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2013: 100 Most Influential Africans

December 2013
What is influence and how do you measure it? It will always be hard to agree on a common understanding and meaning of influence. Understandably, this always generates wide debate. How do we determine these people’s influence? And why does it matter that we assemble this list, you may ask. One yardstick we used was to emphasise that influence is not about popularity and popularity is not always influential. The influencer’s impact on public, social and political discourse, however, is what largely helps us determine their influence. Over the next few pages, you will find a breadth and wealth of Africans of all nationalities and ages, both women and men, whose actions and reach, we have determined, significantly impacted and realigned the continent’s landscape in their fields of endeavour. They contributed in redefining the African narrative in 2013 and we feel they will play a big role in 2014 - hopefully, for Africa’s good.

100 Most Influential Africans - Trevor Ncube

Trevor Ncube is a media entrepreneur who owns four newspapers in Zimbabwe (soon to be five) and two in South Africa. He is passionate about the media and the role it plays in economic development and empowering people in societies. He also firmly believes that societies with a free press tend to be ones that develop more rapidly. He speaks to New African's correspondent, Sena Kpodo

Trevor Ncube
100 Most Influential Africans
Entrepreneur
Media

100 Most Influential Africans - Jay Naidoo

J.Naidoo continues to be one of the most vocal Africans and is still a major influence in his native South Africa. He is currently the Chairman of GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition), and as such is someone the international community turns to on issues of health and nutrition.

GAIN
Jay Naidoo
100 Most Influential Africans
Apartheid
Health
South Africa

100 Most Influential Africans - Aicha Bah Diallo

Aicha Bah Diallo is the former minister of education in Guinea and a senior director at UNESCO. Post-retirement, she continued to work as the advisor for education at UNESCO until 2009. As chairperson of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), she works with various civil society organisations and is a Mo Ibrahim Prize board member.

UNESCO
Aicha Bah Diallo
Guinea Bissau
Education
women

100 Most Influential Africans - Donald Kaberuka

Donald Kaberuka has been President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the past 8 years. He received his doctorate in economics from Glasgow University and has orchestrated a development plan which has earned him international acclaim over the years. He continues to drive a culture to find new ideas to development challenges, pushing forwards African-led solutions to fast- track growth, doing so with his feet firmly on the ground, and his head firmly on his shoulders.