’t, you’re likely to end up leaving behind postinflammatory 

hyper-pigmentation,” says Desai. Once you 

have the underlying inflammation under control, you can 

start to address any darkness or scarring that’s left behind; 

this brings me to my next point. 


BEAUTY 

3Hyper-pigmentation or the darkening of 

the skin in certain areas, can be left over 

as a result of inflammation after a bout of 

acne or an eczema flare-up. Melasma, 

a skin condition marked by areas of hyper-pigmentation, is 

more common in darker-skinned people and often occurs 

post-pregnancy, following sun exposure or after taking oral 

contraceptives. While sunscreen — and not picking! 

— can help prevent hyper-pigmentation, 

but if it does appear, there are topical 

products you can use to lighten darkened 

areas. 

Desai says the gold standard in lightening 

agents is hydroquinone. “Hydroquinone 

is a prescription lightening ingredient that 

helps to block the enzyme that makes the 

melanin,” he says. “It’s important to make 

sure that when you counsel patients to use 

hydroquinone, you let them know that it can 

be irritating to the skin; that it can also cause a 

side effect where the skin becomes permanently pigmented 

by small brown deposits.” 

Pick products that 

help with hyperpigmentation 

Start an antiageing 

regimen 

early and use it 

often 

4 

Because of melanin’s ability to defend 

against UV damage and sunburn, it 

also protects darker skin tones against 

the signs of ageing like wrinkles, brown 

spots and visible blood vessels. So, in most cases, 

dark skin shows wrinkles and age spots a lot later 

in life. Black skin also tends to have more oil, which 

protects against dryness and wrinkling. 

“Black skin tends to have more sebum or oil content; 

some of that contains natural moisturizing factor so all 

of that can play a role in the look and aesthetics of 

the skin because it’s less likely to be dry,” says Desai. 

But that doesn’t mean your skin couldn’t benefit from 

a little help. Try using a retinol product that brightens 

and evens out skin tone. Desai also recommends 

using an antioxidant-rich serum, which helps fight 

against the free radicals that lead to inflammation. 

ANGELA BASST 

genevieve nnaji 

ciara 


BEAUTY 

Be careful — laser 

treatments aren’t 

always OK for dark 

skin! 

5 

While fair skin patients 

can handle laser 

treatments to get rid 

of brown spots or 

wrinkles, darker skin 

must be cautious 

using these types of 

machines. 

“We use resurfacing 

and fractionated 

resurfacing lasers for 

wrinkles and tightening 

but we’d use caution on 

darker skin,” says Desai. 

“When you do things like 

a laser, you’re applying heat 

that damages the melanin layer 

and can inflame the skin, further 

exacerbating a pigmentation issue and 

leaving behind that post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.” 

It is also something to keep in mind when you consider 

laser hair removal treatments. These lasers target the 

melanin in the hair. When you have dark hair and a 

dark complexion, it’s harder for the lasers to distinguish 

between them, which can lead to burns or scars. 

Find a 

dermatologist 

who understands 

dark skin 

Not all dermatologists are equally familiar 

with the particularities of darker skin. 

“It’s important that darker skin type patients 

seek out a dermatologist who is an expert in 

the skin of colour or who has worked in treating 

pigmentary disorders,” says Desai. 

Before you consult a dermatologist, be sure 

to make sure that they are familiar with the 

uniqueness and peculiarities of the dark skin. 

Stay Black, stay peculiar, stay beautiful! 

6 

www.glamsquadmagazine.com 

19

MUSIC 

00 

Influen 

top 

1 Afr 

by Glory Uyiowi 

On this timely edition of Glamsquad Magazine, we introduce you to ‘100 

Black Influencers’ – spanning across entertainment, fashion, business, arts, 

and sports etc. This list aims to acknowledge a few African heroes who have 

made valuable impact in their respective fields by exhibiting the highest level of 

creativity, discipline and hard work. 

Below is our list of Africa’s top 100 legends in their respective fields. 

King Sunny Ade 

1 2 

Nigeria 

Youssou N’Dour 

Senegal 

King Sunny Ade is still making waves after 

decades in the Nigeria music industry. He has 

toured around the world. He sings juju music 

and has never stopped winning the hearts of 

his fans. 

Youssou N’Dour is a Senegalese singer known for 

his extraordinary vocal range and for introducing 

international audiences to mbalax: a popular 

Senegalese style of music that blends Wolof 

traditional instrumental and vocal forms, primarily, 

with Cuban and other Latin American popular 

genres. He served as Senegal’s Minister for Culture 

and Tourism (2012–13). 


MUSIC 

ican 

cers 

In The World 

4 

Yvonne Chaka 

Chaka 

South Africa 

3 

burna boy 

Nigeria 

MUSIC 

Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu Rex, known professionally as 

Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He rose to 

prominence in 2012 after releasing “Like to Party”, the lead 

single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E. 

His mother Bose Ogulu (née Idonije) was once a dancer 

for Fela and the daughter of a famous icon of Nigerian 

journalism Benson Idonije. Burna boy’s grandfather was a 

broadcaster and music critic known for being the first band 

manager of Fela Kuti. 

He won many local and international awards for his latest 

Album – African Giant; and was just recently awarded ‘Best 

International Act’ at the just concluded BET Awards. 

Chaka Chaka is an internationally 

recognized and highly respected 

South African singer, song writer, 

entrepreneur, global health advocate 

and humanitarian. 

Dubbed the “Princess of Africa” Yvonne 

has been in the forefront of African 

music for over 30 years. Born in 1965 

in Soweto, she was the first black child 

to appear on South African television. 

At 19, she released her debut album 

“I’m in Love with a DJ,” which sold 

35,000 copies in a week. Her song, 

“Umqombothi” was featured in the 

opening scene of the movie ‘Hotel 

Rwanda’. 


MUSIC 

Top 100 African Influencers in the world 

5 

Angelique Kidjo 

Republic of Benin 

MU 

7 

Oumou Sangare 

Mali 

Angelique Kidjo is a singer, songwriter and activist from 

Benin Republic. She is one of Africa’s most respected 

performers and has won three Grammy Awards in her wideranging 

career. She is influential and supports the cause of 

women. 

6 

femi kuti 

Nigeria 

Oumou Sangare is an internation 

singer, composer, business pione 

women’s rights in her native Mali 

Sangare’s style is wassalou, a pop 

from folk traditions in the rural sou 

The eldest son of Afro-beat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, 

Femi Kuti spent years playing in his father’s band before 

eventually rising to super stardom after his father’s death in 

the late 1990s. 



MUSIC 

SIC 

8 

Awilo Longomba 

Congo 

Awilo Longomba is a Congolese musician who began his 

music career as a drummer. In 1995, he quit drumming for 

singing. He released his first album ‘Moto Pamba’. 

9 

Khaled Hadj Ibrahim 

Algeria 

ally renowned, award-winning 

er and activist who champions 

and throughout Africa. 

ular musical genre derived 

th western part of her country. 

Khaled Hadj Ibrahim, better known by his mononym 

Khaled, is an Algerian musician, singer and songwriter born 

in Oran, Algeria. He was crowned “King of Raï” in the first Raï 

Festival in Oran. 


FASHION 


10 

Oumou Sy 

Senegal 

Oumou Sy is a self-taught 

fashion designer from 

Senegal. She is known 

for her theatrical avantgarde 

creations that have 

graced stage and screens 

and pieces for dramatic 

catwalk shows. She has 

designed for legendary 

Senegalese singers, 

Youssor N’dour and Baba 

Maal. 

11 

Selly Rabby Kane 

Senegal 

FASHION 

Selly Rabby Kane (Senegal) 

Selly Raby Kane is the 

uncrowned queen 

of Petite Pierre (Small 

Stones), Dakar’s evolving 

collective of artists who 

are shaping the city’s 

young creative scene. 

She is a new generation 

creative and designer 

who is passionate about 

redefining the perception 

of African design. Her style 

is eclectic, energetic and 

a tad uninhibited. 



FASHION 

ADEBAYO JONES 

12 Nigeria 

13 

deola sagoe 

Nigeria 

Adebayo Jones is a veteran fashion 

designer, spending over 30 years working 

in the industry. Born in Nigeria and 

based in London, Jones’ work has an 

international reach. Elegant and luxurious 

gowns silk, velvet and brocade are his 

forte. 

Nigerian fashion designer Deola Sagoe has 

been in the fashion industry for 25 years. Her 

designs are elegant and exquisitely crafted, 

making use of cutting edge techniques 

such as laser cutting in fabrics. Sagoe is 

also known for using traditional Nigerian 

materials including Aso Oke and techniques 

in her designs, modernising them to suit 

contemporary lifestyles. 

14 

Lanre Da Silva Ajayi 

Nigeria 

Lanre Da Silva Ajayi (LDA) 

is the founder of the 

eponymous design label, 

Lanre Da Silva Ajayi. In 

nine years, her passion 

for fashion has gotten 

stronger, making the name 

a fashion favourite in her 

country and beyond. 


FASHION 


15 

Imane Ayissi 

Cameroun 

Imane Ayissi hails from 

Cameroun where he 

grew up in an artistic and 

sporting family. Before 

embarking on a career in 

fashion designing, Ayissi 

was first a ballet dancer 

then, a model. He’s been 

a fashion designer for 

over twenty years, initially 

producing haute couture 

collections before setting 

up a ready-to-wear line. 

16 

Lisa Folawiyo 

Nigeria 17 

Marianne Fassler 

South Africa 

Nigerian fashion designer, Lisa Folawiyo, 

is celebrated for her colourful collections 

that fuse traditional West African fabrics 

with modern tailoring and beaded 

embellishments. 

A doyenne of the South African fashion 

industry, Marianne Fassler is celebrating a 

career spanning nearly forty years. Trading 

under the name of Leopard Frock, Fassler 

is famous for breaking the rules; her 

clothes are unconventional and inspired 

by the diverse continent she calls home. 



FASHION 

18 

Alphadi 

Mali 

FASHION 

Fashion designer, Alphadi, 

was born in the legendary 

city of Timbuktu in Mali but 

now resides in Republic of 

Niger. Before establishing 

his label, he worked 

for legendary fashion 

luminaries like Yves Saint 

Laurent, Christian Lacroix 

and Paco Rabanne. 

Alphadi’s is inspired by 

traditional clothing styles 

and handicraft. 

19 

Omer Asim 

Sudan 

Omer Asim is a Sudanese 

designer living and working 

in London. A graduate of 

Architecture and Political 

Science, after a short stay 

with the United Nations 

Development Programme, 

he started training as a 

psychoanalyst. 


ART 


20 

Gonçalo Mabunda 

Mozambique 

Gonçalo Mabunda 

was born on January 

1, 1975, in Maputo, 

Mozambique. He is 

an artist and anti-war 

activist. He draws 

on the collective 

memory of his country, 

Mozambique, which 

has only recently 

emerged from a long 

and terrible civil war. 

Tracey Rose 

22 South Africa 

23 

Nike Davies-Okun 

Nigeria 

Tracey Rose makes Tracey Emin look like a Girl Guide. Rose is 

a mixed-race feminist who uses identity and sexual politics as 

incendiary devices, waging war on her fellow South Africans’ 

sensibilities with almost narrative-less performances, films and 

artworks. 

Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye, also 

Seven is a Nigerian batik and adi 

founder of Nike Art Gallery, Lagos 

of its kind in West Africa. It boasts 

diverse artworks from various Nige 



ART 

21 

Dilomprizulike 

Nigeria 

Dilomprizulike, the selfproclaimed 

“junkman 

of Africa”, is among 

the most enigmatic 

of artists. Dilom 

creates sculpture and 

performances tied 

deeply into traditional 

African masquerades 

but still informed by 

modern awareness. 

ART 

daye 

24 

Sokari Douglas Camp 

Nigeria 

known as Nike Twins Seven 

re textile designer. She is the 

, which is arguably the largest 

a collection of about 8,000 

rian artists. 

Sokari Douglas Camp is one of the first female African 

artists to have attracted the attention of the European art 

market. She studied in Oakland, California and in the United 

Kingdom. Her expressive man-high steel sculptures show the 

direct influence of her home country. 


ART 


25 

El Anatsuj 

Ghana 

El Anatsui is a Ghanaian 

sculptor active for much 

of his career in Nigeria. 

He has drawn particular 

international attention for 

his “bottle-top installations”. 

He is an internationally 

acclaimed artist who 

transforms simple materials 

into complex assemblages 

that create distinctive 

visual impact. 

26 

Chéri Samba 

DR Congo 

ART 

Also known as “David 

Samba” and “Samba wa 

Mbimba N’zingo Nuni Masi 

Ndo Mbasi,” Samba is a 

well-known painter from 

the Democratic Republic 

of Congo. He is best known 

for his bold creations that 

feature bright colours, 

cartoon-esque caricatures, 

and explanatory texts. 



ART 

Abdoulaye Konate 

27 Mali 

28 

Pierre Atepa Goudiaby 

Senegal 

The contemporary artist began his 

career as a graphic designer at the 

Musée National in Bamako and was later 

appointed Director of the Palais de la 

Culture. In 2002, he received two awards: 

the Chevalier d’Ordre National du Mali 

and Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des 

Lettres de France. 

Through the African Scholarship 

Programme, Goudiaby took a degree 

in Architecture from the Rensselaer 

Polytechnic Institute in New York, in 1973. 

He is now among Africa’s most respected 

and successful architects. 

29 

Ibrahim El Salahi 

Sudan 

It is difficult not to fall in 

love with the profoundly 

serene El Salahi, the 

godfather of African 

modernism. He has 

created great works over 

five decades. He has had 

as many chapters to his 

practice as Picasso and 

has generated his arthistory. 


MODELS 


Fatima Siad 

30 Somalia / Ethiopia 

31 

Ataui Deng 

Sudan 

FASHION 

MODELS 

Siad, a Somali-Ethiopian fashion model, currently based in 

New York, is one of the top African models. Siad came third 

in America’s Next Top Model’s Cycle 10. She has featured in 

numerous fashion magazines, including Elle, Cosmopolitan, 

Essence Magazine, and Marie Claire. 

Ataui began her career in 2008, 

Texas, United States from Khartou 

in 2004. Since then, she has walk 

designers such as Diane Von Furs 

and Terry Mugler. Deng has grac 

magazines. 

33 

Behati Prinsloo 

South Africa 

Behati Prinsloo is a 

26-year-old model who 

hails from Grootfontein, 

Namibia. She was 

discovered at the 

age of 16 while on 

holiday in Cape Town 

by scouter Noelle 

Doukas, daughter of 

Sarah Doukas, who is 

famously known for 

finding super model 

Kate Moss. 



MODELS 

32 

Malaika Firth 

Kenya 

four years after moving to 

m, Sudan with her family 

ed the runway for notable 

tenberg, Oscar De La Renta 

ed the covers of several glossy 

Malaika Firth is a Kenyan-British model who owes her success 

to her mother who called Premier Models in London to tell 

the agents about her daughter’s modelling credentials. Her 

genetic make-up has been an interesting point for those she 

comes across. 

34 

Agbani Darego 

Nigeria 

Agbani Darego is a 

Nigerian model who 

won the ‘Most Beautiful 

Girl in Nigeria’ pageant 

in 2001. She went on to 

compete in Miss World 

2001 and became the 

first native sub-Saharan 

African to win the title 

after South Africa’s 

Penelope Anne Coelen 

in 1958 and Anneline 

Kriel in 1974. 


MODELS 


35 

Anok Yai 

Egypt 

FASHION 

MODELS 

Anok Yai is an Egyptianborn 

American fashion 

model of South Sudanese 

descent, accidentally 

discovered on account 

of a single photo which 

launched her modelling 

career. Discovered after 

a photographer took a 

picture of her at Howard 

University’s Homecoming 

celebration, Anok’s 

life took a completely 

different path after 

dozens of modelling 

agencies reached out, all 

clamouring to sign the girl 

in the photo! 

36 

Candice Swanepoel 

South Africa 

Candice Swanepoel is 

undoubtedly one of the 

biggest names in the 

modelling industry. She 

is also one of the highest 

paid models in the world 

with a net worth of an 

estimated US$10 million. 

She made it to the 2013 

Forbes list of the world’s 

highest-paid models. 



MODELS 

37 

Adut Akech Bior 

South Sudan 

With her cherubic face 

and creamy dark skin, you 

do not have to look too 

long to realise why Adut 

Akech is the industry’s latest 

darling. Making her debut 

at the MET Gala last year 

in a dusty pink Valentino 

creation, Adut had people 

wondering who this new 

face was. In 2018, models. 

com made her ‘Model of 

the Year’. 

38 

Leila Lopes 

Angola 39 

Aamito Lagum 

Uganda 

Leila Lopes is an Angolan model who 

made history as the first woman from 

Angola to win the Miss Universe crown 

in 2011 and only the second African 

woman to win the title after Botswana’s 

Mpule Kwelagobe, who won in 1999. 

Aamito Lagum is a Ugandan model who 

rose to fame after winning the first season 

of ‘Africa’s Next Top Model’. Her passion 

for modelling fuelled her decision to take 

a 16-hour bus ride from Uganda to Kenya 

to attend the East Africa casting for the 

reality TV show. 


MOVIES 


40 

Connie Chiume 

South Africa 

41 

Pete Edochie 

Nigeria 

42 

Lupita Nyong’o 

Kenya 

Connie Chiume is a famed South African 

actress famous for her charming and 

motherly role as Mamokete Khuse on e.tv 

soapie, ‘Rhythm City.’ Connie has actively 

featured in several other acting roles, 

making her even more influential in the film 

industry. 



MOVIES 

Pete Edochie is a Nigerian 

actor who began his 

career in a broadcasting 

corporation at age 20 

before moving into the 

movie industry. Edochie 

came into limelight in the 

1980s after playing a lead 

role, Okonkwo, in a screen 

adaptation of Chinua 

Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart.’ 

43 

Chipo Chung 

Tanzania 

MOVIES 

Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan 

actress who obtained her 

bachelor’s degree from 

the Hampshire College 

and completed her threeyear 

degree in Acting at 

the Ivy League school, in 

2012. In 2013, she made 

her feature debut in Steve 

McQueen’s film ‘12 Years A 

Slave’ - a role that won her 

an Oscar. She starred in 

‘Black Panther,’ and played 

Maz Kanata in the ‘Star 

Wars’ movies. She is in the 

forthcoming ‘Little Monsters.’ 

Chipo Chung was born in Tanzania as a 

refugee during the Liberation Struggle in her 

home country, Zimbabwe. She was raised 

in Zimbabwe immediately after the country 

became independent and witnessed the 

birth of a bright new nation. She trained as 

an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic 

Art (RADA), in London. She has always been 

engaged with social change. 


MOVIES 


44 

Amanda Du Pont 

Eswatini – formally called Swaziland 45 

Sean Cameron 

Michael 

South Africa 

Amanda Du Pont is a Swazi-born South 

African actress. She features mostly in 

South African movies despite been born 

in Swaziland. She is also a television 

anchor or host, voice-over artiste, model, 

brand ambassador, live event MC and 

businesswoman. She studied Film and 

Drama at the New York Film Academy. 

Over the past three decades, South 

African-born veteran actor Sean 

Cameron Michael has performed in over 

100 local and international TV and film 

productions, plus 30 theatre productions 

(including the Vita award-winning ‘On the 

open Road’, ‘Opposite David Minnaar’ 

and ‘Marius Weyers’ as well as the Fleur du 

Cap award-winning national tour of The 

Mandela Trilogy.) 

46 

Danai Gurira 

Zimbabwe 

Danai Jekesai Gurira is a 

Zimbabwean-American 

actress and playwright. She 

is best known for her starring 

roles as Michonne on the 

AMC horror drama series ‘The 

Walking Dead’ and as Okoye 

in the Marvel Cinematic 

Universe superhero films 

‘Black Panther,’ ‘Avengers: 

Infinity War’, and ‘Avengers: 

Endgame.’ 



MOVIES 

47 

Olu Jacobs 

Nigeria 

MOVIES 

Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, 

known professionally 

as Olu Jacobs, is an 

internationally acclaimed 

Nigerian actor and film 

executive. He trained 

at The Royal Academy 

of Dramatic Arts and 

starred in various British 

television shows and series 

in the 1970s (e.g. ‘The 

Goodies,’ ‘Till Death Us 

Do Part,’ ‘Barlow at Large,’ 

to mention a few). In 

1978, he played the role 

of President Mageeba 

in Michael Codron’s 

presentation of Tom 

Stoppard’s play ‘Night and 

Day.’ 

48 

Thando Thabethe 

South Africa 

Thando Thabethe is a 

South African actress, radio 

DJ, television host and 

the first-ever African Brand 

Ambassador for Nivea. 

She is also a presenter on 

her own television show on 

channel TLC titled, Thando 

Bares All. She played the 

role of Nolwazi Buzo on the 

South African soap opera 

‘Generations: The Legacy.’ 


WRITERS 


49 

Ben Okri 

Nigeria 

Ben Okri is a poet, novelist, essayist, 

short story writer, anthologist, 

aphorist, and playwright. He has 

written film scripts and his works 

have won numerous national and 

international prizes, including the 

Booker Prize for Fiction. He has 

also received many honorary 

doctorates for his contribution to 

Literature and is considered one 

of the foremost African authors in 

the post-modern and post-colonial 

traditions. 

W 

Wole Soyinka 

51 Nigeria 

52 

Zakes Mda 

South Africa 

In 1986, Prof. Wole Soyinka became the first Black (as 

well as the first African) Nobel Prize laureate. His 40-year 

writing career has endured through prison, exile and a 

death sentence for treason. He is the best known Nigerian 

playwright and has used his art to speak out against 

government oppression. 

Zakes Mda is a novelist, playwrigh 

Mda is South African and resides 

Writing professor at Ohio University 

all the major literary awards in Sou 

Hurston/Richard Wright Legacy Aw 

Library Association ‘Notable Book 



WRITERS 

50 

RITERS 

Ayi Kwei Armah 

Ghana 

Ghanaian novelist, Ayi Kwei 

Armah attained international 

renown for his fiction in the 

late 1960s and early 1970s. 

Despite his fame, Armah 

maintained an intensely private 

life and distanced himself from 

discussions of his craft. His six 

novels and numerous short 

stories provide a glimpse of life 

in Ghana in the tumultuous years 

following its independence from 

Britain. 

53 

NgUgI wa Thiong’O 

Kenya 

t, painter, music composer. 

in the USA. He is also a Creative 

. Seven of his novels have won 

th Africa and the Zora Neale 

ard. He also won the American 

s’ Award in the USA. 

This Kenyan author wrote pieces that were always highly 

political. Consequently, he was exiled for 22 years because 

of his so-called dangerous revolutionary work (including his 

best-selling novel ‘Petals of Blood’). Respected and widelyknown, 

Thiong’O’s most recent book, ‘Wizard of the Crow’ 

(2006), was his first in 20 years. 


WRITERS 


54 

Brian Chikwava 

Zimbabwe 

Brian Chikwava is a Zimbabwean 

writer and musician. His short story, 

‘Seventh Street Alchemy’ was 

awarded the 2004 Caine Prize for 

African writing in English. He became 

the first Zimbabwean to do so. He is 

among the exciting new generation 

of writers emerging from the African 

continent. 

55 

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Nigeria 

WRITERS 

Chimamanda Ngozi 

Adichie was born on 

September 15, 1977. It is 

during her senior year at 

Eastern that she started 

working on her first novel, 

‘Purple Hibiscus,’ released 

in October 2003. The 

book was short-listed for 

the Orange Fiction Prize 

(2004) and awarded the 

Commonwealth Writers’ 

Prize for Best First Book 

(2005). 



WRITERS 

Doreen Baingana 

56 Uganda 

57 

Zukiswa Wanner 

South Africa 

Doreen Baingana is a Ugandan short 

story writer. Her book, ‘Tropical Fish,’ won 

the 2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, 

the Best First Book, Africa Region, and an 

AWP Short Fiction Award. Her work has 

appeared in AGNI, Glimmer Train, African 

American Review, Callaloo, The Guardian, 

and Kwani. 

Zukiswa Wanner is a South African 

journalist and novelist; born in Zambia 

and now based in Kenya. Since 2006, 

when she published her first book, her 

novels have been short-listed for awards 

including the South African Literary Awards 

and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. 

58 

Odia Ofeimun 

Nigeria 

Odia Ofeimun is a Nigerian poet 

and polemicist. The author of many 

volumes of poetry, books of political 

essays and others on cultural politics, 

he is also the editor of two significant 

anthologies of Nigerian poetry. 


ENTREPRENEURS 


Aliko Dangote 

59 Nigeria 

60 

Ataui Deng 

Sudan 

ENTREPRENEURS 

He is the richest Black man in the world and Africa’s richest 

man with an estimated wealth of $10.3bn. Within Nigeria, 

Senator Ben-Murray Bruce called him “more influential 

and powerful than (President Muhammadu) Buhari”. The 

billionaire’s latest project is a $10.5bn oil refinery that will be 

Africa’s most enormous. He is investing in the continent’s 

manufacturing and agribusiness capacity. 

Folorunso Alakija was born on 15 July, 

businesswoman with business connec 

printing industries. 

Folorunsho Alakija is vice chair of Fam 

company with a stake in Agbami Oilf 

first company was a fashion label wh 

former Nigerian president Ibrahim Bab 

The Nigerian government awarded A 

license in 1993, which was later conv 

Agbami field has been operating sinc 

operate through 2024. 

62 

Ashifi Gogo 

Ghana 

Dr. Ashifi Gogo started on Sproxil in 

2009. Recognised with an award by 

the White House, Sproxil engages 

with the world’s largest brands to 

protect their consumers from buying 

counterfeit products. They reward 

loyal consumers to make them 

continue buying. Initially intended 

for the pharmaceutical industry 

to combat the enormous global 

problem with counterfeit drugs, 

Sproxil has now expanded into the 

automotive industry and the oil and 

gas sector. 



ENTREPRENEURS 

61 

Gina Din-Kariuki 

Kenya 

1951, she is a Nigerian billionaire 

tions in fashion, oil, real estate and 

fa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration 

ield, a prolific offshore asset. Her 

ose customers included the wife of 

angida. 

lakija’s company an oil prospecting 

erted to an oil mining lease. The 

e 2008; Famfa Oil says it will likely 

In 19 years, Gina Din-Kariuki has morphed from being a 

public relations guru to an award-winning management 

consultant and social entrepreneur as well as honorary 

UNFPA ambassador and Red Cross goodwill ambassador. 

Her Gina Din Group has served as a strategic advisor 

to Safaricom, steering the expansion of Kenyan 

telecommunications. Currently, she is assisting Kenya’s 

Central Bank with its rebranding. 

63 

Tidjane Thiam 

Côte d’Ivoire 

Thiam’s turn around of Credit 

Suisse since 2016 has left 

bankers and analysts awestruck. 

Ignoring nay sayers, 

the Ivorian CEO relegated 

the derivatives traders and 

recast the bank as a wealthmanagement 

operation 

focusing on emerging markets. 

He explained his view to 

Euromoney: “This is a fabulous 

bank. Or let me be more 

precise: it has always had a 

fabulous bank within it.” 


ENTREPRENEURS 


64 

Koos Bekker 

South Africa 

When China-based Tencent sneezed 

in August 2018, Nasper’s share price 

caught a cold. It didn’t last long but it 

showed how tied the fortunes of the 

South African media and entertainment 

behemoth is to its largest holding 

(Naspers owns 31 percent of the Chinese 

internet giant). Buying a stake in Tencent 

in 2001 makes Bekker the Buffett of 

Africa: the initial $32m investment has 

grown to $116bn since then and Bekker 

famously waived a salary to get paid in 

stock options when he was CEO. 

65 

Adut Akech Bior 

South Sudan 

66 

Mike Adenuga 

Nigeria 

With her cherubic face and creamy 

dark skin, you do not have to look too 

long to realise why Adut Akech is the 

industry’s latest darling. Making her debut 

at the MET Gala last year in a dusty pink 

Valentino creation, Adut had people 

wondering who this new face was. In 

2018, models.com made her ‘Model of 

the Year’. 

Adenuga is Nigeria’s second richest man; 

he built his fortune in telecom and oil 

production. His mobile phone network, 

Globacom, is the second-largest operator 

in Nigeria with 50 million subscribers. His 

oil exploration outfit, Conoil Producing, 

operates six oil blocks in the Niger Delta. 



ENTREPRENEURS 

67 

Anok Yai 

Egypt 

ENTREPRENEURS 

Jelani Aliyu was born on September 

11, 1966; he is a Nigerian 

automotive designer who works for 

the American car manufacturing 

company, General Motors. 

He’s the co-designer of the Buick 

Rendezvous, the lead designer 

for the Pontiac G6’s exterior and 

contributed to the “Astra project” with 

General Motors’ Opel Division. 

However, only when Jelani Aliyu 

successfully worked on the design of 

the Chevrolet Volt, did he become 

a superstar in his company. This 

compact automobile by Jelani 

was exhibited for the first time at the 

North American International Auto 

Show in the city of General Motors 

Renaissance in 2007. 

The Chevrolet Volt is sold at the price 

about $37,000 (N13.4 million). 

68 

Jason Njoku 

Nigeria 

As the founder of iROKO 

Partners and iROKOTv, the 

leading online streaming 

platform in Africa, Jason 

Njoku’s principle is simple. 

“I am trying to make 

people happy,” he says. 

Njoku admits that starting 

on YouTube in 2010 and 

building a successful 

global media empire has 

brought its challenges. 


ENTREPRENEURS 


69 

Ben Okri 

Nigeria 

Ben Okri is a poet, novelist, essayist, 

short story writer, anthologist, 

aphorist, and playwright. He has 

written film scripts and his works 

have won numerous national and 

international prizes, including the 

Booker Prize for Fiction. He has 

also received many honorary 

doctorates for his contribution to 

Literature and is considered one 

of the foremost African authors in 

the post-modern and post-colonial 

traditions. 

Elon Musk 

71 South Africa 

72 

Zakes Mda 

South Africa 

The yo-yoing of his company shares, his hirings and firings 

and off-the-wall tweets keep Musk in the headlines. He may 

be a maverick but his ideas are shaping the future - from 

reducing global warming with his electric cars to urban 

transportation on a cushion of air and plans to establish a 

colony on Mars. He is a big pessimist about the impact of AI. 

He donates to both the Democratic and Republican parties 

in the US, saying it is necessary to pay up to have a voice. 

Zakes Mda is a novelist, playwrigh 

Mda is South African and resides 

Writing professor at Ohio University 

all the major literary awards in Sou 

Hurston/Richard Wright Legacy Aw 

Library Association ‘Notable Book 



ENTREPRENEURS 

70 

Maavi Norman 

Liberia 

Founder of IRIS International 

Consulting and social 

entrepreneur, Dr. Maavi Norman, 

bridges the gap by encouraging 

foreign investment in Africa while 

supporting “deep local impact.” 

Through his affiliation as a mentor 

with the White House Young 

African Leaders Initiative, Norman 

has helped guide a cohort of 

like-minded entrepreneurs in 

Africa. 

ENTREPRENEURS 

73 

Femi Otedola 

Nigeria 

t, painter, music composer. 

in the USA. He is also a Creative 

. Seven of his novels have won 

th Africa and the Zora Neale 

ard. He also won the American 

s’ Award in the USA. 

Femi Otedola is a Nigerian businessman, philanthropist and 

former chairman of Forte Oil Plc, an importer of fuel products. 

Otedola is the founder of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd and 

the owner of several other businesses across shipping, real 

estate and finance. Forte Oil has more than 500 gas stations 

across the country. 


SPORTS 


74 

Maria Mutola – The Maputo Express 

Mozambique 

SPORTS 

It would seem hard to 

believe that The Maputo 

Express only attained 

her first Olympic gold 

medal at the Sydney 

Olympics 2000. Winning 

her first international 

gold at the World Indoor 

Championships in 1993, 

the 800m track champion 

was in the scene long 

before her first Olympic 

accolade. At 15 she was 

already on the world 

stage, coming 5th at the 

1988 Summer Olympics. 

In 1990, at 17, she took 

gold at the African 

Championships. 

75 

George WeaH 

Liberia 

Considered by many to be Africa’s 

greatest ever football export, the 

three-time African Footballer of The 

Year showed his skills in the beautiful 

game under the banners of AC 

Milan, Chelsea and Manchester 

City. In an 18 year career, coloured 

with 193 goals in 411 appearances, 

George Weah has scored some of 

the most electrifying goals in the 

sport (including a field-length run for 

AC Milan against Verona). 



SPORTS 

76 

Kipchoge Keino 

Kenya 

One of the first in a long lineage of 

sturdy long-distance runners to come 

from Kenya, the two-time Olympic goldmedalist 

defines the word ‘inspiration’. 

Keino ascended to fame through his 

gold medals at the All-Africa Games 

and Commonwealth Games of 1965 

and 1966 respectively. 

Within a space of eight years, “Kip” took 

podium finishes in the Olympic Games, 

Commonwealth Games and the All 

Africa Games, including seven golds, 

three silvers and one bronze. 

77 

Haile Gebrselassie 

Ethiopia 78 

Lucas Radebe 

South Africa 

Geb, as he’s affectionately known, 

personifies the African spectacle of talent 

in world long-distance track contests. He 

rose from humble beginnings to become 

a legend and has enjoyed a muchhonoured 

athletics career spanning 

over 20 years. At a point, he had over 60 

Ethiopian national records tucked firmly 

under his belt and he had set 27 world 

records. 

The Chief or Rhoo, as he is affectionately 

known, was a goalkeeper at South Africa’s 

Soweto giant, Kaizer Chiefs, before being 

recruited to play for Leeds United FC. He 

spent 11 years at Leeds and was named 

captain of the side four years later. At 

Leeds, he was a talismanic figure, a 

feared defender and a beloved icon to 

the Leeds United fans. 


SPORTS 


79 

Frankie Fredericks 

Namibia 

Namibia’s severe only 

medal contender in 

world athletics, the 100m 

and 200m juggernaut 

attained podium finishes 

in the Olympics, All-Africa 

Games, Commonwealth 

Games and World Indoor 

Championships from 

1991-2002. He holds the 

Commonwealth 200m 

record set in 1994. 

80 

Samuel Eto’o 

Cameroon 

SPORTS 

A four-time African 

Footballer of The Year, 

all-time leading goal 

scorer in the Africa Cup 

of Nations and Olympic 

gold medalist, Samuel 

Eto’o is undoubtedly the 

most decorated footballer 

from Africa. His professional 

career sharpened and 

shaped at Real Madrid 

from the age of 16. He 

played for numerous 

clubs before landing at 

FC Barcelona, where he 

displayed some of his most 

memorable professional 

performances, scoring 108 

goals in 145 appearances. 



SPORTS 

Kenenisa Bekele 

81 Ethiopia 

82 

Didier Drogba 

Ivory Coast 

Kenenisa Bekele is one of the most 

successful long-distance runners in 

history. He may be our youngest legend 

here but doesn’t fall short of legendary 

accomplishment. His accolades include 

3 Olympic gold medals in the 5000m 

and 10,000m events, five gold medals 

in the IAAF World Championships and 11 

gold medals in the World Cross Country. 

Known for his physical strength, ball 

retaining skills and long-distance 

goals, Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is a 

complete footballer. At 21, he started 

his professional football career at French 

club, Le Mans – a relatively late age for 

professional football. However, within 

two years, he was signed by Chelsea 

Football Club where his 8-year tenure 

earned him the accolade of being the 

club’s “greatest ever player” according to 

Chelsea fans. 

83 

Makhaya Ntini 

South Africa 

Ntini broke ground as the first player 

of African descent to make it into the 

White-dominated South African cricket 

team. His aggressive bowling attack 

and efficient fielding abilities earned 

him a permanent place in the Proteas 

from 1998-2009. During this time, he 

overcame legal problems, spoke out 

against racism in the sport and set a 

national record of the most wickets taken 

by a South African cricketer in a test 

match – 13/132. 


EDUCATION 


84 

Khangelani Sibiya 

South Africa 

85 

Catherine Nakabugo 

Uganda 

86 

Sitsofe Enyonam Anku 

Ghana 

Mathematics and Science teacher 

Khangelani Sibiya has been named the 

2019 Global Teacher. Sibiya who hails 

from Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal earned 

the coveted teacher of the year award 

in Dubai after beating about 80 teachers 

across the globe. At study camps 

organised by his NPO, Sibiya says the 

subjects of Mathematics and Science are 

‘broken down for ease of understanding, 

and vernacular language incorporated in 

teaching and learning’. 



EDUCATION 

Ugandan teacher Catherine 

Nakabugo is passionate about 

girls’ education. She has helped 

her students to establish several 

successful school businesses that 

help them learn valuable life skills as 

well as strengthening their academic 

skills, such as Mathematics, through 

working on Accounts. In 2014, her 

district was the winner in a national 

Science competition with her project 

of Pythagoras’s chair. 

87 

Ayodele 

Odeogbola 

Nigeria 

TEACHING 

& EDUCATION 

Sitsofe Enyonam Anku is an 

internationally renowned 

Mathematics educator; 

promoting practical 

Mathematics to overcome 

student fears of the subject 

and helping them to 

appreciate its real-life 

applications. He set up the 

Meagasa Mathematics 

Academy to support 

children aged 6 to 18. His 

teaching programmes 

have helped students find 

enjoyment and excitement 

in Mathematics as they 

learn to communicate 

confidently, work well in 

teams and respect others’ 

opinions. 

Ayodele Odeogbola uses collaboration, 

critical thinking, creativity and 

communication combined with innovation 

and new technology to transform teaching. 

He explores personalised learning 

opportunities with specially chosen gifted 

students acting as group leaders and 

reviewing every school activity. 


EDUCATION 

88 

Michael Wamaya 

Kenya 

Dance teacher, Michael, runs a 

ballet school in the heart of the 

notorious Kibera slum in Kenya’s 

capital Nairobi. Home to 700,000 

people, Kibera is an unlikely 

setting for a ballet school. With 

the help of Michael’s dedicated 

teaching, under the tin roofs of 

community buildings, students 

have become accomplished 

dancers, winning scholarships to 

further their education. 

89 

Peter Tabichi 

Kenya 

TEACHING 

& EDUCATION 

Peter Tabichi is a Science 

teacher who gives away 

80 percent of his monthly 

income to help the poor. 

His dedication, hard work 

and passionate belief in his 

student’s talent have led 

his poorly-resourced school 

in remote rural Kenya to 

emerge victorious after 

taking on the country’s 

best schools in national 

Science competitions. He 

was awarded the Global 

Teacher Prize in 2019 and 

US$1 million. 


EDUCATION 

90 

Itodo Anthony 

Nigeria 

91 

Abdikadir Ismail 

Kenya 

Itodo Anthony teaches the virtues of 

justice, institutional soundness, community 

service, value creation, among others - 

all elements from other cultures that can 

help create an ideal value system among 

Nigerian youth. In May 2017, he founded a 

community-based organisation for youth – 

New Frontiers Youth Forum. 

Abdikadir Ismail is an administrator of a 

thoroughly under-resourced school who saw 

an opportunity to make a difference by using 

technology. With no Science laboratory at 

his school, he sent teachers to schools with 

those facilities who filmed their practical 

experiments and the videos were played 

back via laptops in his school embedded in 

PowerPoint presentations. 


MEDIA 


Raymond Dokpesi 

92 Nigeria 

93 

Linus Gitahi 

Kenya 

MEDIA MOGULS 

Dokpesi pioneered the first private television network in 

Nigeria – Africa Independent Television (AIT) – after the military 

government allowed private broadcasting in the country 

in 1996. It was also Africa’s first satellite television station. 

Today, Dokpesi is regarded as the media guru of Nigeria, 

referred to as the country’s Ted Turner. He had also set up the 

first privately-owned radio station in Nigeria in 1994. 

Gitahi heads the Nation Media G 

media conglomerate that owns s 

television stations and three radio 

value-added services and interne 

Uganda and Tanzania. He holds 

States International University in Ke 

long career as a senior executive 

GlaxoSmithKline in East and West 

Europe. 

95 

Reginald Mengi 

Tanzania 

Tanzanian Mengi, founder and CEO 

of the IPP Group, has become one 

of Africa’s most revered media 

moguls and one of the most 

powerful men in the East African 

nation. The group he founded in the 

mid-1980s now owns ten national 

newspapers, including ‘Financial 

Times’, ‘ThisDay’, and ‘The Guardian’, 

as well as two of the region’s most 

popular television stations, EATV and 

ITV. IPP also owns ten radio stations. 



MEDIA 

94 

Koos Bekker 

South Africa 

roup (NMG), the $350 million 

even newspapers, three 

stations as well as mobile 

t companies across Kenya, 

an MBA from the United 

nya and joined NMG after a 

with Pharmaceutical giant 

Africa, the Middle East and 

Bekker is CEO of $12 billion media conglomerate, Naspers, 

and easily Africa’s most powerful mogul. He is also the largest 

individual shareholder. He controls 23 magazines, including 

‘You’, ‘Drum’ and ‘True Love’, seven newspapers, Abril 

(published in Brazil) and pay-tv giant, DSTV 

96 

Patrick Quarcoo 

Ghana 

Ghanaian Quarcoo is the 

co-founder and CEO of Radio 

Africa Group, which owns six 

Kenyan radio stations: Kiss 100, 

Classic 105, Radio Jambo, 

X FM, East FM and Relax 

FM. The group also began 

broadcasting TV station Kiss 

Television this year, gaining 

popularity countrywide by 

airing Premier League matches 

as well as local and Nigerian 

movies. 


MEDIA 


97 

Chris Kirubi 

Kenya 

98 

Prakash Desai 

South Africa 

99 

Mo Abudu 

Nigeria 

)Kirubi is the owner of Capital FM, widely 

revered among the upper and middle 

classes of Kenyan society. The station is an 

urban music station which plays a mixture 

of hip-hop, RnB, rock, neo-soul, new jack 

swing, jazz, techno, dance and Kenyan 

music. Kirubi, who bought the station in 

1998, owns about 40 commercial and 

residential properties in the Kenyan capital 

-valued at $200 million and other assets 

worth $100 million. He occupies 31st place 

on the maiden Forbes’ list of Africa’s 40 

wealthiest people. 



MEDIA 

Desai is the former CEO of 

Avusa, South Africa’s media 

conglomerate that owns 16 

newspapers (including ‘Business 

Day’ and ‘Sunday Times’), nine 

magazines, cinemas (NuMetro), a 

record label (Gallo) and numerous 

retail outlets. Prakash serves as 

a board member of the World 

Association of Newspapers and is 

president of trade association, Print 

Media South Africa. 

The Aga Khan 

100 Kenya 

MEDIA MOGULS 

Mo Abudu is a talk 

show hostess, media 

personality, entrepreneur, 

venture capitalist and 

a philanthropist. She is 

the founder and CEO of 

‘Ebony Life’, Africa’s first 

global black entertainment 

network. Forbes describes 

her as “Africa’s Most 

Successful Woman”. She 

has been compared to 

Oprah Winfrey with ‘The 

Independent’ and ‘Slate 

Afrique’ calling her “Africa’s 

Oprah” and “Nigerian 

Winfrey” respectively. 

His Highness, the Aga Khan, founded the 

Nation Media Group (NMG) in 1960 to 

provide independent news in the years 

building up to Kenya’s independence 

through the ‘Taifa’ and ‘Nation’ newspapers. 

Now owned by public shareholders, the 

Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development 

remains the largest shareholder of the group 

which has expanded operations into Uganda 

and Tanzania.

GLAMSQUAD AUGUST 2020

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