In the realm of African entrepreneurship, innovation is no longer just a buzzword, it is the currency of progress, the language of resilience and the heartbeat of transformation. The FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 exemplifies this audacity to trailblaze. They are not merely disrupting industries; they are architecting new markets, new systems and most importantly, a new narrative for the continent.
These under-30s are setting the tone for a continental renaissance that no longer seeks validation but demands recognition. They aren’t waiting for opportunities to be handed down; they’re building their own tables, drafting their own rules and bringing their peers along. From fintech to healthtech, agritech to entertainment, they are not just players in the game, they are reshaping the playing field itself. The economic headwinds facing Africa, especially youth unemployment and skills mismatch, haven’t deterred them. Instead, these realities have served as rallying points.
Take the youth unemployment challenge across the continent: South Africa, as of May 2025, recorded 8.2 million unemployed people, with youth between the ages of 15–34 making up 4.8 million of that figure. In Kenya, 35% of young people are without work. Uganda, while showing a marginal drop, still had a 15.2% graduate unemployment rate in 2023. Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate rose to 8.6% in Q3 of 2023. These figures are stark, but this year’s list of game-changers sees the problem not as a dead-end but as a call to build industries that hire, train and uplift.
What sets this cohort apart is not only their ambition but their ability to implement scalable solutions with exponential impact. They are designing ecosystems, not just enterprises. Many have rooted their ventures in artificial intelligence (AI) as a lever for inclusivity, access and acceleration. They are making sure that Africa does not remain on the periphery of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Ghanaian entrepreneur Darlington Ahiale Akogo of MinoHealth AI Labs is a vivid example. His company’s AI systems can perform diagnostics for diseases like pneumonia, breast cancer, tuberculosis, and malaria. Akogo envisions a future where AI in healthcare goes beyond being an assistant to becoming a standalone solution, especially for underserved areas with few or no medical professionals. “This is not theoretical,” he says. “We’re developing tools that can be deployed in places like Sierra Leone or Liberia, where radiologists are scarce. The goal is that even in the most remote parts of Africa, a person can get world-class diagnostics.”
This sense of purpose, of solving real problems, also drives South Africa’s Dr. Bradley Max Segal, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of Engage Mx. He insists that while AI holds promise, the sector must be rooted in science and evidence. Segal’s grounded skepticism ensures that the health solutions developed through his company are not only innovative but reliable and clinically verified. In a field as sensitive as healthcare, this balance between innovation and integrity is critical.
Mas’ooda Varachia, Founder and CEO of Raven Technologies, reinforces the collective spirit of this year’s list. “I don’t truly believe I am 100% self-made. I think it takes greatness to develop greatness,” she says. Her company is building smart technologies that enhance efficiency in both urban and rural Africa, and her philosophy of collaborative excellence is echoed throughout the cohort. There is a shared understanding that no true success story is written in isolation. Networks, mentors, communities, they all matter and these young leaders are deliberate about building inclusive ecosystems.
The theme of shared ascent also resonates with South African rugby star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. “I think I’ve self-made my ambitions, my dreams, my vision boards. But the support systems, the coaching, the belief, that’s what sets you apart,” he notes. His success, like many on this list, is both individual and collective, underpinned by structures that empower rather than limit.
Across the creative economy, Africa’s influence is soaring. According to CrossBoundary Group, the sector is now generating an estimated $4.2 billion annually. This growth is not lost on artists like Ghanaian Afro-fusion star Jackline Acheampong, popularly known as Gyakie, who celebrates the rise of African music and its global resonance. “It’s not just about me,” she says, “but about all of us taking the continent to another level.” Her sentiment captures the essence of this generation: progress is shared, celebrated, and sustained together.
Artificial intelligence, clean energy, digital health, agribusiness, fintech, media, sports, there is no domain untouched by the ingenuity of these trailblazers. They are not only surviving in volatile economic conditions but thriving by leveraging technology, rethinking traditional systems, and refusing to accept the limits imposed by age, geography or convention.
More than a recognition, the FORBES AFRICA 30 Under 30 list is an economic signal. It represents a rising tide of young African entrepreneurs who are as commercially astute as they are socially conscious. They believe in building companies that outlive trends, outsmart global competition and outlast old ways of thinking. They understand that true leadership is not defined by titles, but by impact.
These are the builders, the believers and the bold. They have no intention of waiting for a future to be handed to them, they are creating it. And with every code they write, every business they launch, every job they create and every voice they raise, they remind the world that Africa’s time is not coming, it’s already here.
Here is the 2025 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list (in no particular order):
- Jackline ‘Gyakie’ Acheampong
Age: 25
Location: Ghana, West Africa
Role: Singer/songwriter
Sector: Entertainment, Music - Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Age: 23
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Flyhalf, Western Cape’s DHL Stormers and the Springboks
Sector: Sport, Rugby - Darlington Ahiale Akogo
Age: 29
Location: Ghana, West Africa
Role: Founder and Chief Executive Officer, minoHealth AI Lab
Sector: Healthcare, Technology - Mas’ooda Varachia
Age: 28
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Founder and Chief Executive Officer, USS Raven (also known as Raven Technologies)
Sector: Technology - Bradley Max Segal
Age: 28
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Engage Mx
Sector: Technology - Anjali Borkhataria
Age: 27
Location: Tanzania, East Africa
Role: Founder and Creative Director, Ekantik
Sector: Fashion - Avian Bell
Age: 29
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Chief Executive Officer, Quantumed
Sector: Healthcare - Ayobami Akindipe
Age: 27
Location: Nigeria, West Africa
Role: Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ace Real Estate Development and ACE Academy
Sector: Real Estate, Education - Candice Chirwa
Age: 29
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Founder and Director of Qrate
Sector: Education - Chae Francis
Age: 29
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Co-Founder, Ace Labs
Sector: Media, Marketing - Comfort Peace Ayikoru
Age: 27
Location: Uganda, East Africa
Role: Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BuriCare Limited
Sector: Healthcare, Science - Damilola Hamid Balogun
Age: 28
Location: Nigeria, West Africa
Role: Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Youth Sustainable Development Network (YSDN)
Sector: Social impact - Elaine Ndivhuwo Mukheli
Age: 26
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Singer/songwriter
Sector: Entertainment, Music - Fatou Jeng
Age: 28
Location: The Gambia, West Africa
Role: Founder, Clean Earth Gambia
Sector: Sustainability - Gogontle Nchemele Basiami
Age: 30
Location: Botswana, Southern Africa
Role: Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Bloom Sanitary Pads
Sector: Manufacturing, Industry - Jeremiah Rogito
Age: 29
Location: Kenya, East Africa
Role: Founder and Executive Director at Agripanda Limited and Soil Health, Climate and FOLU Specialist at AGRA
Sector: Agriculture - Johnny Malepa
Age: 25
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Founder and Creative Director, Malepa Agency
Sector: Entertainment, Media - Jonathan Coffie, Kelly Foli, Richard Kweku Ormano (Free The Youth)
Ages: 29, 28, 29
Location: Ghana, West Africa
Role: Co-Founders, FREE THE YOUTH
Sector: Fashion, Arts, Entertainment and Philanthropy - Khadija Serwaah Owusu
Age: 28
Location: Ghana, West Africa
Role: Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AKAYA Foundation, Medical Doctor and International Speaker
Sector: Philanthropy - Letsile Tebogo
Age: 21
Location: Botswana, Southern Africa
Role: Sprinter
Sector: Sport, Athletics - Maambele Khosa
Age: 29
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Founder and CEO, SheCab; Head of Science Research Communication at Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI)
Sector: Transportation, Mobility - Noel Abebe Daniel
Age: 29
Location: Ethiopia, East Africa
Role: Co-Founder & Managing Partner, weVenture Holdings PLC
Sector: Venture Capital - Oceanne Preaudet
Age: 28
Location: Mauritius, East Africa
Role: Co-Founder, The Party App Ltd
Sector: E-commerce Services, Marketing - Paballo Basetsana Mothapo – Pabi Cooper
Age: 24
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Amapiano Artist
Sector: Entertainment, Music - Stanley Omah Didia (Omah Lay)
Age: 28
Location: Nigeria, West Africa
Role: Singer/songwriter
Sector: Entertainment, Music - Tabitha Chawinga
Age: 28
Location: Malawi, East Africa
Role: Forward for Lyon and the Malawi National Team
Sector: Sport, Football - Thabang Sizwe Zulu
Age: 28
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Founder, Lead Developer and Chief Executive Officer, Glitch Portal
Sector: Gaming - Wisani Hlangwane
Age: 27
Location: South Africa, Southern Africa
Role: Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Funti3r
Sector: Human Capital Technology (HRTech)
