In a major virtual summit with over 1,000 high-level attendees, Africa.com revealed the names of the 50 most senior women in Corporate Africa. The Africa.com Definitive List of Women CEOs is distinguished in that it is data-driven. The researchers started by working with data provided by Bloomberg and evaluating the over 1,400 companies listed on the 24 African stock exchanges.
The list yielded many more women from South Africa than any other African country, followed by Nigeria and Kenya. The finance sector had more women CEOs than any other sector, followed closely by technology. Africa.com Managing Director Laura Joseph said, “FIve companies had more than one woman on the list: Bidvest, Microsoft, Old Mutual, Sonatel, and Sanlam.”
The methodology includes three sections: 1) CEOs of African exchange-listed companies with a market cap over $150 million USD; 2) division heads of African exchange-listed companies, where the division itself would be valued at over $150 million, were it standalone; and 3) Africa region heads, or country heads, of globally listed companies with a market cap of over $50 billion.
Africa.com Chair and Executive Editor Teresa Clarke said, “The list has started a movement to give African women something larger to aspire to like running a large, complex business – not just SMEs as is often the focus of women in business.”
The Definitive List of Women CEOs:
1. Natascha Viljoen, CEO, Anglo American Platinum, South Africa
2. Mpumi Madisa, CEO / Executive Director, Bidvest Group, South Africa
3. Lizé Lambrechts, CEO / Executive Director, Santam, South Africa
4. Miriam Olusanya, Managing Director, Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd, Nigeria
5. Jane Karuku, Group Managing Director and CEO, East African Breweries Ltd, Kenya
6. Helena Conradie, CEO, Satrix 40, South Africa
7. Leila Fourie, CEO, JSE, South Africa
8. Ruth Zaipuna, CEO, NMB Bank, Tanzania
10. Catherine Lesetedi, Group Chief Executive Officer, Botswana Insurance Holdings, Botswana
11. Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana
12. Anne Juuko, CEO, Stanbic Bank Holdings, Uganda
13. Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane, Managing Director, Absa Bank Botswana Ltd, Botswana
14. Jackie van Niekerk, CEO, Attacq Ltd, South Africa
15. Jalila Mezni, CEO, Société d’Articles Hygiéniques LILAS, Tunisia
16. Amelia Beattie, CEO, Liberty Two Degrees, South Africa
17. Mercia Geises, CEO, SBN Holdings Ltd (Standard Bank), Namibia
18. Rebecca Miano, Managing Director and CEO, Kenya Electricity Generating, Kenya
19. Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, VP, Managing Director, Oulmes, Morocco
20. Diane Karusisi, CEO, BK Group PLC, Rwanda
21. Nasim Devji, Group CEO and Managing Director, Diamond Trust Bank, Kenya
22. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director and CEO, Fidelity Bank, Nigeria
DIVISION HEADS
23. Kanyisa Mkhize, CEO Sanlam Corporate, Sanlam, South Africa
24. Vivien McMenamin, CEO South Africa, Mondi South Africa, South Africa
25. Nevine Wefky, President of Corporate Credit and Investment, Commercial International Bank, Egypt
26. Yolisa Phahle, CEO General Entertainment and Connected Video, The MultiChoice Group, South Africa
27. Kerrin Land, Managing Director, Personal Finance & Wealth Management, Old Mutual, South Africa
28. Prabashini Moodley, Managing Director, Old Mutual Corporate, South Africa
29. Hannah Sadiki, Bidvest Financial Services CEO, Bidvest Financial Services, South Africa
30. Ramatoulaye Diallo Shagaya, Managing Director Orange Finances Mobile Services, Sonatel, Senegal
31. Aminata Kane Ndiaye, CEO Orange Sierra Leone, Sonatel, Senegal
32. Kerry Cassel, CEO Financial Services Sector, Motus Holdings, South Africa
33. Anet Ahern, CEO PSG Asset Management, PSG Konsult, South Africa
34. Nanees Adel, CSH Managing Director, Cleopatra Hospital, Egypt
35. Hélène Echevin, CEO, CIEL Healthcare, CIEL, Mauritius
REGIONAL HEADS
36. Teju Ajani, Managing Director Nigeria, Apple, Nigeria
37. Juliet Ehimuan, Director West Africa, Google, Nigeria
38. Kendi Ntwiga-Nderitu, Country Lead Kenya, Microsoft, Kenya
39. Lillian Barnard, CEO South Africa, Microsoft, South Africa
40. Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Africa, Facebook, South Africa
41. Aida Diarra, Senior Vice President and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, VISA Inc, South Africa
42. Chantal Umutoni Kagame, CEO, MTN Mobile Money, Subsidiary of MTN Rwanda, Rwanda
43. Yvonne Ike, Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Bank of America, Nigeria
44. Cathy Smith, MD Sub-Saharan Africa, SAP, South Africa
45. Ireti Samuel-Ogbu, CEO Nigeria and Ghana, Citibank, Nigeria
46. Mariam Kane-Garcia, CEO South Africa & Executive VP Southern Africa,TotalEnergies, South Africa
47. Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, Regional Head North, East. and West Africa, IBM, Ghana
48. Brenda Mbathi, President GE East Africa, General Electra, Kenya
49. Mpumi Zikalala, Managing Director, de Beers Group Managed Operations, De Beers Group, South Africa
50. Taelo Mojapelo, CEO and Vice President, British Petroleum Southern Africa, South Africa