Appointment signals a move toward AI-powered operational transparency, real-time compliance, and data-led growth for customers
NAIROBI, Kenya, 15 April 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – Cellulant, Africa’s leading payment technology company, has appointed Anthony Hernandez as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead end-to-end customer experience, from onboarding and transactions to customer growth, alongside advancing operational automation across the business.
Cellulant serves the payment needs of enterprises and global businesses across Africa through a single API that connects to multiple markets and hundreds of payment methods. As the company continues to scale, its focus is on strengthening the operational backbone required to enable payments with consistency, reliability, and visibility for customers across every market while enabling them to grow.
Commenting on the appointment, Peter O’Toole, Chief Executive Officer of Cellulant, said, “In payments today, trust is the real currency, and operational excellence is what earns it. As we continue to grow our volumes and support market-leading businesses across Africa and beyond, we are deliberately strengthening our operational foundations. Anthony’s role is to ensure we embed that operational discipline with intention, delivering consistent, high-quality experiences as we deepen our presence across markets and support our customers’ growth.”
Anthony brings over 25 years of global leadership experience across financial services, fintech, and industrial sectors, with a strong track record in building and scaling high-performing operating models in complex, regulated, and fast-growing environments.
Throughout his career, Anthony has held senior leadership roles at GE Capital, Xapo Bank, and Demica (now part of FIS), where he led large-scale digital transformations, regulatory approvals, and built global operating teams managing assets totalling tens of billions of dollars.
Under Hernandez’s leadership, Cellulant will advance an automated, data-driven operational framework to meet growing customer expectations around real-time visibility into fund status and settlements, alongside robust transaction monitoring to support compliance across its markets. Leveraging platform data, the company will deliver deeper insights to help customers optimise performance, manage risk, and grow. He will also strengthen compliance and risk frameworks to ensure the highest standards of governance across regulated markets.
“Payment flexibility starts with access to the right options and is grown by how reliably those options work in practice,” said Anthony, COO at Cellulant. “Cellulant has built a powerful payment infrastructure for businesses operating across Africa, and I’m excited to join a team that is at the very heart of Africa’s digital economy. Our focus is now building the operational discipline and systems that ensure customers experience simple, reliable and frictionless payment experiences every time, while giving them the visibility and insight to grow their businesses.”
Cellulant is Africa’s leading payments company, providing seamless, secure, and innovative solutions that empower businesses, banks, and global brands to thrive in a fast-changing global economy.
With a presence in over 24 countries and support for more than 200 payment methods, including cards, bank transfers, and mobile money, our single API payment platform, Tingg, streamlines collections, disbursements, and reconciliations. Tingg processes over 4.5 million transactions daily for market leaders across various sectors, including Travel & Hospitality, Telecoms, E-commerce, Ride-Hailing, Trade, and Remittances.
By simplifying how people pay and get paid, we drive trust, commerce, and scale, connecting companies and people to their ambitions.
Community-built shelter in Tillaberi. Credit: Attou Moutari.
Washington, USA, 03 April 2026 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Community-built shelters in Niger are enabling mothers to participate in land restoration work by providing shaded spaces for their children, protecting them from extreme heat and environmental hazards. The initiative has led to the construction of 662 shelters across six regions, safeguarding 6,465 children and allowing women to focus on earning income and supporting their families. This practical solution not only improves household livelihoods but also advances women’s economic empowerment, transforming a structural barrier into a pathway for resilience and community development.
The Issue: An impossible choice
In the sun-scorched landscapes of Niger, where temperatures can reach 45°C (113°F), a quiet but powerful shift is underway. It’s not just about restoring the land—it’s about enabling the women who sustain their families and communities to work safely and earn an income. A simple, community-built shelter has helped remove a barrier that kept many mothers from participating in land restoration: childcare in extreme heat.
In 2023, the Integrated Landscape Management Project (PGIP), an environment and natural resources management project financed by the World Bank through IDA credit, launched a large Cash for Work program to help rural communities restore degraded lands and build resilience to climate change. As implementation moved forward, the team saw a human hurdle: women with young children faced an impossible daily choice. Formal childcare options were scarce. Many mothers brought infants and toddlers—some as young as one year old—to the worksites, exposing them to intense sun, dust, and high winds. The risks ranged from dehydration to insect and snake bites. Mothers worried about safety and health, and their participation—and earnings—suffered.
The Solution: Community-built shelters (“hangars”)
The team listened to women and worked with local leaders to test a practical, culturally rooted solution: build shaded shelters near worksites and ask trusted “village grandmothers” to supervise the children. These hangars use local materials—wooden poles, straw, and planks—and create cool, protected spaces where children can rest and play while their mothers work nearby. Community selection of elder caregivers created trust and accountability, while keeping the model simple, affordable, and easy to maintain.
The Impact
Immediate and transformative results came quickly. To date, 662 shelters have been built across six regions, providing safe spaces for 6,465 children. By removing a basic barrier—safe childcare in extreme heat—the project unlocked women’s participation in cash-for-work activities and helped stabilize household incomes. Communities report greater peace of mind for mothers and better focus on work when children are safe and close by.
Community-built shelters are playing a pivotal role in advancing Niger’s job agenda by removing a critical barrier to women’s participation in land restoration work. By providing safe spaces for childcare, these shelters allow mothers to take part in Cash for Work programs, increasing the workforce and directly supporting household incomes. This access not only expands employment opportunities for women but also enhances their ability to contribute economically to their families and communities.
The initiative fosters skills development and community cohesion. As women are freed from the constraints of childcare during working hours, they can engage more fully in restoration activities, gaining practical experience and confidence. This strengthens their position in the labor market and promotes broader inclusion, making access to jobs more equitable and sustainable for rural communities.
Governance and sustainability
To sustain the model, existing village structures—Site Management Committees (COGES) and Grievance Redress Committees (CGP)—handle logistics, upkeep, and any concerns. This light-touch governance reinforces community ownership and keeps the shelters practical and responsive.
What’s next: Adapting and improving
The project is developing mobile shelters—lightweight, detachable units that can move with worksites as activities shift seasonally. These will remain cost-effective and compliant with environmental and social standards, with attention to child health and safety. Existing shelters will be upgraded with mats, simple toys, picture books, and water trays, making the spaces more comfortable and stimulating. “Village grandmothers” will receive basic training in child protection, hygiene, and caregiving to strengthen care quality without complicating the model.
This is a straightforward lesson in inclusive development: when we remove everyday social barriers, climate and livelihoods projects go further. In Niger’s heat, childcare became the decisive factor in women’s participation. A low-cost, community-led solution turned a risk into a result—protecting children, increasing women’s earnings, and improving the effectiveness of land restoration.
Beyond one project, the hangar model offers a practical blueprint for public works and climate resilience operations. It shows how integrating simple social measures—from trusted caregivers to grievance channels—can elevate outcomes and expand who benefits, especially in contexts of extreme heat and limited services.
This approach is affordable, replicable, and rights-respecting. Most importantly, it helps women work safely and earn, while children stay protected—an inclusive path to climate resilience that can be scaled.
This initiative is part of the Integrated Landscape Management Project (PGIP), which is part of the Sahel RESILAND Program and is implemented by the Government of Niger with the technical and financial support of the World Bank, PROGREEN, and PROBLUE.
Boosting forest value chains, supporting over 500 SMEs, and improving livelihoods for forest-dependent communities
Washington, USA, 02 April 2026 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The World Bank Group today approved a new operation that will transform forest economies in Central Africa. The International Development Association (IDA)-funded Sustainable Congo Basin Forest Economies Program (SCBFEP) –$394.83 million for Phase 1—, will improve forest management, strengthen forest value chains, and will generate 220,000 jobs across the Republic of Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), and the Republic of Congo (RoC). This first phase forms part of a larger $1.02 billion multi-phase program to unlock economic, climate, and livelihood benefits from the world’s second-largest tropical forest biome, demonstrating that sustainable economic development and forest stewardship can, and must, go hand in hand.
This next generation of forest investments moves decisively beyond a conservation-only approach, building the economic conditions that make forest stewardship sustainable. Marginalized communities, indigenous peoples, and forest-dependent communities stand at the heart of the program. During its initial phase, nearly 8 million hectares will be placed under sustainable management. The program will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 17.6 million tCO2e and increase the share of legally processed wood by 15%, while supporting community forest enterprises, agroforestry systems, and SME processing zones. More than 500 SMEs and 20,000 people — 40% of them women — will gain access to training, finance, and value chain infrastructure, while over 7,000 youth will be supported into entrepreneurship. These will unlock real jobs and real economic opportunities for the 60 million people living in and around the Congo Basin who have long been bypassed by growth.
“This new program marks a milestone for the Congo Basin, where sustainable forest economies create jobs, raise incomes, and strengthen resilience for millions of people,” says Chakib Jenane, World Bank Regional Director for Planet. “By scaling legal wood production, improving governance, and investing in skills and enterprise growth, countries can unlock inclusive and sustainable prosperity.”
The program adopts a strong regional approach by supporting coordinated investments across the three participating countries, while leveraging the mandates of key regional institutions such as the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) to harmonize forest policies and strengthen cross‑border governance.
“The Congo Basin is a shared resource, and its sustainability depends on coordinated policies and close regional cooperation,” declares Marina Wes, Acting World Bank Director for Regional Programs.“By strengthening regional institutions, the program improves wood trade standards and create a powerful platform for learning and collaboration across the Basin.”
The new initiative aligns directly with the Global Challenge Program on Forests for Development, Climate, and Biodiversity, while supporting participating countries’ national development strategies and regional commitments, as well as their climate objectives. With strong potential to expand carbon market opportunities and mobilize long-term private sector investment in sustainable forestry, it offers a replicable model for how job creation, shared prosperity, and forest economies can advance together.
Geneva, Switzerland, 01 April 2026- /African Media Agency (AMA)/- Along with Senegal, Cameroon is implementing the “Healthy Food Market” project in the city of Douala through two pilot markets: New Deido and Ndogpassi. Coordinated by the urban municipality, this project aims to strengthen the prevention of foodborne diseases and improve hygiene, sanitation and food safety, with the goal of gradually spreading these good practices to all markets in the city.
Simon Édouard Ekotto Ndemba, Director of Environment, Health, and Living Conditions at the Douala Urban Municipality, explains the criteria that guided the selection of the pilot markets, the innovations introduced, the mechanisms put in place to oversee the project, and the decisive support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners.
Within the framework of the “Healthy Food Market” project, how are traders organizing themselves to ensure hygiene and sanitation?
In our public markets, traders organize themselves through their associations to carry out daily cleaning. Every evening, they sweep inside the market and gather waste in a designated area. The company responsible for collection then picks it up and cleans the surroundings of the market, with waste removal carried out every two days. With the project, we also addressed a practice that posed a real problem: selling food directly on the ground. At New Deido market, some traders still displayed their products on dirty sacks placed on the floor. Thanks to awareness sessions, this practice has disappeared. Today, traders use at least small tables to present food. Our ambition is to standardize this approach and extend it to all other markets in the city.
What innovations has the “Healthy Food Market” project introduced in the pilot markets?
The main innovation is the systematic integration of hygiene and sanitation aspects into the daily management of markets. Meetings are no longer only about revenue generation but now also include hygiene, sanitation and food safety. The project has strengthened compliance with hygiene standards, particularly for food products, and introduced appropriate facilities for specific areas such as slaughtering and poultry. We also ensure proper maintenance of restrooms, permanent availability of water points and electrification of markets to guarantee a safer environment.
What criteria were used to select these two markets?
Selection was based on several key elements. First, the market had to clearly belong to the State or the municipality. Size, surface area and a precise definition of the perimeter were also decisive. Accessibility was another factor, requiring that these markets be served by roads for users and other stakeholders. Governance structures played a crucial role, including the presence of a manager, a traders’ association led by an elected representative, and, in some cases, mediation committees such as at New Deido market. The variety of food products available—fruit, vegetables, fish, eggs, poultry and meat—was another important factor. Finally, the mayor’s commitment to governance, hygiene, and sanitation was a determining factor, especially for activities related to cleaning and regular market maintenance.
How is WHO’s support helping to strengthen food safety within the “Healthy Food Market” project?
The World Health Organization has played an essential role in this project. It supports the city in better structuring its approach to hygiene, sanitation and food safety in public markets. This support has also facilitated the mobilization of partners, particularly socially responsible companies. Thanks to this joint effort, the Douala Autonomous Port equipped the pilot markets with trash bins, hygiene and sanitation equipment and personal protective gear such as boots, helmets and vests, enabling traders and cleaning teams to work under better conditions. The equipment provided was substantial, allowing us to extend benefits to about twenty other markets not included in the pilot phase.
Women, Financial Services, Telco and Southern African CMOs dominate the list of Africa’s 100 Most Influential Brand Builders
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 30 march 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – Brand Africa, in partnership with African Business magazine, MIPAD (Most Influential People of African Descent) and the African Media Agency, today launched the inaugural Africa CMO 100 (ACMO100) — recognising the 100 most impactful marketing, brand and reputation leaders shaping Africa’s story, identity and prosperity.
The full list and in-depth analysis will be featured in the April 2026 issue of African Business, available first week of April, and across partner platforms at brandafrica.net, africabusiness.com, mipad.org and africanmediaagency.com.
Brand Africa’s independent research over 15 years has consistently found that while 68% of Africans believe in Africa, only 18% of the brands they most admire are African. ACMO100 exists to recognise and connect the leaders best placed to change that. “CMOs and senior brand leaders are among the most powerful architects of Africa’s future. Through strategy, stewardship and influence, they shape narratives, build trust, and guide the preferences of hundreds of millions of people. ACMO100 exists to recognise, celebrate and connect these leaders.” — Thebe Ikalafeng — Founder and Chairman, Brand Africa
The inaugural ACMO100 honourees will be celebrated at Brand Africa Week, Addis Ababa, 22–26 May 2026.
ACMO100: AFRICA’S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL MARKETING LEADERS
One hundred leaders across six African economic regions — including the diaspora — spanning twenty countries and more than 50 distinct role titles. The list is ordered alphabetically by country of origin. All 100 honourees hold equal standing. The list carries no internal ranking.
THREE FINDINGS FROM THE INAUGURAL LIST
01 — A Female-Majority Profession. 62% of honourees are women — a majority across every region. The diaspora cohort is 75% female; East Africa reaches 72%; North Africa, 71%. In Africa, women are not emerging talent waiting for their moment: they are running marketing for the continent’s most consequential brands.
02 — Finance and Telecoms Dominate. Financial services — banking, insurance and fintech — leads with 31 honourees, reflecting the scale of Africa’s financial inclusion wave and the premium brand trust commands in markets where millions are transacting formally for the first time. Telecoms and technology account for a further 20. Together, these two sectors represent more than half the list — and the deepest pools of marketing talent on the continent.
03 — Three Hubs, and a Rising Fourth. Southern Africa leads with 39 honourees, anchored by Johannesburg — the marketing capital of the continent. West Africa contributes 20, with Nigeria’s 17 entries anchoring a market of extraordinary commercial depth. East Africa’s 17 are shaped by Kenya’s Safaricom ecosystem and Nairobi’s competitive consumer market. The most instructive story is North Africa: 14 entries, with Morocco alone accounting for seven — more than Egypt and Algeria combined — signalling Casablanca’s emergence as a new continental marketing hub.
Southern Africa — 39 Honourees Anchored by South Africa, which accounts for 31% of leaders by country of origin. Cohort: Abey Mokgwatsane, Alison Hastings Badenhorst, Andisa Ntsubane, Andrea Quaye, Beyers Van De Merwe, Bronwyn Pretorius, Bunmi Adeniba, Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder, Doug Place, Dries Van der Sandt, Dudu Mokholo, Faye Mfikwe, Firoze Bhorat, Francois Viviers, Gugu Mthembu, Happy Ngidi, Ilze Bylos, Ivan Serra (Mozambique), Jessica Motaung, Khensani Nobanda, Levie Nkunika (Malawi), Lorraine De Graaf, Lucia Maseko, Matilda Nyathi (Zimbabwe), Mmaphuti Rankapole, Mosala Phillips, Mphothe Elizabeth Mokwena, Mzamo Masito, Nontokozo Madonsela, Raquel Capitão (Angola), Sithembile Ndaba, Sobhuza Ngwenya (Malawi), Suneeta Motala (Mauritius), Sydney Nhlanhla Mbhele, Thabang Ramogase, Tim Ekandjo (Namibia), Vaughan Croeser, Vilosha Soni and Vuyokazi Henda.
West Africa — 20 Honourees Nigeria’s 17 entries anchor a market of extraordinary commercial depth. Cohort: Adewunmi Desalu, Amaechi Michael Okobi, Anthony Chiejina, Bamise Oyegbami, Bolanle Kehinde-Lawal, Cherry Eromosele, Chinedu Zephaniah, Diran Olojo, Emeka Oparah, Idemudia Dima-Okojie, Ifeoma Agu, Ilyas Kazeem, Julien Zayro (Côte d’Ivoire), Maureen Ifada, Noel Kojo-Ganson (Ghana), Oluyomi Moses, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Sandra Handou Koné (Côte d’Ivoire), Sarah Agha and Tolu Alero Ladipo.
East Africa — 17 Honourees Anchored by Kenya at nine, shaped by the Safaricom ecosystem and Nairobi’s competitive consumer market. Cohort: Abdulkadir Mamma Hussein (Ethiopia), Anne Joy Michira, Catherine Ndungu, Fatema Dewji (Tanzania), Isabelle Kariuki-Rostom, Kitenda Robert Gobii (Uganda), Lemma Yadecha Gudeta (Ethiopia), Martine Gatabazi (Tanzania), Neemarose Singo (Tanzania), Nelly Wangui Wainaina, Ope Lawal, Rosalind Gichuru, Sylvia ElSheikh (Uganda), Vivian Achieng Oyugi, Wangechi Gitahi, Warau Kahoro and Zizwe Awuor Vundla.
North Africa — 14 Honourees Morocco alone accounts for seven entries — more than Egypt and Algeria combined — reflecting its position as a francophone-Arabic-European commercial crossroads. Cohort: Anne Ezeh (Egypt), El Hadi Mohamed Hamma (Algeria), Fadwa Bisbis, Ghada Hammouda (Egypt), Isabelle Hajri (Algeria), Mahmoud Taha (Egypt), Mehdi Yaroub, Mounir Jazouli, Nadia Rahim Guérin, Sakina El Fares, Salma Bencherif, Salma Hamdouch, Samia Dziri (Algeria) and Shams Adly (Egypt).
Central Africa — 2 Honourees Bienvenu Mayamonuswa (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Yves Kom (Cameroon).
Diaspora — 8 Honourees Based in the USA and UAE, running marketing at Visa, Unilever, Doordash and BET Media Group — underscoring the mobility of African-origin talent at the top of the world’s most competitive brand portfolios. Cohort: Dara Treseder, Esi Eggleston Bracey, Frank Cooper III, Kimberly Evans Paige, Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, Linda Kouam, Najoh Tita-Reid and Tarek Abdalla.
THE BAOBAB | ACMO HALL OF FAME
Brand Africa has also announced the inaugural Baobab | ACMO Hall of Fame — honouring a select number of African and diaspora brand leaders whose benchmark careers have made an enduring contribution to Africa’s brand narrative. Named for Africa’s most iconic and enduring tree, the Baobab honours legacy, not a moment. Inaugural recipients: Bozoma Saint John (former Uber and Netflix CMO); Bernice Samuels (retiring MTN Group Executive for Brand and Marketing); Sylvia Mulinge (CEO, MTN Uganda; former Chief Customer Officer, Safaricom); and Souheil Badaa (former CMO, Novartis Group; founder, Tanakoo) — icons whose work has defined, elevated and expanded the possibilities of African-led brand leadership.
BRAND AFRICA WEEK — ADDIS ABABA, 22–26 MAY 2026
The inaugural ACMO100 honourees will be celebrated at Brand Africa Week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — the historical capital of the continent — in the week of Africa Day. Brand Africa Week 2026 will bring together the ACMO100 Celebration, the unveiling of the Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands® and the Brand Africa Dialogue — planned to be the most impactful convening of continental CMOs in Africa’s history.
“MIPAD exists to celebrate and elevate the most influential people of African descent — and ACMO100 does exactly that for the world of marketing and brand leadership. For the first time, the architects of Africa’s most powerful brands are being recognised on their own terms. That is long overdue, and it matters deeply to the diaspora.” — Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman, MIPAD (USA/Nigeria)
THE ACMO METHODOLOGY AND REVIEW COMMITTEE
The ACMO100 selection is governed by a rigorous, three-step process designed to reflect the realities of marketing leadership across a continent where function often outpaces title.
Collation draws on three independent sources: nominations by the ACMO Review Committee; review of the marketing leadership behind brands featured in the Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands® and comparable rankings over the preceding three years; and research into CMOs behind award-winning and/or impactful work.
Evaluation applies a consistent set of criteria to every nominee: active leadership in Africa or the diaspora; a minimum of five years in senior marketing decision-making; and standing as the highest-ranking functional marketing, brand or communications leader in their organisation.
Verification and vetting ensures that every name on the list has earned its place through demonstrable impact, influence and integrity — not title or visibility alone.
The list carries no internal ranking. All 100 honourees hold equal standing.
The integrity of ACMO100 is anchored in the independence and calibre of its governance. The ACMO Review Committee is an independent, Africa-wide body of distinguished practitioners with a deep understanding of the marketing and brand industry and its most influential individuals — drawn from every major region of the continent and the diaspora. The Committee is intentionally diverse in discipline, geography and background. It brings together former CMOs now in general management and board roles; founders and chief executives of leading African agencies; editors and publishers of the continent’s foremost business media; heads of national marketing associations; academics and researchers from leading African institutions; and respected independent voices from strategy, creative, media and digital.
Committee members are ineligible for inclusion during their tenure; current CMOs do not participate in nomination or adjudication, ensuring complete independence. The panel spans more than 20 countries across all African regions and the diaspora — its diversity in discipline, geography and seniority is central to the credibility of the process.
Southern Africa: Thulani Sibeko, CEO – COID and Social Insurance, Rand Mutual (RMA) (South Africa); Trevor Ncube, Chairman & Director, Alpha Media Holdings (Zimbabwe); Laz Jacobs, Founder & Executive Director, Paragon TBWA (Namibia); Dr Pepe Marais, Group Chief Creative Officer, Joe Public (South Africa); Sechaba Motsieloa, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Kansy Group (South Africa); George Damson, President, Institute of Marketing in Malawi; Dr Tumelo Chaka, Managing Executive, The Strategists (South Africa); Christine Ramela (Mozambique); Mwewa Besa, President, Institute of Marketing in Zambia; Brian Yuyi, CEO, Marketing Association of South Africa; Professor Alistair Mokoena, Executive Dean, Johannesburg Business School (South Africa); Dr Tendai Mhiza, CEO, Integra Africa (Zimbabwe); Gillian Rusike, Founder & CEO, Marketers Association of Zimbabwe; Adv Phelane Phomane, Founder & Managing Director, Tangerine Connect (Lesotho); Dale Hefer, CEO, Integrated Marketing Council (South Africa).
West Africa: Seyi Ademola-Adeoye, Senior Research Fellow, Pierrine (Nigeria); Kwame Senou, Executive Director, THOP (Côte d’Ivoire); Steve Babaeko, CEO & Chief Creative Officer, X3M Ideas (Nigeria); Ade Adefeko, Vice President, Corporate & Government Affairs, Olam International (Nigeria); Sharon Mills, Lead Consultant, SMC Consulting (Ghana); Daniel Kojo Soboh, Executive Director, EMY Africa (Ghana).
East Africa: Malik Shaffy Lizinde, Founder & CEO, 63 INC (Rwanda); William Kalombo, Marketing Africa Magazine (Kenya); Melvin Mwakugu, Independent (Kenya); Jacquie Muhati, Deputy Marketing Director, NCBA (Kenya); Barian Shah, Managing Director, Evolution Events (Tanzania); Aron Simeneh, Creative Director, Kin Creatives (Ethiopia); Joseph Kanyamunyu, Chief Executive Director, Publicis Africa Communications (Uganda); Frakline Kibuacha, Marketing Director, GeoPoll (Kenya).
Diaspora: Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher, African Business (UK/Tunisia); Denver Phiri (UK/Zimbabwe); Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman, MIPAD (USA/Nigeria); Moky Makura, Executive Director, Africa No Filter (UK/Nigeria); Terhas Asefaw Berhe, Managing Director, Brand Comms (UK/Eritrea); James Woods, Globiq International (UK/Malawi); Akin Naphtal, Founder & CEO, InstinctiveWave Group (UK/Nigeria); Cyrille Djami, Founder & Manager, Comms of Africa (France/Cameroon), and Ndeye Diagne, Chief Client Officer, Kantar (France/Senegal).
“The ACMO Review Committee brings together some of the sharpest and most experienced minds on the continent. Their role is to ensure that every name on the ACMO100 list has truly earned their place through impact, influence and integrity.” — Omar Ben Yedder — Publisher, African Business
Brand Africa is the continent’s leading brand-led platform to inspire an African renaissance founded on the conviction that brands drive the growth, reputation and competitiveness of nations. Since 2011, its flagship initiative, the Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands®, has tracked brand performance, consumer perception and brand equity across the continent – providing the most authoritative pan-African brand intelligence. Brand Africa convenes leaders, shapes narratives and advances the case for branding as a driver of Africa’s prosperity. www.brand.africa
ABOUT AFRICAN BUSINESS
African Business is Africa’s foremost pan-continental business magazine, providing authoritative journalism, analysis and intelligence on business, finance, trade and policy across Africa and the global African diaspora. Published by IC Publications, it reaches a senior readership of business, government and civil society leaders across Africa and internationally. www.africabusiness.com
ABOUT MIPAD
MIPAD (Most Influential People of African Descent) is a global civil society organisation that recognises, celebrates and networks the most influential people of African descent across the world. Its annual recognition spans business, politics, culture, science and civil society, with a mission to advance the social, economic and political empowerment of people of African descent globally. www.mipad.org
ABOUT AFRICAN MEDIA AGENCY
African Media Agency (AMA) is the trusted pan-African communications agency helping organisations connect with African audiences. Founded by Eloïne Barry, AMA integrates public relations with digital and creative communications to establish clients as market leaders across the continent. AMA’s services span press release distribution, PR strategy, digital creative and media training through its not-for-profit AMA Academy. A member of IPREX and the PRCA. www.africanmediaagency.com
by Nazia Pillay, Managing Director: Southern Africa at SAP
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 23rd, 2026-/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – AI agents have moved from sci-fi to C-suite. From managing customer support workflows to orchestrating complex supply chains, agentic AI is redefining how businesses operate, respond, and grow. These intelligent digital co-workers act with autonomy, context, and speed, with growing capabilities for reasoning, making decisions, and working alongside humans to execute multi-step processes across departments.
According to IDC , agent-driven applications are rapidly becoming the standard for enterprise management. Global estimates suggest AI agents could contribute trillions to the world economy by 2030 through productivity gains, faster decisions, and cost reductions.
Transformative impact Despite pervasive AI skills shortages, South African companies are moving quickly from experimentation to execution. Financial institutions are embedding AI agents into ERP systems to reroute inventory and manage disputes. Healthcare providers use AI meeting agents to generate follow-ups and automate patient admin. Legal firms use AI to prepare case files and speed up settlements.
This shift is being driven by a combination of pressure and potential. Faced with economic headwinds, skills shortages, and rising customer expectations, South African companies are looking to AI agents to unlock productivity, streamline operations, and free up human talent for higher-value work.
But deploying AI agents effectively requires more than buying the latest tool. The success of AI agents depends on deep integration of data, processes, and applications through a suite-first approach.
Leading with a suite According to an IDC Spotlight Report, companies that adopt AI-powered suites like SAP’s see measurable gains:
37% report improved process productivity
39% achieve greater cost efficiency
36% boost workforce productivity
35% accelerate speed to market
By leveraging an AI-powered suite integrated to a core business technology platform, companies can empower their AI agents to act with full business context. Unlike siloed tools, a suite-first approach supports real-time collaboration between agents, humans, and systems, making AI agents not just smarter, but more impactful on the overall performance of the business.
SAP’s Joule, an AI agent framework embedded into the SAP Business Suite, offers companies a system of intelligent agents that collaborate across business functions, from finance and procurement to HR and supply chain, to execute complex workflows and drive better decisions at scale.
These agents leverage knowledge centres and data cloud to ground actions in real-time, contextual business data. Working alongside teams, the agents augment human decision-making, accelerate task completion and minimise manual errors. In finance functions, agents can optimise working capital by accelerating accounts receivable matching, while in procurement they can surface the most relevant suppliers based on business rules and past performance.
AI agent readiness check
Before companies deploy AI agents like Joule, they need the right digital foundation. SAP recommends a four-part readiness framework:
1 Data quality and accessibility – Agents are only as good as the data they use. Clean, structured, and real-time data from across the enterprise is critical for effective agent decision-making. Silos, outdated data, or missing context will slow adoption and risk poor outcomes.
2 Process maturity – AI agents thrive on well-defined workflows. Before automation, companies must ensure their business processes are standardised, documented, and ready for orchestration. Automating chaos just creates faster chaos.
3 Organisational clarity – Who will use these agents? For what tasks? How will they hand off to human employees? Clear role definitions and communication are essential for adoption and trust.
4 Governance and guardrails – Just like human employees, AI agents need rules. Define permissions, escalation paths, ethical boundaries, and auditing practices. Agents should act autonomously but within the boundaries of the businesses in which they operate.
AI agents are more than just another layer of automation. They represent a new model of work, one that is collaborative, contextual, and continuous. The true value of AI agents is unlocked only when companies are ready. And the companies that unlock the greatest value the quickest are those deploying their AI agents through an AI-powered suite integrated to a core business technology platform.
About SAP As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP (NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
Africa, 16 March 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – A corruption scandal has erupted within Bolt’s Azerbaijan operations — and it is not a minor compliance breach. The controversy has exposed alleged systemic bribery, selective onboarding, manipulation of bonuses, and the deliberate blocking of drivers’ accounts until payments were made through intermediaries. Even more troubling, reports indicate that elements within the local transport regulatory ecosystem were entangled in the controversy.
Following complaints from drivers and fleet owners, Bolt’s headquarters in Estonia conducted an internal audit that reportedly led to the dismissal of the country office head and other staff. In responding, the platform effectively acknowledged governance gaps that may have enabled extortion by local management. While reiterating its zero-tolerance policy, Bolt’s intervention came only after sustained pressure.
For Africa, the issue is not whether an identical scandal is unfolding. There is no public evidence of that. The deeper concern is structural vulnerability: could it happen here?
Ride-hailing platforms operate within asymmetric power systems. Drivers depend entirely on algorithms they cannot interrogate, enforcement mechanisms they do not design, and local management structures that hold enormous discretionary power. When an account is suspended, income stops instantly. If local officials were to exploit that leverage — through selective deactivation, preferential onboarding, or opaque bonus allocation — how would drivers contest it?
The Azerbaijan case raises uncomfortable parallels. Allegations included restricted access to lucrative ride categories and arbitrary enforcement. In Africa, are airport pickups, premium tiers and fleet onboarding governed strictly by transparent, auditable criteria Or could informal influence shape outcomes behind the scenes?
The regulatory dimension deepens the concern.
What oversight mechanisms exist between ride-hailing platforms and African transport authorities? If elements of a local transport ecosystem were compromised — as suggested in Azerbaijan — would Africa’s institutional framework detect and deter it early?
Bolt’s headquarters ultimately intervened in Azerbaijan.
But escalation to Europe is not a practical remedy for the average African driver navigating daily earnings volatility. Would whistleblowers feel protected? Is there an independent dispute resolution mechanism beyond digital ticketing systems? Are internal audits triggered proactively, or only after scandal erupts?
The rapid expansion of ride-hailing in Africa has delivered economic opportunity. Yet platform growth without transparent governance invites systemic risk. Corporate controls are only as strong as local enforcement integrity. When gaps appear at the market level, drivers bear the cost first.
The Azerbaijan scandal should not trigger alarmism across Africa. It should trigger due diligence. If Bolt has acknowledged governance weaknesses abroad, it must demonstrate robust preventative safeguards locally.
The burden of proof now rests on transparency.
Digital mobility thrives on trust. If drivers begin to suspect that account security, onboarding access or earnings are vulnerable to discretionary manipulation, confidence in the entire system erodes.
Africa’s ride-hailing sector cannot afford to wait for a domestic scandal before tightening oversight.
The hard questions are no longer hypothetical — they are preventive.
LOME, Togo, 27 February 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/ – The Bluemind Foundation announces that its Founder and President, Marie Alix De Putter, has been selected to join the Praxis Africa Accelerator, an internationally recognized ecosystem supporting founders committed to building organizations that change systems, not just outcomes.
Praxis brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders who view enterprises and organizations not merely as economic instruments but as architectures capable of sustainably transforming social systems. Rooted in a tradition of rigorous ethical and spiritual reflection, the ecosystem supports leaders for whom faith is an inner discipline in service of the common good.
This selection comes at a moment of strategic acceleration for the Bluemind Foundation, a pioneer of an innovative community-based mental health model deployed in Francophone Africa, notably in Togo, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire.
A SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH
French-Cameroonian, Marie-Alix De Putter has developed over the years a thesis that has become central to her work: mental health is health; it is a social, cultural, and political infrastructure. Her work raises a crucial question of public governance: what becomes of a society when psychological suffering remains invisible, underfunded, and politically marginalized? From this inquiry, she founded the Bluemind Foundation and designed innovative community-based interventions that bring care to where trust already exists, build bridges with public systems, and make mental health legitimate, measurable, and fundable. The Heal by Hair program, which trains hairdressers as mental health ambassadors, exemplifies this socially rooted engineering, designed from the outset for institutional integration. In less than five years:
Over 300,000 women have received early support;
Public campaigns have reached more than 350 million people;
Strategic partnerships have been established with universities, governments, and international institutions;
A scientific evaluation protocol, supported by the Development Innovation Fund, is currently underway in Togo
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION AND A NEW PHASE OF STRUCTURING
Joining the Praxis program represents international recognition of the model developed by the Bluemind Foundation.
It will strengthen governance structures before scaling, deepen sustainable funding and public integration mechanisms, and embed the Foundation within an international network of impact funders, granting access to patient capital aligned with its mission. At the same time, it will enhance coherence between organizational culture, performance, and institutional accountability.
The Foundation is preparing for regional scale-up, with an ambitious multi-country impact goal by 2030: • 5,000 trained hairdresser-ambassadors;
3,000 active community hubs ;
Over 5 million women and youth with structured access to mental health support. To meet the extensive needs in West and Central Africa, the Bluemind Foundation is entering a new phase of capital structuring for broader deployment, combining philanthropic funding, institutional partnerships, and sustainable public integration mechanisms.
From Lomé (Togo), the Foundation is structuring an African model designed for the realities of the continent and the world, with a clear mission: to make care accessible to everyone, everywhere, every day.
A UNIQUE VOICE IN CARE GOVERNANCE
Marie-Alix de Putter’s path was forged by an experience of devastating personal loss. While four months pregnant, she lost her husband to assassination. That rupture became the lens through which she understood everything that followed: when care systems are absent or inaccessible, suffering is never private—it becomes economic, institutional, and political.
Her approach combines systemic design, scientific rigor, strategic storytelling, and institutional negotiation. An author with three Master’s degrees and an Executive MBA, trained at Harvard Business School and Oxford, Marie-Alix de Putter regularly speaks in academic, economic, and political arenas on public health, leadership, and organizational transformation.
Her leadership has been recognized as a Desmond Tutu Fellow (AFLI), Best Woman Leader in Africa (AIFA), one of the 30 Most Innovative People in Africa (Quartz), and with inclusion in the Biographical Dictionary of French Protestants. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Le Monde, BBC, The Guardian, Vogue, Jeune Afrique, Der Spiegel, and other major international media.
A STRUCTURING MILESTONE
“If redemption were a spectrum, Praxis would sit at its most demanding edge. I enter the inaugural cohort of the Praxis Africa Accelerator with gratitude and gravity, aware that as impact grows, responsibility deepens. At a pivotal moment for the Bluemind Foundation, Praxis strengthens not only our strategy but also our internal architecture—the moral and organizational discipline necessary to scale without diluting meaning and values. This important milestone belongs to every Blueminder who engages, often away from the headlines, where systems are fragile and the cost of inaction is measured in (young) lives.” – Marie-Alix de Putter, President and Founder, Bluemind Foundation
This selection marks a key step in the Bluemind Foundation’s international positioning and confirms its ambition: to to embed African community-based mental health models — culturally legitimate, scientifically evaluated, and economically viable — into the institutions that shape public life.
The Bluemind Foundation is a pioneering non-profit mental health organization that integrates care into everyday spaces, starting with hair salons, turning everyday spaces into genuine lifelines. It empowers local communities across Africa and beyond through innovative, scalable, cost-effective, evidence-based solutions that change lives where care is most needed. The mission of the Bluemind Foundation is to bring hope, dignity, and mental well-being to everyone, everywhere, every day.
For more information about the Bluemind Foundation and its initiatives: X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Washington, USA, 24 February 2026 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Six countries of the Congo Basin—Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Republic of Congo—are working to take bold steps to unlock results-based payments and climate finance. The newly launched Strategic Roadmaps for Carbon Market and Climate Finance in the Forest Sector for the Congo Basin Countries developed with support from the World Bank, serve as blueprints to transform the region’s vast forest wealth into a powerful engine for climate-resilient growth and sustainable development and green jobs.
These roadmaps provide country-specific blueprints to help High Forest, Low Deforestation (HFLD) Congo Basin countries to engage credibly and effectively in global carbon markets, mobilize results-based finance, and transform their forest assets into engines for climate-resilient growth. Tailored to each country’s readiness and institutional landscape, the roadmaps build on the foundational data fromCongo Basin Forest Ecosystem Accounts to create a comprehensive framework aligning nature and climate goals with national development priorities. As part of the World Bank’s broader Analytical and Advisory Services (ASA) for the Congo Basin, these roadmaps aim to shift the region’s development narrative—from one of forest loss or degradation to forest-led growth.
“Forests across the Congo Basin offer more than global climate regulation—they represent critical financial assets and a development opportunity,” said Chakib Jenane, World Bank Regional Practice Director Western and Central Africa Region. “These roadmaps provide the crucial link and show how countries can convert natural capital into tangible investments that generate revenues, jobs, and resilience for local communities.”
The roadmaps call for stronger institutional coordination, equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, and robust digital, and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. While countries like Gabon, Republic of Congo are advancing with pilot results-based agreements and REDD+ progress, others like Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic are in the early stages of development. Opportunities abound also in Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon. The roadmaps highlight the gaps and prioritize key actions that will allow countries to harness the potential from carbon markets and climate finance.
“Carbon markets can be a game-changer for Congo Basin countries—but only if the right enabling conditions are in place,” said Cheick Fantamady Kanté, World Bank Division Director for Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Republic of Congo. “These strategic roadmaps provide a practical end-to-end guide for governments to operationalize carbon finance, with a focus on good governance, private sector engagement, and benefits for local communities.”
Developed through broad stakeholder consultations and grounded in national priorities, the roadmaps support countries to:
Align national frameworks with Paris Agreement Article 6.2 and 6.4.
Build digital and institutional capacity for MRV readiness.
Clarify the legal and fiscal treatment of carbon credits.
Engage the private sector and ensure the participation of local communities and indigenous peoples.
Attract long-term climate investment and technical partnerships.
These carbon market climate roadmaps represent a convergence of jobs, environment, and economic agendas.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 17 February 2026-/African Media Agency(AMA)/-Africa.com announces a collaboration with In On Africa (IOA), one of the continent’s foremost research and advisory firms known for delivering rigorous, data-driven intelligence to organizations navigating Africa’s dynamic markets.
For more than a decade, IOA has provided deep analytical insight into the economic, social, political, and technological forces shaping Africa. From fintech innovation in Lagos to sustainable growth pathways across emerging markets, IOA’s research equips global and African stakeholders with the evidence-based perspectives needed to understand and engage with Africa’s opportunities.
Through this partnership, Africa.com will expand access to IOA’s research outputs, including position papers on digital economies, ESG developments, governance trends, and market expansion. IOA will also contribute tailored analyses and data-rich perspectives designed to align with Africa.com’s coverage of business, innovation, public policy, and technology. In addition, the partnership will highlight thought leadership from IOA’s analysts and researchers, offering Africa.com’s global audience deeper context and expert interpretation of Africa’s most consequential developments.
Most recently, IOA’s widely read report, The Top 10 Trends to Watch in 2026, outlines the structural shifts shaping Africa’s trajectory this year, from geopolitical realignments and fiscal consolidation pressures to AI-enabled productivity gains, regional trade acceleration, and evolving capital flows. The report underscores a central theme: Africa’s next phase of growth will be defined less by narrative and more by measurable execution. By publishing and amplifying this forward-looking analysis, Africa.com is expanding its commitment to delivering signal over noise in coverage of Africa’s markets and policy landscape.
“We’re excited to partner with Africa.com to get the real story of Africa’s markets out there,” said Ogi Williams, Director of Consulting at In On Africa. “There’s so much noise around Africa, but not enough signal. We’re bringing the data, the analysis, and the on-the-ground insights that decision-makers actually need. Africa.com has the platform and the reach; we have the research depth. Together, we’re cutting through the narratives and showing what’s actually happening across the continent.”
As part of this collaboration, Africa.com’s Doing Business in Africa series offers practical, country-by-country insights for investors, executives, and decision-makers. The detailed data and analysis informing these profiles are provided by In On Africa (IOA), drawing on the firm’s extensive research expertise and on-the-ground intelligence.
“We are delighted to welcome In On Africa as a Knowledge Partner,” said Teresa Clarke, Chair & CEO of Africa.com. “Their commitment to rigorous, Africa-centered research aligns with our mission to inform global audiences seeking authoritative insight into the continent’s transformation.”
About In On Africa In On Africa (IOA) is a Johannesburg-based research and advisory firm offering data-driven insights across all 54 African countries. For nearly two decades, IOA has provided deep analytical insight Through in-depth research, analysis, and strategy support, IOA empowers organizations seeking to understand Africa’s opportunities, risks, and long-term market trajectories. Learn more at www.inonafrica.com.
About Africa.com Africa.com is a leading digital media platform delivering thought leadership and insight on Africa’s business, innovation, and culture through its websites, newsletters, and online events, reaching a global audience of professionals, business leaders, and policymakers.
