Breaking: Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Mandisa Maya, other Leaders Named African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year 2025
African Leadership Magazine (ALM) (www.AfricanLeadershipMagazine.Co.UK) is excited to announce the winners of the African Persons of the Year (POTY) 2025 Awards, concluding a rigorous three-stage process that included continent-wide public nominations, a comprehensive editorial review, and a highly competitive global online poll that closed on 30 November 2025. This year’s exercise recorded exceptional engagement from Africans across the world, underscoring widespread public interest in celebrating leadership excellence across governance, business, philanthropy, innovation, and public service.
The ALM Persons of the Year Awards is Africa’s premier public-choice recognition, celebrating leaders whose vision, courage, and innovative actions in 2025 are shaping the continent’s development trajectory. Among the distinguished honourees, H.E. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of Namibia, and H.E. Mandisa Maya, Chief Justice of South Africa, emerged as recipients of African Political Leader of the Year and African Female Leader of the Year, respectively. The 2025 winners collectively embody a pan-African community of trailblazers whose work spans sectors and geographies but aligned a shared commitment to advancing sustainable development, strengthening institutional resilience, and driving inclusive economic growth on the continent.
In his statement, Dr. Ken Giami, Publisher of African Leadership Magazine, highlighted that “As Africans, we must champion our own stories and recognise those shaping the continent’s future. This year’s awardees exemplify leadership that strengthens institutions, drives innovation, safeguards peace, and unlocks opportunity — showing what is possible when Africans lead with vision, courage, and purpose.”
The winners and runners-up will be formally presented with the awards trophy and instruments of honour during the flagship annual African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year awards ceremony, scheduled for 27–28 February 2026 in Accra, Ghana. The highlights of the event would include the POTY awards presentation, high-level plenary, business investment showcases, states and countries’ investment opportunities showcases, roundtable discussions, and multi-networking sessions, as well as an unveiling of the African Leadership Magazine special POTY edition.
The African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year (POTY) Ceremony is Africa’s premier annual celebration of visionary leadership and excellence, convened by African Leadership Magazine (ALM). Now in its 15th year, the event brings together heads of state, policymakers, corporate leaders, and development partners to recognise individuals and institutions driving people-centred, transformative leadership across the continent. The 2026 edition promises to be bigger than previous editions as it projects to host over 400 delegates and reach a global digital audience of more than one million through live streaming and media partnerships, spotlighting transformative governance, peacebuilding, economic cooperation, and sustainable development.
The 2025 AFRICAN LEADERSHIP MAGAZINE PERSONS OF THE YEAR — FULL LIST OF WINNERS
African Political Leader of the Year
- Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of Namibia — Winner
- Patrice Talon, President of Benin — 1st Runner-up
African Female Leader of the Year
- Mandisa Maya, Chief Justice of South Africa — Winner
- Esperança da Costa, Vice President of Angola — 1st Runner-up
African Educationist of the Year
- Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University — Winner
- Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, Minister of Education, Somalia — 1st Runner-up
Africa Peace&Security Leader of the Year
- Mbaye Cissé, Chief of the General Staff, Armed Forces of Senegal — Winner
- Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson, AU Commission, Djibouti — 1st Runner-up
African Industrialist of the Year
- Samuel Dossou-Aworet, Founder&Chairman, Petrolin Group, Benin — Winner
- Phuthuma Nhleko, Chairman, Phembani Group, South Africa — 1st Runner-up
African Philanthropist of the Year
- Mr. Samuel Tafesse, Founder, Sunshine Investment Group, Ethiopia — Winner
- Mensa Otabil, Founder, International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Ghana— Runner-up
Young African Leader of the Year
- Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Nigeria — Winner
- Darshan Chandaria, Group CEO, Chandaria Group, Kenya — 1st Runner-up
African Public Sector Leader of the Year
- Debele Kabeta, Commissioner, Ethiopian Customs Commission — Winner
- Charles Anosike, DG/CEO, Nigeria Meteorological Agency — 1st Runner-up
African Public Health Champion of the Year
- Esperance Luvindao, Minister of Health, Namibia — Winner
- Mekdes Daba Feyssa, Minister of Health, Ethiopia — Runner-up
African Agricultural Development Leader of the Year
- Girma Amente, Minister of Agriculture, Ethiopia — Winner
- Bruno Linyiru, DG, Agriculture&Food Authority, Kenya — 1st Runner-up
African Government Minister of the Year
- Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, Minister of Finance, Sierra Leone — Winner
- Lee Maiyani Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary, Kenya — 1st Runner-up
African Lawmaker of the Year
- Austelino Tavares Correia, President, National Assembly, Cape Verde — Winner
- Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Nigeria — 1st Runner-up
Special African Philanthropist Icon Award
- Rali Mampeule, Founder/CEO, South African Housing&Infrastructure Fund — Winner
Young African Philanthropist of the Year
- Wicknell Chivayo, CEO, Intratrek, Zimbabwe — Winner
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Leadership Magazine.
For media and other enquiries, contact:
Ehis Ayere
Group General Manager
African Leadership Magazine UK
ehis@africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk
+44 203 051 1883
About African Leadership Magazine:
The African Leadership Magazine, published by the African Leadership Organisation (UK), focuses on presenting the best of Africa to a global audience, telling the African story from an African perspective while developing solutions to the continent’s current challenges. We have committed the last 19 years to promoting impactful leadership on the continent and promoting African opportunities globally through an ecosystem of quality Afro-positive content, Africa trade facilitation and market entry solutions, Afro-centric communities and business networking platforms, as well as through public sector training and consulting.
