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 of 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.
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 run a large, complex business – not just SMEs as is often the focus of women in business.”
The definitive list of CEOs
1. Natascha Viljoen, CEO, Anglo American Platinum South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $37.6 billion USD.
2. Mpumi Madisa, CEO / Executive Director, Bidvest Group, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $3.6 billion USD.
3. Lizé Lambrechts, CEO / Executive Director, Santam, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange $1.9 billion USD.
4. Miriam Olusanya, Managing Director, Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd, Nigeria, Nigeria Stock Exchange, Market Cap $1.4 billion USD.
5. Jane Karuku, Group Managing Director and CEO, East African Breweries Ltd, Kenya, Nairobi Stock Exchange, Market Cap $1.2 billion USD.
6. Helena Conradie, CEO, Satrix 40, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $650 million USD.
7. Leila Fourie, CEO, JSE, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $640 million USD.
8. Ruth Zaipuna, CEO, NMB Bank, Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, Market Cap $505 million USD.
9. Nathalie Alquier, CEO, Centrale Danone, Morocco, Casablanca Stock Exchange, Market Cap $500 million USD.
10. Catherine Lesetedi, Group Chief Executive Officer, Botswana Insurance Holdings, Botswana, Botswana Stock Exchange, Market Cap $445 million USD.
11. Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana, Ghana Stock Exchange, Market Cap $425 million USD.
12. Anne Juuko, CEO, Stanbic Bank Holdings, Uganda, Uganda Securities Exchange, Market Cap $370 million USD
13. Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane, Managing Director, Absa Bank Botswana Ltd, Botswana, Botswana Stock Exchange, Market Cap $346 million USD.
14. Jackie van Niekerk, CEO, Attacq LtdSouth Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, $323 million USD.
15. Jalila Mezni, CEO, Société d’Articles Hygiéniques LILAS, Tunisia, Bourse de Tunis Stock Exchange, Market Cap $304 million USD.
16. Amelia Beattie, CEO, Liberty Two Degrees, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $281 million USD.
17. Mercia Geises, CEO, SBN Holdings Ltd (Standard Bank), Namibia, Namibian Stock Exchange, Market Cap $277 million USD.
18. Rebecca Miano, Managing Director and CEO, Kenya Electricity Generating, Kenya, Nairobi Stock Exchange, Market Cap $275 million USD.
19. Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, VP, Managing Director, Oulmes, Morocco, MC/Casablanca Stock Exchange, Market Cap $230 million USD.
20. Diane Karusisi, CEO, BK Group PLC, Rwanda, Rwanda Stock Exchange, Market Cap $205 million USD.
21. Nasim Devji, Group CEO and Managing Director, Diamond Trust Bank, Kenya, Nairobi Stock Exchange, Market Cap $178 million USD.
22. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director and CEO, Fidelity Bank, Nigeria, Nigerian Stock Exchange, $165 million USD.
Division heads
23. Kanyisa Mkhize, CEO Sanlam Corporate, Sanlam, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $8.6 billion USD.
24. Vivien McMenamin, CEO South Africa, Mondi South Africa, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $7.7 billion USD.
25. Nevine Wefky, President of Corporate Credit and Investment, Commercial International Bank, Egypt, Egyptian Exchange, Market Cap $5.7 Billion USD.
26. Yolisa Phahle, CEO General Entertainment and Connected Video, The MultiChoice Group, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $3.8 billion USD.
27. Kerrin Land, Managing Director, Personal Finance & Wealth Management, Old Mutual, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $3.7 billion USD.
28. Prabashini Moodley, Managing Director, Old Mutual Corporate, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $3.7 billion USD.
29. Hannah Sadiki, Bidvest Financial Services CEO, Bidvest Financial Services, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $3.6 billion USD.
30. Ramatoulaye Diallo Shagaya, Managing Director Orange Finances Mobile Services, Sonatel, Senegal, Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières Market Cap $2.2 billion USD.
31. Aminata Kane Ndiaye, CEO Orange Sierra Leone, Sonatel, Senegal, Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières, Market Cap $2.2 billion USD.
32. Kerry Cassel, CEO Financial Services Sector, Motus Holdings, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $1.1 billion USD.
33. Anet Ahern, CEO PSG Asset Management, PSG Konsult, South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Market Cap $819 million USD.
34. Nanees Adel, CSH Managing Director, Cleopatra Hospital, Egypt, Egyptian Exchange, Market Cap $468 million USD.
35. Hélène Echevin, CEO, CIEL Healthcare, CIEL, Mauritius, Stock Exchange of Mauritius, Market Cap $166 million USD.
Regional heads
36. Teju Ajani, Managing Director Nigeria, Apple, Nigeria, NASDAQ, Market Cap $2.1 trillion USD.
37. Juliet Ehimuan, Director West Africa, Google, Nigeria, NASDAQ, Market Cap $2.1 trillion USD.
38. Kendi Ntwiga-Nderitu, Country Lead Kenya, Microsoft, Kenya, NASDAQ, Market Cap $1.9 trillion USD.
39. Lillian Barnard, CEO South Africa, Microsoft, South Africa, NASDAQ, Market Cap $1.9 trillion USD.
40. Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Africa, Facebook, South Africa, NASDAQ, Market Cap $836 billion USD.
41. Aida Diarra, Senior Vice President and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, VISA Inc, South Africa, New York Stock Exchange, Market Cap $466 billion USD.
42. Chantal Umutoni Kagame, CEO, MTN Mobile Money, Subsidiary of MTN Rwanda, Rwanda, Rwanda Stock Exchange, Market Cap $361 billion USD.
43. Yvonne Ike, Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Bank of America, Nigeria, New York Stock Exchange, Market Cap $332 billion USD.
44. Cathy Smith, MD Sub-Saharan Africa, SAP, South Africa, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, $171 billion USD.
45. Ireti Samuel-Ogbu, CEO Nigeria and Ghana, Citibank, Nigeria, New York Stock Exchange, Market Cap $151 billion USD.
46. Mariam Kane-Garcia, CEO South Africa & Executive VP Southern Africa, TotalEnergies, South Africa, Euronext, $122 billion USD.
47. Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh, Regional Head North, East. and West Africa, IBM, Ghana, NASDAQ, Market Cap $119 billion USD.
48. Brenda Mbathi, President GE East Africa, General Electra, Kenya, New York Stock Exchange, Market Cap $111 billion USD.
49. Mpumi Zikalala, Managing Director, de Beers Group Managed Operations, De Beers Group, South Africa, De Beers, Market Cap $61 billion USD.
50. Taelo Mojapelo, CEO and Vice President, British Petroleum Southern Africa, South Africa, LSE/London Stock Exchange, Market Cap $59 billion USD.
