and enhancing business-to-customer communications, the innovation expected to creep into, and subsequently dominate discussion channels in the coming years. The next economic frontier, Africa, has quickly embraced this medium. From earlier high-fliers like Hi5 to current table toppers like Facebook, Africans have flocked in their numbers to exploit the newly found freedom and flexibility offered by these platforms.
Besides social engagements however, brands and more tellingly business leaders have sought out these channels in communicating ideas, plans and justification for certain actions and decisions. In the last two years, most of these leaders have championed their causes true twitter, the 140-character snap interactive app. Below is a list of 10 leaders you must follow on twitter if you really want to know what is happening on the continent.
Ashish Thakkar @AshishJThakkar
Ugandan businessman Ashish Thakkar is the founder of Mara Group, a conglomerate with interests in real estate, tourism, financial services, information and communication technology, renewable energy and manufacturing. His group operations spans across 20 countries. In 2013, Ashish, in partnership with Bob Diamond, launched a company called Atlas Mara. Atlas is keenly focused on driving investments within the banking institutions in Africa.
Tony Elumelu @TonyOElumelu
Nigerian-born Tony Elumelu is the founder of Heirs Holdings, a proprietary investment company based in Lagos. The proactive investor is leading the charge for a private sector-driven society for Africa through his Africapitalism institute and his recently launched Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Fund (TEEP). Most of these courses he champions through twitter.
Chris Kirubi @CKirubi
Chris is a Kenyan businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and industrialist. He is the current chairman and largest shareholder of Centum Investment company Limited, a multifaceted business conglomerate. He is also the owner of Capital FM, a Nairobi based radio station. Kirubi has been known to be cocky when interacting with people, particularly to the younger generation, hence the nickname Mr. “Ponye”. which translates to a windbag in Swahili language. He is a proactive Twitter user, using the hashtag #askkirubi to discuss with customers, leaders and fans regarding his business activities.
Mohammed Dewji @moodewji
Mohammed is ranked Africa’s youngest billionaire. The politician and businessman is the CEO of METL group, one of Tanzania’s largest industrial conglomerate, which produces beverages, bicycles, detergents, edible oils, soaps and textiles. METL also has interests in energy distribution, financial services and logistics. Dewji is also the founder of Mo Dewji Foundation, an institution that provides scholarships for Tanzanian students whose parents are poor. He believes the future of Business is in Africa and champions this course through campaigns on twitter.
Bob Collymore @bobcollymore
Bob has been the CEO of Safaricom Limited since 2010. Safaricom is the largest mobile service provider in Kenya and the owner of the largest mobile money transfer service in Africa, MPESA. Safaricom has a staff of over 1500 and as at the first half of 2014 its total revenue was around $868 million. Bob often uses twitter to discuss plans for Safaricom and the mobile market across Africa.
Elon Musk @elonmusk
The Entrepreneur born in South Africa is the founder of Space Exploration Technologies (SPACEX). Elon Musk, have proven the result of creativity and innovation when blended. His company SpaceX, successfully launched its first commercial cargo mission to the international space station in 2012. He is the co-founder of PayPal and Tesla Motors. Elon Musk is an active user on tweeter who focuses on using the platform to inform and update people about his work. He has about 1,634,613 followers.
Donald Kaberuka @DonaldKaberuka
Donald is the outgoing president of Africa Development Bank. He was first elected president of the Bank in 2005 and re-elected for another five year term in 2010. Donald regularly moderates, or is in involved in debates on twitter regarding Africa’s economic landscape; identifying challenges, listing progresses and proffering solutions.
Monica Musonda @monicamusonda
Monica has over 15 years of experience in corporate finance and has worked as a director of legal and corporate affairs at Dangote group in Nigeria. After learning the ropes while working with Dangote, Africa’s most successful industrialist, Musonda moved back to Zambia to set up her own food processing company called Java food. The company manufactures the eeZee brand of instant noodles. She uses twitter to talk about entrepreneurship and issues relating to Africa.
Trevor Ncube @TrevorNcube
Trevor is the chairman of Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), a company that owns four newspapers in Zimbabwe: The Zimbabwe Independent (business weekly), The Standard (Sunday), NewsDay (daily) and Southern Eye (regional daily). He is also a controlling shareholder and Executive Deputy Chairman of the Mail & Guardian Media Group in South Africa, publishers of one of the leading weekly newspapers in South Africa. He is the Chairman of the African Media Initiative (AMI) a continent wide organization focusing on strengthening the sectors viability and enhancing its professionalism.
Trevor uses twitter to talk about trending issues affecting Africa.
Folorunsho Alakija @alakijaofficial
Africa’s richest blackwoman, Alakija is the owner of Famfa oil, a company that owns 60 percent of the most prolific oil block in Nigeria. She is also one of the major players in the Nigerian and European real estate markets. Alakija recently purchased four apartments in Hyde Park in the UK, known to be the most expensive apartment building in the UK.
She actively engages her followers on twitter with motivational quotes and inspirational stories.
