Top 100 Africans
Mo Ibrahim Sudan
Business & Finance
Trevor Manuel South Africa
Sam Jonah Ghana
This down-to-earth, straight-talking telecoms engineer founded one of the biggest telcos in Africa, Celtel, which he subsequently sold for over $3bn. Today he is a champion of good governance and is contributing to shaping the African growth agenda. One of Africa’s first “philanthropists”, he launched the world’s largest prize in monetary terms to recognise outstanding leadership among African heads of state. This restless entrepreneur continues to use his money and influence to encourage clean politics and help foster African growth.
Nicky Oppenheimer South Africa
Arguably Africa’s most fun and charismatic minister of recent times, he is also an authority on finance and economics. His name has been touted in certain circles as the next head of the IMF. As finance minister, Trevor was instrumental in giving Africa a voice on the international stage, especially as he had the ear of many of his counterparts across the world. He is still active behind the scenes, sitting on the board of a number of commissions. He is one of a rare breed who can still pick up the phone and get through to key decision-makers around the world.
Oby Ezekwesili Nigeria
Sam Jonah is one of Africa’s most inspirational business leaders. Starting off as a shovel boy, he became the Chief Executive Officer of Goldfields Co., and managed to spread this business across Africa. In 1996 Ashanti Goldfields became the first African company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Today he has an investment fund, Jonah Capital, his counsel is still cherished by African leaders, such as Togo’s president, who recently named him on his advisory panel of Eminent Business Leaders, and he continues to fight the African cause internationally.
Thierry Tanoh Côte d’Ivoire
Oppenheimer is the chairman of the world’s biggest diamond producers, De Beers, and has large financial interests in the diversified mining company Anglo- American. He is a man of discretion and few public words, but nevertheless he continues to be a powerful broker and business leader, not only in Africa but around the world. There is one area he is outspoken about and it is the way Africa is often patronised and misrepresented internationally.
This grand lady is vice president of the African section of the World Bank. She co-founded Transparency International and was also part of the dynamic ministerial team which gave a new lease of life to Nigeria. She is an authority on all things African and commands immense respect amongst business leaders and policy makers alike.
One of the sharpest business minds on the continent, this young Ivorian heads the Africa section of the IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank, an institution he joined in 1994, where he has spent most of his professional life. Under his watch the IFC’s investments in Africa have increased from $140m in 2003 to $2.4bn in 2010. Bright, hard- working and determined to contribute to the continent’s much-needed “great leap forward”, Thierry represents the future of Africa.
20 | June 2011 New African
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