Forbes Africa

Forbes Africa is the drama critic to business in Africa. The magazine helps readers connect the dots, form patterns and see beyond the obvious, giving them a completely different perspective. In doing this, it delivers sharp, in-depth and engaging stories by looking at global and domestic issues from an African prism.

AI BEFORE ABC

Forbes Africa

CREATING A NEW SOUND OF AMAPIANO FOR A HAPPY WORLD

EBOLA’S DEADLY TURN

SOUTH AFRICAN ARTISTS GENERATE OVER $27 MILLION IN SPOTIFY ROYALTIES

AFRICA’S INFLATION THREAT FROM MIDDLE EAST OIL DISRUPTIONS

RECORDING AFRICA’S EXPANDING GLOBAL MUSIC INFLUENCE

THE NAIROBI NARRATIVE • WHAT EMMANUEL MACRON’S €23-BILLION INVESTMENT AND RENEWED AFRICA PARTNERSHIP MEAN FOR THE CONTINENT.

THE INVISIBLE HANDSHAKE: HOW WE ARE ACCIDENTALLY TEACHING AI SYSTEMS TO AGREE WITH EACH OTHER

THE FUTURE OF B-SCHOOLS IN AN AISHAPED ECONOMY

‘IF YOU’RE UNDER 30 AND READING THIS, I’LL GENTLY PLEAD WITH YOU…’

DIGITAL LEGACY AND THE LAW: NAVIGATING THE AFTERLIFE OF ONLINE PERSONAS • The writer serves as Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

TRADE CORRIDORS: THE LONG ROAD TO OPEN MARKETS • IN TRADE, TIME IS MONEY. FROM CONGESTED BORDER POSTS TO FRAGMENTED TRANSPORT NETWORKS, AFRICA’S TRADE AMBITIONS DEPEND AS MUCH ON EFFICIENT LOGISTICS AS THEY DO ON POLICY REFORM.

IS AFRICA CLOSER TO ENDING AIDS? • SEVERAL COUNTRIES ON THE CONTINENT ARE AMONG THE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO ADOPT THE USE OF LENACAPAVIR, A NEW, TWICE-YEARLY, LONG-ACTING INJECTABLE DRUG FOR HIV PREVENTION, PRICED AT AROUND $40 PER PERSON ANNUALLY, IN AN EFFORT TO CURB NEW INFECTIONS AND ADVANCE GLOBAL REDUCTION TARGETS. HOWEVER, CONCERNS ARE GROWING THAT INADEQUATE ACCESS COULD HINDER ITS EFFICACY ON THE CONTINENT.

THE RULE-BREAKERS OF 2026 • FORBES AFRICA’S 30 UNDER 30 CLASS OF 2026 IS DEFINED BY INNOVATION, IMPACT AND INCLUSION, ON A CONTINENT THAT’S HOME TO THE WORLD’S YOUNGEST POPULATION. EVEN AS ECONOMIES BUCKLE UNDER THE WEIGHT OF UNEMPLOYMENT, INFRASTRUCTURAL CHALLENGES AND FISCAL UNCERTAINTY, THIS COHORT IS MOVING THE NEEDLE, BOLDLY AND UNAPOLOGETICALLY. ON A MISSION TO SHAPE SEVERAL OF AFRICA’S CURRENT NARRATIVES, THESE YOUNG LEADERS SHARE A COMMON TRAIT: THE UNWAVERING CONVICTION THAT THE CONTINENT IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF CHANGE IN EVERY SPHERE GLOBALLY, AND THAT AFRICAN SOLUTIONS NEED TO BE BUILT BY AFRICANS, FOR AFRICANS.

FROM READING TO READINESS • ROOM TO READ, ON A MISSION TO TACKLE ILLITERACY AND GENDER INEQUALITY, IS WORKING TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN HAVE THE RESOURCES TO READ, LEARN AND GROW-IN TURN, CREATING LASTING CHANGE.

THE WORLD’S BILLIONAIRES • THE PLANET ADDED ROUGHLY ONE NEW BILLIONAIRE PER DAY OVER THE PAST YEAR, AS AI MANIA, SIZZLING MARKETS AND A PRO-BILLIONAIRE AMERICAN PRESIDENT HELPED PROPEL THE THREE-COMMA CLUB TO UNPRECEDENTED HEIGHTS. THERE ARE NEW RECORDS THROUGHOUT: WE FOUND 3,428 BILLIONAIRES ACROSS THE GLOBE THIS YEAR-THE MOST EVER, AND 400 MORE THAN LAST YEAR. AS A GROUP, THEY’RE WORTH $20.1 TRILLION, ANOTHER RECORD, $4 TRILLION MORE THAN IN 2025. THE WORLD’S RICHEST PERSON IS THE RICHEST IN HISTORY, HAVING AMASSED MORE WEALTH IN A SINGLE YEAR THAN ANYONE ELSE HAS IN A LIFETIME. THERE’S THE YOUNGEST SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE EVER (A 22-YEAR-OLD AI WHIZ) AND A NEW YOUNGEST SELFMADE WOMAN BILLIONAIRE (A 29-YEAR-OLD FORMER BALLERINA TURNED PREDICTION MARKETS PIONEER). THE U.S. HAS THE MOST TEN-FIGURE (OR MORE) FORTUNES, WITH A RECORD 989, FOLLOWED BY CHINA (INCLUDING HONG KONG) WITH 610 AND INDIA WITH 229. THE AVERAGE BILLIONAIRE’S NET WORTH IS NOW $5.8 BILLION, UP FROM $5.3 BILLION IN 2025. FORBES USED STOCK PRICES AND EXCHANGE RATES FROM MARCH 1.

TRUE NET WORTH

Big Movers • These five billionaires would rocket up the ranks in a less...