2026 Methodology:

Africa.com analyzed 1,538 companies listed on the 25 African stock exchanges. Of the 1,538 companies, Africa.com screened for those with revenue of $100 million or more, which yielded a list of 484 companies. 

This data is provided by Bloomberg.

Group One was derived after the Africa.com research team reviewed the public websites of the 484 companies to identify females who hold the title of chief executive officer, managing director, or president.  The research team then used publicly available information to confirm that these executives had bottom-line, profit and loss responsibility for their companies. Executives are ranked within Group One based on the revenue of their company.

Two additional groups of women were selected through a similar process.

Group Two was derived by reviewing the same 484 listed companies, and identifying division heads who run divisions of these companies with divisional revenue of $100 million or more.  In other words, these divisions, if they were stand alone companies, meet the same criteria as Group One.  We then review these divisions of these companies to identify females who are the chief executives of $100 million  revenue or more in listed companies. Executives are ranked within Group Two based on the revenue of their parent company.

Group Three recognizes CEOs who are employed by global corporations with operations in Africa.  These executives are the Africa Region Head or Africa Country Head of publicly listed corporations listed on any global exchange with global revenue exceeding $5 billion. Executives are ranked within Group Three based on the global revenue of their parent company.