Institut Choiseul reveals its top 100 Africa 2022 rankings

Remarkable for the youthfulness of its population, half of which will be under 25 years old by 2050, the African continent is at the crossroads of contemporary and future global challenges. 

Since 2014 with the launching of the Choiseul Africa initiative, the Institut Choiseul has been willing to promote a positive speech on the African potential in order to bridge the gap between the perception of the continent – particularly from private operators – and the reality on the ground.

In that perspective, the Choiseul 100 Africa ranking was launched in order to highlight the talent of its young economic leaders and create a network for the young leaders who embody the dynamism of an entire continent. These champions are the first actors in the economic development of Africa on a profoundly changing international scene.

Leaders have the unique ability of both inspiring others and driving change through their aura and actions for growth. Faced with the many challenges linked to the digitalisation of the continent, the urgent need for ecological transition or the necessary development of infrastructures, young African entrepreneurs have shown resilience and demonstrated their capacity to adapt.

Whether they are business leaders or young creative entrepreneurs, gems of the new economy or leaders of prestigious institutions, these exceptional personalities have continued to reinvent their models of governance to exploit the opportunities offered by the world of tomorrow. They made it clear that Africa will be at the heart of tomorrow’s global economic recovery. 

Producing a ranking is not enough to value the great talent of these young leaders. To go further, the Institut Choiseul has been organising events dedicated to the development of business opportunities in Africa. With the upcoming Choiseul Africa Business Forum, which will take place in Casablanca on October 19^th and 20^th, we aim to achieve structuring and value-bearing partnerships and to stimulate growth dynamics on the continent.

Through the Choiseul 100 Africa ranking and the Choiseul Africa Business Forum, we are proud to promote inter- and intra-continental synergies, for a fertile business climate in Africa. 

Africa’s Top 100 Young Business Leaders

For the 9th year, the Institut Choiseul reveals the 100 most promising African business leaders aged 40 and under. 

This ranking highlights the tremendous assets of Africa and aims to build a unique network of economic leaders on the whole continent. The first edition of the “Choiseul 100 Africa – The Economic Leaders for Tomorrow” was created in 2014 and already revealed in African Business Magazine. Theranking identifies every year the 100 leaders aged 40 and below who are called upon to play a leading role in the continent’s economy. According to Dr. Lorot, “the Choiseul 100 Africa aims to shed the light upon the young men and women who are successful and have the ambition of lifting Africa its highest level of economical, societal and cultural development”. 

The Choiseul 100 Africa now has an additional list of 100 more laureates who aspire to join the top 100. “It is impossible to showcase all the talents on the continent with just 100 names”, explains Dr. Lorot. Whether they come from the banking, energy, agri-food or infrastructure sectors, these young decision-makers are participating in the growth of the African economy and driving innovation on a national or even pan-African scale.  

The Choiseul 100 Africa is widely seen as a unique and important survey, and confers considerable prestige upon those who figure in it. More than a ranking, the Choiseul 100 Africa has become an unparalleled network of pan-African influence for the young generation, with comprising 500 active members spread across 48 of the continent’s 54 countries. With so many countries represented and more than 16 sectors of activity, this 2022 edition aims more than any other to reflect the diversity of the continent’s talented leaders. 

Shaban Whiba, Libyan General Manager of Whiba Holding, Leila Bouamatou, Mauritanian Managing Director and Board Member of the Générale de Banque de Mauritanie and Anta Babacar Ngom Diack, Senegalese Managing Director of Sedima Group, are the top three this year.  

When asked about the main trends that can be identified from this new edition of the Choiseul 100 Africa, Dr. Lorot pointed out the growing concern on corporate social responsibility from the young generation of decision-makers. “The new leadership integrates impact as a real KPI, reshaping the local ecosystems. It considers that governance has to be driven by new fundamentals.”