As Africa’s business landscape evolves—driven by digital transformation, sustainability, and inclusive growth—female leaders are increasingly shaping the continent’s economic future. These women are not only building successful enterprises and institutions, but also redefining leadership through impact, innovation, and purpose.
Here are some of the female business leaders to watch closely in 2026.
- Dr. Naike Moshi – Founder, CVPeople Tanzania | Founder, Women in Management Africa (WIMA)
With over 15 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, business leader, and gender consultant, Dr. Naike Moshi has built a career rooted in resilience, vision, and empowerment. Her work sits at the intersection of business growth, leadership development, and gender inclusion across Africa.
Educated in the United States, Dr. Moshi holds a Bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Wesleyan University and a PhD in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship from TIUA School of Business. This global exposure shaped her entrepreneurial mindset and people-centred leadership philosophy.
She is the founder of CVPeople Tanzania, a trusted HR consulting firm delivering human capital solutions across sectors. Driven by the persistent gender gap in leadership, she also founded Women in Management Africa (WIMA)—a platform dedicated to positioning African women for executive and C-suite roles through mentorship, career development, and strategic networking.
Beyond entrepreneurship, Dr. Moshi has worked as a gender consultant with institutions such as USAID, GIZ, and the World Bank, contributing to initiatives that promote women’s economic empowerment and inclusive business policies in underserved communities. Her advocacy and thought leadership continue to influence conversations around gender equity and inclusive growth.
Her leadership is deeply grounded in faith. As Africa Representative of Veridian Christian University, she champions accessible Christian education, blending professional excellence with Kingdom values and ethical leadership.
Known for her warmth and authenticity, Dr. Moshi balances strategic insight with approachability—bringing personality, creativity, and even a love for fashion into her leadership style. It is this rare mix of substance and humanity that makes her one to watch.
- Abimbola Agbejule – Head, Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, Wema Bank Plc
Abimbola Agbejule stands at the forefront of sustainable finance in Nigeria’s banking sector. As the pioneer Head of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility at Wema Bank, she has played a central role in embedding ESG principles into the bank’s corporate strategy and operations.
She led the design and implementation of sustainability policies, frameworks, and reporting systems that measure social, environmental, and business impact. Under her leadership, Wema Bank has expanded inclusive socio-economic initiatives focused on youth and women—spanning financial literacy, skills development, mentorship, and access to finance.
In 2023, Agbejule directly led the bank’s sustainable finance drive, committing to the reduction of financed emissions by limiting exposure to high climate-risk sectors while promoting investments in renewable energy, waste management, smart agriculture, and gender finance.
She also drives internal sustainability capacity building, including the annual Vendors’ Environmental & Social Forum, ensuring sustainability principles extend across the bank’s value chain.
Agbejule represented Wema Bank at COP28 in Dubai, participating in global conversations on climate resilience, sustainable funding, and Africa’s role in green finance—strengthening the bank’s positioning as a sustainability leader.
Beyond sustainability, her legacy includes her role in the development of ALAT, Africa’s first fully digital bank, and her leadership in Wema Bank’s ₦100 million contribution to the CACOVID relief fund during the pandemic.
Her impact was recognised with the Sustainable Finance Professional of the Year, Africa award by The Digital Banker.
- Folake Ogundipe – Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc
Folake Ogundipe is a seasoned finance executive with over 20 years of experience driving business performance, financial governance, and shareholder value across multinational organisations.
A proven Chief Financial Officer and business leader, she is known for executing finance strategies that improve operational efficiency, strengthen regulatory compliance, manage risk, and deliver sustainable profitability. Her expertise spans business transformation, cost optimisation, and high-performance team leadership.
Prior to her current role at Cadbury Nigeria, Ogundipe served as Executive Director and National Finance Director at Unilever Nigeria Plc, where she led end-to-end financial operations and strengthened governance frameworks. Her career also includes senior roles at PES Group (a Honeywell company), Nigerdock, Subsea7 UK, Phillips Consulting, and IBTC.
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an Associate of CIMA, with academic qualifications from Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Leicester.
Her leadership style blends precision, mentorship, and strategic foresight—qualities that continue to shape financial excellence in Nigeria’s FMCG sector.
- Dr. Noxolo Kubheka-Dlamini – Founder & Managing Director, Zowiumi Holdings
Dr. Noxolo Kubheka-Dlamini is a technology and business leader with deep expertise across ICT, telecommunications, financial services, infrastructure, and logistics. Her work reflects a rare balance between enterprise innovation and social impact.
Through Zowiumi Holdings, she builds technology-driven business solutions while creating platforms that empower women and youth—particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds. Her belief is simple but powerful: greatness is accessible through discipline, hard work, and opportunity.
Her influence in Africa’s digital ecosystem has earned her widespread recognition, including being named among the 45 Most Influential Women in Digital Transformation (CIO Africa) and featured in the Top 100 Women in Tech. She is also a two-time EXITO DT50 Awards nominee.
A respected thought leader, her insights have appeared in Forbes Africa, ITWeb, Brainstorm, and TechFinancials. Beyond industry platforms, she contributes to academia as a guest lecturer, advisory board member, and mentor.
Kubheka-Dlamini’s leadership philosophy centres on using technology as an enabler—simplifying customer experiences, strengthening cybersecurity, and expanding inclusive digital infrastructure that supports economic participation.
- Magdalena Alemu – Co-Founder & Director, Lovegrass Ethiopia
Magdalena Alemu is building a values-driven agribusiness with global ambition. As co-founder of Lovegrass, she is on a mission to introduce Ethiopia’s ancient supergrain, teff, to the world—while ensuring farmers are empowered through fair trade, not aid.
After years in the corporate world, Alemu joined Lovegrass full-time in 2021 to align her career with purpose. Under her leadership, the company has built a factory in Ethiopia, sources directly from smallholder farmers, and produces nutritious, gluten-free products for global markets.
Her passion for socially responsible business stems from a personal discovery of teff’s health benefits. Together with her husband and co-founder, Yonas, she has built Lovegrass to challenge over-processed food systems while creating sustainable livelihoods.
With a background in business transformation, Alemu thrives at turning vision into execution—proving that profitability and impact can coexist.
- Patricia Obo-Nai- CEO, Vodafone Ghana
Patricia Obo-Nai is one of Ghana’s most influential telecommunications leaders. With over 25 years of industry experience, she made history as the first Ghanaian CEO of Vodafone Ghana, appointed in 2019.
Her career spans technology, operations, and commercial leadership. As Technology Director, her vision helped Vodafone achieve top rankings in voice clarity and data speed during independent global network assessments.
Beyond business performance, Obo-Nai is deeply committed to promoting girls in STEM, serving on advisory boards including the West Africa STEM Hub and the Global Youth Academy. She is also a member of the Executive Women Network.
Her leadership has earned her multiple accolades, including Telecom CEO of the Year at the Ghana Information Technology and Telecommunications Awards.
A trained electrical engineer with executive education from INSEAD, Kellogg, and London Business School, Obo-Nai continues to shape the future of connectivity, inclusion, and digital access in Ghana.
- Melissa Fasol – AI Startup Founder | Computational Neuroscience PhD
Melissa Fasol represents a new frontier in science-led entrepreneurship, operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biotechnology. A computational biologist with a PhD in computational neuroscience and AI, her work focuses on applying advanced machine-learning models to complex biological systems, particularly within cancer and immuno-oncology research.
Her expertise reflects a broader shift in global healthcare innovation—one increasingly driven by data-centric, interdisciplinary approaches capable of accelerating discovery and improving precision medicine. By translating complex neural and biological data into actionable insights, Fasol contributes to a future where AI plays a central role in medical breakthroughs.
Beyond her technical achievements, Fasol stands out as a leader reshaping representation in science and technology. In fields where women remain underrepresented, she combines research excellence with advocacy for inclusivity in STEM. Her career underscores the importance of intellectual rigor, interdisciplinary thinking, and purpose-driven innovation.
As 2026 approaches, Fasol’s growing influence extends beyond the laboratory, positioning her as a key voice in conversations around biotech innovation, equity, and the ethical application of AI in healthcare.
- Claudia Snyman – Co-Founder & COO, Hepstar | Co-Founder, MyBento
Claudia Snyman is a seasoned entrepreneur and operational leader shaping innovation across Africa’s tech, fintech, and employee benefits landscape. As Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Hepstar, she has driven strategic growth and operational excellence, drawing on more than a decade of international experience in startup leadership, business development, and project execution.
Her work has consistently focused on modernising traditional sectors—delivering scalable solutions that empower businesses while improving employee wellbeing. This mission extends to MyBento, a platform she co-founded to transform how SMEs offer employee benefits. The venture’s success, including securing venture backing, reflects her ability to attract capital and scale impact-driven ideas.
Snyman’s leadership is defined by discipline, strategic clarity, and resilience. She exemplifies how operational mastery—often overlooked in startup narratives—can be a decisive factor in building sustainable, high-growth companies. For women aspiring to leadership in tech and entrepreneurship, her career offers a compelling blueprint for impact built on execution, not hype.
- Rebecca Enonchong – Founder & CEO, AppsTech | Chair, AfriLabs
Rebecca Enonchong is one of Africa’s most influential technology entrepreneurs—a pioneer whose career predates the continent’s current positioning as a global innovation hub. Renowned for her technical depth, she made history early on as the world’s first Oracle Financial Certified Professional, setting the tone for a career defined by rigor, foresight, and quiet audacity.
In 1999, Enonchong founded AppsTech, long before African tech ecosystems entered mainstream global discourse. Under her leadership, the company evolved into a global enterprise solutions provider, serving clients in over 40 countries and achieving Oracle Platinum Partner status. Her success demonstrated—years ahead of prevailing narratives—that world-class technology companies could be built from Africa.
Beyond AppsTech, Enonchong has played a foundational role in strengthening Africa’s entrepreneurial infrastructure. As former Chair of the African Business Angel Network (ABAN), she helped formalise angel investing and unlock early-stage capital across the continent. Today, as Chair of AfriLabs, she oversees a network of over 400 innovation hubs spanning 52 countries—forming a backbone for grassroots entrepreneurship.
Her leadership blends technical excellence with ecosystem thinking. Recognised by the World Economic Forum and Forbes Africa, Enonchong’s enduring legacy lies not only in the companies she built, but in the ecosystems she continues to shape.
- Odunayo Eweniyi – Co-Founder & COO, PiggyVest | Co-Founder, First Check Africa
Odunayo Eweniyi is one of the most influential operators in Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem, reshaping how millions of Africans approach saving, investing, and financial discipline. A first-class Computer Engineering graduate of Covenant University, she brings technical depth to financial inclusion.
In 2016, she co-founded PiggyVest, digitising the culturally embedded practice of informal savings. As Co-Founder and COO, Eweniyi helped build the platform’s operational backbone—focusing on automation, trust, and behavioural finance. What began as a savings app has grown into one of Nigeria’s leading digital savings and investment platforms, serving millions.
Beyond PiggyVest, Eweniyi is deeply involved in structural change within Africa’s tech ecosystem. She co-founded the Feminist Coalition, amplifying civic engagement and advocacy, and First Check Africa, an angel fund addressing the gender funding gap by backing startups with female co-founders.
Recognised by Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 and the Bloomberg 50, Eweniyi stands out for measured leadership and systems thinking. Her impact lies in building infrastructure that works at scale—while opening doors for those historically excluded from capital and opportunity.
- Ibukun Awosika – Founder & CEO, The Chair Centre Group
Ibukun Awosika’s journey from chemistry graduate to one of Africa’s most respected business leaders reflects vision, resilience, and strategic depth. In 1989, she founded Quebees Limited, which later evolved into The Chair Centre Group, spanning furniture manufacturing, office solutions, and banking security systems.
Her career is marked by historic firsts, including becoming the first female Chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria in its 126-year history. Her tenure emphasised governance, stakeholder value, and inclusive leadership—reshaping perceptions of women in corporate governance.
Beyond business, Awosika is deeply committed to human capital development. She co-founded the Afterschool Graduate Development Centre (AGDC) to tackle youth unemployment and equip graduates with workplace-ready skills.
A global thought leader, she serves on international advisory platforms including the UK G7 Impact Taskforce. Through books, media, and mentorship, Awosika continues to champion purpose-driven leadership. As 2026 approaches, her legacy remains a masterclass in building businesses anchored in values and societal impact.
- Nelly Chatue-Diop – Co-Founder & CEO, Ejara
Nelly Chatue-Diop is redefining financial access in Africa through Ejara, a blockchain-based mobile investment platform designed to democratise wealth creation. With engineering and finance degrees from CPE Lyon, HEC Paris, and London Business School, she combines technical precision with strategic clarity.
After a corporate career spanning Accenture and European multinationals, she founded Ejara in 2020 to address systemic exclusion from traditional financial systems. The platform enables users to invest, save, and access digital assets with minimal capital—bridging financial gaps across Francophone Africa.
Under her leadership, Ejara has scaled rapidly, raised significant venture funding, and reached hundreds of thousands of users. Recognised with awards such as the Sufawe Trophy for African Women Entrepreneurs, Chatue-Diop exemplifies purpose-led fintech leadership—building platforms that serve both profit and people.
- Isabel dos Santos – Entrepreneur & Investor
Isabel dos Santos is one of Africa’s most recognised business figures, known for her diversified investments across finance, telecommunications, media, and infrastructure. Trained as an engineer at King’s College London, her analytical approach has shaped a career centred on cross-border capital allocation and long-term value creation.
From early ventures to major stakes in banking, telecoms, and media, her portfolio reflects a strategic understanding of sectors critical to Africa’s digital and economic growth. Telecommunications, in particular, places her at the heart of Africa’s tech-enabled future.
For emerging entrepreneurs, her trajectory highlights the role of global education, early initiative, and diversification in navigating complex markets. As Africa’s digital economy evolves toward 2026, her business journey remains instructive for leaders operating at scale.
- Miishe Addy – Co-Founder & CEO, Jetstream Africa
Miishe Addy is building critical infrastructure for Africa’s trade ecosystem. As Co-Founder and CEO of Jetstream Africa, she leads a technology-driven logistics and trade-finance platform addressing systemic inefficiencies in cross-border commerce.
With prior experience at Bain & Company and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Addy brings elite strategic and legal training to African infrastructure challenges. Jetstream’s AI-powered tools, including Jetvision.ai, enhance visibility, automation, and financing for SMEs across key trade corridors.
Educated at Harvard College and Stanford Law School, Addy exemplifies how global expertise can be applied to solve deeply local problems. Her work positions her as a defining leader in Africa’s next phase of trade-led growth.
- Funke Amobi – Honorary Professor, Lancaster University | Deputy Head of Operations, Stanbic IBTC
Funke Amobi is a globally recognised human resources and operations leader with over 30 years’ experience across banking, telecommunications, and oil & gas. Appointed an Honorary Professor at Lancaster University Management School, she bridges academic insight with executive practice.
Currently Deputy Head of Operations at Stanbic IBTC, she oversees core banking operations, enterprise data, transformation, customer experience, and procurement. Previously, she served as Regional Head of People & Culture for Standard Bank West Africa.
A multiple award-winning HR thought leader and author, Amobi is deeply committed to women’s empowerment, youth employability, and organisational excellence—cementing her influence well beyond corporate corridors.
Together, these women reflect a decisive shift in Africa’s business narrative—one where leadership is defined not only by scale and profitability, but by long-term value creation, inclusion, and systemic impact. Across finance, technology, sustainability, agribusiness, logistics, telecommunications, and human capital development, they are building institutions and platforms that address structural gaps while positioning Africa competitively in a global economy.
What distinguishes this cohort is not a singular leadership style, but a shared commitment to purposeful execution. Whether advancing sustainable finance, expanding digital access, modernising trade infrastructure, or closing gender and capital gaps, their work demonstrates how innovation can be both commercially viable and socially transformative.
As 2026 approaches, these leaders are not merely responding to change—they are shaping it. Their influence will extend beyond their respective sectors, informing how African businesses scale responsibly, govern ethically, and compete globally. For investors, policymakers, founders, and the next generation of leaders, they offer a clear signal: Africa’s economic future will be driven by women who lead with clarity, courage, and conviction.
