5 Africa Women Listed as 2026 Forbes Icons 

Zainab Aderounmu

October 20, 2026

It’s 15 years of Forbes Africa, and to celebrate the milestone, Forbes recently listed 15 Africans as cultural & creative Icons shaping African stories and putting Africa on the global stage. Five, out of these 15 Icons are women from across Africa, some of whom are firsts in many regards. Let’s meet them. 

1. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the first female Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Former Finance Minister. She grew up seeing her aunties and uncles with PhDs, and so she saw that as the normal path to follow. She began her career as a development economist at the World Bank. She served as Nigeria’s First Female Finance Minister from 2003 to 2015, although she served as Foreign Minister in between. As Finance Minister, she led talks that reduced Nigeria’s foreign debt from $35 billion to $5 billion. She has consistently led high-stakes initiatives targeted at reforming the global economy, and has been recognized many times over by Forbes, amongst numerous prestigious awards.

2. Mo Abudu is the Founder-CEO, EbonyLife Group, Media Mogul and Philanthropist. She recently launched Ebony Life Place London, a home for African film, fashion, music, entertainment and creativity in the UK. She began with Moments with Mo talk show before launching Ebony Life TV, and Ebony Life Films, which has launched several record-breaking films since 2014. She is showing that African stories can be commercialized when told excellently. In 2024, Ebony Life Cinema in Lagos was recognized as the highest-grossing cinema location across Anglophone WestAfrica. She told Forbes, “You do not make a story global by making it less African. You make it global by making it authentic and excellent,” she says.

3. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the former first elected female  President of Liberia. A recipient of the Nobel peace prize, she champions female leadership as one of the most important challenges for Africa, which deserves urgent action. In 2007, she received the Presidential Medal Award, the highest civil award in the United States. She led her country through several crises, including the Ebola virus, to recovery and prosperity. Her position as president set the standard for several women who have held high offices in Africa. 

4. Angélique Kidjo is a five-time Grammy award-winning artist, musician and actor. She started singing at age six, and has over 4 decades in the entertainment industry. She is the first African musician to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is also an advocate who was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2002. She also  founded The Batonga Foundation, aimed at helping socially isolated or disadvantaged girls.  She told Forbes, “Our complacency and silence have allowed many people to live a very difficult life that was unnecessary. So, for me, my energy comes from the fact that I believe that what is true is true, what is fair is fair, and let’s work together.”

5. Lupita Nyong’o is an Actor, and the first Kenyan and Mexican to win an Academy Award for her feature film debut. Since then, she has accrued over 100 awards and nominations. Some of her recent works include Queen of Katwe, Black Panther, and recently, The Odyssey. 

About Author

Zainab Aderounmu A. W.

Zainab ADEROUNMU A. W. is a First Class graduate of English Language and the Overall Best Graduating Student from the Lagos State University, Lagos Nigeria. She’s a professional Master of Ceremonies, known as The Hijabi Compere , a public speaking coach and Communications Professional. She is currently a Youth advisor to the European Union where she doubles as the Spokesperson and Head of Communications & PR for the Youth Sounding Board.