New African Magazine has named President John Magufuli of Tanzania as its Person of the Year and a top Zimbabwean entrepreneur among the most influential people on the continent.
Magufuli and business mogul Strive Masiyiwa of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe were picked by guest editors, including Carlos Lopes, Acha Leke, Winnie Byanyima and Ory Okolloh.
The 2016 Most Influential Africans list has several names, some of them not well-known in Africa and beyond.
In releasing the list Thursday, New African the magazine appeared to break from the past by selecting Magufuli. “Having made headlines for a new style of leadership, he is recognized for his efforts to root out corruption and for his principled approach.”
This year, the magazine reached out to a number of respected analysts and experts who selected their most influential personalities across a variety of fields: politics, civil society, education, business, sports and techpreneurs.
The most influential policymakers were selected by former Executive Secretary of the UN-Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes.
In his list are a number of heads of states, notably President Kenyatta of Kenya and President Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, which has been Africa’s best performing economy of the last few years. Among the notable influencers are several women including Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Mauritius’ first female president; Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s fearless ex-Public Protector; and Cameroonian Economist and IFC Regional Director, Vera Songwe.
The business section edited by McKinsey Partner, commentator and policy adviser, Acha Leke, lists Kenyan Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge; Zimbabwean industrialist and telecoms entrepreneur, Strive Masiyiwa; and Rwanda Development Board’s transformational CEO, Francis Gatare, among its most influential.
The guest editors for the other sections are as follows: Education: Fred Swaniker, founder of the African Leadership University; Civil Society: Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam; Techpreneurs: Ory Okolloh, Director of Investments at Omidyar Network Africa; Publishing and Literature: Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, co-founder of Cassava Republic Press; and Sports: Osasu Obayiuwana, New African’s Associate Editor and sports journalist.
This year there are 19 Nigerians and 21 South Africans. East Africa registered 23 entries and there are 32 women on the list.
According to the magazine, New African provides unparalleled insights and analysis on African politics and economics, via an African perspective. With our in-depth monthly reports, New African brings Africa closer to the world and is ideal reading for those looking to gain a better understanding of the most important issues affecting Africa.