2024 Forbes Under 30 Summit Africa

Omah Lay

Award-Winning Singer, Songwriter and Producer

With his darkly sparkling vocals, evocative storytelling, and contagious rhythms, Omah Lay is one of Nigeria’s most talked about innovators. The 25-year-old singer and producer’s brand of Afro-fusion effortlessly pulls from his deep personal history with West Africa’s percussion-heavy highlife genre, as well as his enthusiasm for the popular sounds of his generation—from classic rap to the Afro-beats empire flourishing in his home base of Lagos. He released his major label debut album Boy Alone to critical praise in 2022 which saw him sell out his second U.S. headlining tour. Previously he released his two inventive EPs in 2020, Get Layd and What Have We Done. On each project his voice beautifully unravels tales that range from introspective to romantic to gratifyingly explicit, and expertly laid over lush and soulful production. Layered with vivid scenarios and heartfelt confessions, Omah Lay’s rich music not only depicts a young man daring to reveal his grittiest vices and innermost feelings, but also doubles as a fascinating window into Afro-fusion’s bright and expansive future.

Nick Cannon

Multi-Hyphen Entertainer & Entrepreneur

TV & Radio host, comedian, actor, producer, rapper, writer, director, DJ, philanthropist, children’s book author, and activist, Nick Cannon has entertained audiences for over 20 years. Cannon is currently the executive producer and host of Fox’s hit TV series The Masked Singer; creator, host, and executive producer of the sketch comedy show Wild ‘N Out, which went on its fourth tour in June 2023 selling out arenas across the country; He is the host and executive producer of The Daily Cannon, a morning show hosted live on Amazon platforms every Monday through Friday. Plus, Nick and Kevin Hart are the creators, hosts, and executive producers of E!’s Celebrity Prank Wars which scored the highest premiere ratings for E! Network since 2021. Nick is also the creator and executive producer in partnership with Live Nation for the Future Superstar Tour that also premiered on VH1 as a TV show. Nick Cannon’s Big Drive is his newest show streaming on Tubi, a ride-along series with a special celebrity guests, automotive events and more. Cannon holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Howard University and plans to pursue his master’s degree. He is the father of 12 and is a creative and entrepreneurial force at the vanguard of his generation with over 17 million subscribers socially.

Nomzamo Mbatha

Actress, Humanitarian & UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

South African model/actress/humanitarian/brand ambassador, Nomzamo Mbatha has taken Hollywood by storm last spring with her first-ever U.S. role in Paramount/Amazon Studios’ hugely successful film, Coming 2 America. The sequel, to the hit 1988 comedy, Coming To America premiered March 5, 2021, on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries worldwide and was the most viewed movie in the history of the streamer, making it the #1 streaming service that opening weekend! Nomzamo’s breakout performance has been praised in the likes of The Hollywood Reporter, W magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and Allure among others!

Nomzamo can currently be seen starring as the lead role of “Queen Nandi” in the epic South African drama series, Shaka Ilembe, where she also serves as an executive producer. The production was six years in the making, consulting historians, academics, and family descendants of the iconic African king. The limited series premiered June 2023 to staggering ratings!

In March 2023 Nomzamo was seen leading the cast in the sci-fi action film, Assassin, opposite Bruce Willis and directed by Jesse Atlas. The film released in theaters and on-demand on March, 31, 2023.

Nomzamo is also a brand ambassador for several iconic global brands, including Neutrogena Africa, Audi South Africa, L’Oréal Paris Hair and Veuve Clicquot Africa. In March 2021, Nomzamo launched her PUMA SA collaborative collection, SHANDU, named after her maternal grandmother. The brand is the first for the PUMA brand on the African continent and is already wildly successful.

Born in Durban, South Africa, Nomzamo rose to fame by entering MTV’s Africa VJ Search in 2012. Though she came in second, her talent left an everlasting impression resulting in Viacom Africa signing her as one of their presenters across multiple platforms such as BET Africa, BET International, and MTV Base. This move garnered her fame, not just in her country, but also across the African continent - later extending her reach to the U.S. with Viacom CBS’ high-profile awards shows such as MTV’s Africa Music Awards (aka MAMAs), MTV’s European Awards, the BET Awards, and BET’s Black Girls Rock! It was through these opportunities that Nomzamo explored her taste for acting, which landed her a series regular role on “Isibaya,” one of Africa’s first Telenovela’s. With the series, her acting resume extended to film where she has had roles in Tell Me Sweet Something, The Jakes Are Missing, All About Love and Hotel Hillbrow.

In 2017, Nomzamo was announced as a High-Level Influencer for the United Nations Refugee Agency. Her role was to advocate for the plight of the African refugee, which gave her the opportunity to travel across the African continent visiting refugee camps and engaging with local governments. Her good work was soon brought to the attention of the Refugee Agency’s High Commissioner, and in 2019, she was appointed as a UN Global Goodwill Ambassador, with a special focus on refugees. She traveled the world, on UN missions, lobbying for nations to provide shelter and asylum to African refugees and raising funds on behalf of refugees. In 2020, Nomzamo was invited by the UN President to address one of the high-level meetings at the 75th UN General Assembly in a new role as UN Eminent High-Level Champion of Gender Equality. As an honor for her work, Ludwig’s Roses named her as one of three South Africans to have their own rose alongside Nobel Laureates, Dr. Nelson Mandela, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Nomzamo studied at the University of Cape Town, where she obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting. She currently resides in Los Angeles and South Africa.

Judy Dlamini, M.B.Ch.B.

Founder & Executive Chairman

Mbekani Group

Judy is a medical doctor and a Doctor of Business Leadership, an entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. After practicing as a medical family practitioner for many years, she specialised in Occupational Health and consulted for different companies. Her MBA from Wits University enabled her to change careers. Her doctoral thesis investigated the impact of the intersection of race, gender and social class in women leaders’ career progression and strategies for gender transformation, using grounded theory and life stories. She converted her thesis to a book, titled ‘Equal but Different’ which became a bestseller. Judy is Founder and Executive Chairman for Mbekani Group that has been in business for 27 years. She is a non-executive director of SA SME Fund, an initiative between government and the private sector to create jobs and grow an inclusive economy, she chairs the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre and is the Chancellor of Wits University.

She is the former Chairman of Aspen Pharmacare Limited (Aspen) and the GBVF Response Fund 1. She’s the Founder of Sifiso Publishers and Female Academic Leaders Fellowship NPC, co-founder of Future Nation Schools, Sifiso Learning Group and, Mkhiwa Trust.

She is the recipient of the African Economy Builder Lifetime Achiever Award for 2016 amongst several other awards, the most recent being the UNISA Leadership In Practice Award 2018, 2019 BBQ Platinum award, 2019 Gender Mainstreaming Role Model –Beacon of Africa award and the 2019 EY World Entrepreneur, Lifetime Achiever award recipient and the Charlotte Mannya Maxeke Chairman’s award for Women of Firsts in 2021 . She received honorary Doctorates in Business from the Nelson Mandela University in 2018 and University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in Economics in 2019. She’s Chancellor of Wits University, a wife, mother and grandmother.

His Honour Slumber Tsogwane

Vice President

The Republic of Botswana

Mr. Slumber Tsogwane is the Vice President of the Republic of Botswana and Member of Parliament for Boteti West constituency since 1999. He is the chairperson of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Leader of the House for Parliament and Ntlo Ya Dikgosi. His Honour the Vice President is a University of Botswana alumnus. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities (1985) and is reading for a Master’s Degree in Development Studies through University of Botswana.

The Vice President is the chairperson of various committees such as Rural Development Council, responsible for empowering and uplifting the livelihoods of rural area communities as well as National AIDS and Health Promotion (NAHP). The Council monitors and coordinates the implementation of the National AIDS Policy and programmes, advice Government on policy and strategic adjustments that need to be made in health sector. He also chairs the National Planning Commission, the mandate of the NPC is therefore, to provide leadership in the coordination of reforms, national development planning, national strategy development, implementation coordination and performance monitoring and evaluation, under the Office of the President.

Prior to his appointment as Vice President, His Honor served in several Cabinet Portfolios. He was once the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the position he held from November 2014 until March 31, 2018. He also served as Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning from 2004 to 2009.

His Honour, the Vice President has a distinguished career in public service, having served as a teacher and Secondary School Deputy Head in the 90’s. He also served as Chairperson of various Parliamentary Committees such as HIV/AIDS and Health as well as Labour between the year 2000 and 2002.

His Honour has participated in several Election Observer Missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mauritius, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

A passionate farmer, His Honour the Vice President equally enjoys football, jogging, gym, and game viewing.

Ben Amadasun

VP of Content for Middle East and Africa

Netflix

Ben is the Director of Content for Middle East and Africa at Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service. In Ben’s role, he nurtures key partnerships and drives the content strategy across Africa and the Middle East to support Netflix’s membership growth and streaming rates on the continent. Ben leads his team of content executives to develop and source local programming that is relevant and for the region and acquiring global rights to shows and movies from across the African continent.

Ben is an accomplished media business leader with valuable experience in Africa, having filled various strategic roles on the continent, ranging from developing compelling business cases and driving growth of subscription-model television and free-to-air services. He has more than 20 years’ experience in business strategy and consulting, as well as a professional background in investment banking.

Prior to joining Netflix, Ben was the senior vice president and CEO of Econet’s Kwese Free TV, working across the borders of various Sub-Saharan African countries. He enjoyed a successful stint at Modern Times Group’s TV1 in Tanzania, where he served as CEO and Head of Scripted Development.

Lesego Chombo

Attorney, Entrepreneur & Reigning Miss World Africa

Lesego Chombo is the reigning Miss World Africa after placing in the Top 4 at the prestigious Miss World competition on the 9th of March 2024. She had previously reigned gracefully as Miss Botswana 2022.

Over and above being a beauty queen, she is a practicing Attorney at Law under the employment of Kebabonye Business Law, an entrepreneur, speaker, model, musician, creative, and philanthropist. She is the founder of the Lesego Chombo Foundation which houses her charity initiative, the Genesis Project. With her history in pageantry, the creative industry and the law, she is committed to being a driving force of mindset change, proving that young people can pursue their passions and use them for the betterment of their communities as well as for their very own economic advancement.

Ama Qamata

Actress

From the Eastern Cape, South Africa, Ama Qamata rose to popularity as the leading actress in Netflix's second African original series, 'Blood & Water.' Ama portrays the character of Puleng Khumalo in the show, which achieved the status of being the number 1 show on Netflix in the US and the UK. Ama also starred in the popular South African television series, 'Gomora,' in which she portrayed the role of Buhle Ndaba, a privileged teenager forced to move from the suburbs to a township due to her father's debts.

Ama played the role of a young Congolese woman who joins a prestigious all-women boxing club in the border city of Goma in the film 'FightLikeAGirl,' which is highly anticipated and scheduled for release in 2023.

Ama has been featured in GQ South Africa and has been profiled in international publications, such as The New York Times, NYPost, and Teen Vogue. She has been recognized as a style icon and received the Next Big Thing Award from The South Africa Style Awards. Ama has collaborated with renowned brands like Ponds, Nespresso, and Mr. Price. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Adidas and is associated with the 'I'm Possible' initiative, becoming a part of the 'Impossible Is Nothing' campaign in 2022. This campaign is dedicated to supporting women in sports.

Ama is deeply committed to giving back to her community in South Africa and has assumed the role of a philanthropist by covering the tuition fees for 20 students to attend high school. She has a multitude of aspirations focused on making a positive impact on society and contributing to various charitable causes.

Christine Namara

Partner

Flat6labs Africa Seed Fund

Christine Namara has accumulated over 12 years of experience in the African tech ecosystem. Her roles as an operator, accelerator participant, and investor have enabled her to engage across 14 African markets.

Previously, Namara held positions at two prominent high-growth startups in East Africa, where she gained expertise in B2B sales, people management, and technical product management.

Most recently, Namara served as the Head of Ventures at a renowned early-stage startup accelerator in Africa. In this capacity, she led a team and spearheaded the redesign of the accelerator, overseeing the progress of 25 startups within a two-year timeframe.
Today, Namara is a Partner at Flat6Labs's Africa Seed Fund, an $85 million fund focused on North East and West Africa. Flat6labs is dedicated to accelerating Africa's technological advancement through innovative programs and capital injections into early to seed-stage startups. With a track record spanning 13 years and operations in seven different countries, Flat6labs is now expanding its reach across the continent through the Africa Seed Fund.

Namara is committed to being a critical component in catalyzing the necessary changes to propel the continent toward its full potential, one startup at a time.

DBN Gogo

DJ & Music Producer

Tevin Musara

Actor, Content Creator & Entrepreneur

Tevin Musara is a multi-award actor, playwright, business owner and content creator with 20 million followers across all platforms. The masses know him as Superherointraining who currently holds the position as the most viewed content creator in Africa.

In addition to this Superherointraining held a top 10 position for the most viewed content creator in the world for 2 months running in 2023. With this early success superherointrainig has had the privilege to live out one of his life.me dreams; becoming the first African to drive in a Red Bull Formula 1 car at the Spielberg Red Bull Ring in Austria. There’s so much more Superherointraining is looking to achieve, stay tuned, the sky is the limit.

Master KG

Musician & Record Producer

Khaogelo Moagi (born 31 january 1996) known professionally as Master KG Aka Wanitwa Mos, is a South African musician and record producer. Born and raised in Tzaneen, his debut studio album Skeleton Move achieved acclaim including an Afrima Award for Best Artist/Group in the African Electro category. He is also known as the pioneer of "Bolobedu" dance.

He set on top of the world with the success of his global anthem, Jerusalema featuring Nomcebo, that took the world by storm in 2020 at the Height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also got to record Jerusalema remix with Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, that set off international explosion of the track and the dance craze.

On the morning of August 12, 2021, South African music producer Master KG announced on Twitter that he’d founded a new record label named Wanitwa Mos Entertainment. He added that he has big dreams and encouraged his fans to follow him for more information. He signed 10 artists and made a big shift since 2021, releasing hits featuring Nkosazana Daughter and Lowsheen. Wanitwa Mos entertainment is the fastest growing record label in SA.

With a cool head, appreciating the simple things in life and making hits non-stop, Master KG is well on the way to becoming an international treasure.

Boniswa Sidwaba

Head of Content Programming for Sub-Saharan Africa

TikTok

Boniswa is the Head of Content Programming at TikTok in Sub-Saharan Africa. Under her leadership, Boniswa is building a world-class team and collaborating with internal partners to develop creative ideas and execute featured programming.

Prior to TikTok, Boniswa held a position as a Senior Campaign Manager at Digify Africa, where she had the opportunity to work with institutions such as Hivos, Praekelt Foundation and more.

During her time at Digify Africa, Boniswa had the opportunity to lead a campaign called Project Demo, to submit a petition called #Free2Bleed to Parliament of South Africa to make sanitary pads free and accessible for women and girls across South Africa.
Boniswa aka JustSyd is also a DJ and runs her own music label called Most Girls Smell Good. After 5 years in corporate she decided to take a 1 year sabbatical, during this time she connected musicians and producers from South Africa, New York, Seoul and more to the underground nightlife scene in China during her time in Beijing and South Korea. Boniswa has djayed in some of South Korea and China's most recognized clubs namely, Cakeshop Seoul, Dada Beijing, Dada Shanghai, ALL Club, Zhaoidai, Axis and more.

Boniswa graduated with BA Honours from the University of Cape Town. She also graduated with a BA honours in Theatre and Performance with a Major in Theatre Making and Play Directing. Boniswa wrote a thesis titled "Black theatre in South Africa".

Boniswa loves music and makes her own music in her spare time. The one thing she loves about TikTok is the authenticity that is seen on the platform. Boniswa says, "I think that's the secret. If we're open to freedom of expression and authenticity, we'll have content for days".

Bola Adegbulu

Principal Investor

AI Fund

Bola is an exited AI entrepreneur and Principal Investor at AI Fund, a Silicon Valley-based VC firm founded by Andrew Ng. Andrew Ng is a global renowned leader in AI and is on the Time100 list of the most influential people in AI. Bola’s journey began as an aerospace engineer at General Electric before venturing into entrepreneurship in 2016, where he co-founded and successfully exited Predina, an AI startup that pioneered a novel approach to predicting and preventing car accidents. As an Entrepreneur In Residence at Cisco, He then advised and incubated AI ventures at Cisco with $100 million revenue potential.

Bontle M

Evolving Artist & Dance Entrepreneur

Bontle Moloi, previously Modiselle, is a leader of dance and dance culture in Africa through multiple disciplines including choreographer, dancer and performance director. It is in dance that Bontle has found her true identity. It is through the the art of dance, whether as a performer, choreographer or director that Bontle found her feet in the entertainment industry, and more importantly where she found her purpose and passion on a personal and professional level.

Bontle established herself early on as one of the continent's most prominent performers, winning “Best Female Dancer” in 2007 and Runner-up in “Best Small Group” Category in 2009 at “Masters of Rhythm," which at the time was the biggest dance competition in South Africa. Most recently, her love for dance and her ability to execute and direct at the highest level landed her a position as the lead choreographer for Netflix Original production “Hiva!” making it a first for an African woman.

Due to her vast skill set and her natural ability to execute a range of artistic and entertainment based disciplines effortlessly, Bontle has found her career taking multiple shapes over the last 16 years while operating and delivering at the highest level. In 2015, Bontle was cast as the lead female character in Africa’s first dance feature film -“Hear Me Move." Her Performance in this film landed her a nomination for “Best Actress” at the African Movie Academy Awards [AMAA], which is what propelled Bontle’s career into the mainstream entertainment industry.

Lindeka Dzedze

Global Markets Executive Head, Strategic Partnerships

Standard Bank

Lindeka (‘Leeds’) Dzedze is the Executive Head of Strategic Partnerships in Global Markets at the Standard Bank Group. Lindeka’s role focuses on working with international and African investors to deploy capital into impactful opportunities across the continent by creating optimally structured financial solutions. She works very closely with US institutional investors and US government agencies through the bank’s partnership with MiDA Advisors, an implementation partner for Investments and trade for USAID, to source sustainable capital at reduced cost for longer dated tenors. These typically involved blended finance solutions and guarantees to de risk the market.

Leeds is a strong gender parity advocate and is passionate about the development of the African continent. She is the Executive Chair of the African Women Impact Fund (AWIF) Executive Committee. The AWIF is a Pan-African gender-lens initiative that Standard Bank has established under the leadership and support of the UN Economic Commission of Africa (ECA), together with its partners: UN Women, the Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security of the African Union Commission (AUC), led by H.E. Mme Bineta Diop (copied), and the African Women Leadership Network (AWLN). AWIF aims to strengthen economic empowerment and financial inclusion of women in Africa by accelerating the growth and development of women fund managers on the continent through sustainable and scalable solutions.

For her work on the AWIF Initiative, Lindeka has had the honour of being named as one of 100 Most Influential Africans of 2022 by African Business Magazine, and one of the 10 Influential Black Corporate Women to Watch in 2023 by CIO Magazine.

Lindeka serves on the board of SBG Securities (Pty) as non-Executive director. With over 20 years of banking experience, Leeds lives to drive positive change, fuelled by her passion for the African continent and its development. Leeds has held several senior roles at Standard Bank Global Markets including being the Head of Institutional Sales, where she led a team that won numerous industry accolades. This includes being recognised as the “Best Foreign Exchange Sales Team in 2015 and 2016”. Prior to this, she worked as a Senior Equity Sales Trader at JP Morgan Securities, Andisa Securities and Credit Suisse Standard Securities.

Tia Adeola

Founder & Designer

Tia Adeola

Tia Adeola started her self-titled clothing line in her dorm room in 2016. Rapidly gaining traction, her clothing has been worn and loved by Gigi Hadid, SZA, Dua Lipa, and more. She's solidified the brand's position in the luxury fashion space after her first official runway show at NYFW in 2020. The show become one of the breakout shows of the week, garnering press from Vogue, Elle, CNN, and many more.

In November of 2023, Tia took the runway to her country Nigeria where she showcased her Resort 23 collection. In the fall of 2020, Tia produced her first fashion film, titled "Black is Beautiful," which was nominated in five categories at the 2021 International Fashion Film Awards. Tia has recently been named one of Bloomberg's "Ones to Watch" and was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list as she continues to redefine the future of fashion.

Josh Wilson

Managing Director

Global Venture Partners

Josh Wilson is a genuine disruptor across the venture space, as the MD for Global Venture Partners with shareholders Akon, Brandon Martin, and Jason Coke. The group made its first move in 2024 by licensing Rolling Stone for the Middle East and North Africa.

Josh started his career founding Wilson Worldwide, an award winning film and TV production company, now based in Dubai and London. Josh has steered his company to winning many commissions against the larger and more established production houses that dominate UK television. He has worked with the BBC, National Geographic, Disney, Channel 4, Sky, ESPN, Ximalaya, and many others. Josh has also written for the likes of Forbes, Forbes Middle East, Broadcast, KFTV, and The Knowledge.

Chef Cola

Award-Winning Chef & Founder

African Vegan on a Budget

Nicola Kagoro, a.k.a. Chef Cola, is a pioneering Zimbabwean award-winning vegan chef at the helm of African Vegan on a Budget. Founded in 2016, African Vegan on a Budget was developed to showcase Chef Cola's cuisine and culinary development as well as to actively promote the reality that people can thrive on a healthy vegan and plant-based diet on a budget.

Chef Cola studied hospitality management in Cape Town South Africa this path and journey took her not only to veganism, but also to being on the culinary frontlines of presenting vegan food and lifestyle in Africa and advocating its great benefits- both nutritional and environmental. One of Chef Cola's primary aims through her work with African Vegan on a Budget is to spread awareness of vegan culture across Africa and give people the tools and knowledge to actively integrate plant-based eating into their lifestyles.

Chef Cola's cooking is African inspired with elements of Western cuisine as well. Having spent her childhood in New York City, her worldview and work ethic has been influenced by time there as well as Cape Town where, while working at PLANT restaurant, one of South Africa traditional restaurants, she was introduced to veganism and began to train in plant-based cooking.

She works with private clients, from corporate to individuals, who want to learn more about vegan cooking in rural and urban areas. She has also launched a line of customized African Inspired Chef Jackets made in Zimbabwe. As veganism is not just about food it is a lifestyle.

Mélanie Keïta

Cofounder & CEO

Melanin Kapital

Named by Forbes in the 2021’s 30 under 30 list, Melanie is the CEO and co-founder of Melanin Kapital, the 1st blockchain fundraising app that helps businesses, investors and financial institutions to manage and access capital in Africa. With her team, her mission is to democratize access to finance in Africa by bridging the information gap with Melanin Kapital’s transparent and trusted financial data infrastructure that streamlines access to loans, investments, grants, and carbon credits. For this innovation, the fintech was awarded by the Hewlett Packard Foundation for best climate innovation in 2022, by AfricArena for the “Most Promising Entrepreneur” Award and by the GITEX Top Africa Awards.

As a French-Senegalese impact investment professional, Melanie built her career in impact management funds in Paris, Nairobi and Frankfurt-am-Main. She has always endeavoured to leverage on her inter-cultural perspective and her financial expertise to contribute to the efforts of economic development on the African continent. She has worked in the impact investment field for the seven years in Africa and in the Middle East prior to starting Melanin Kapital in 2020, supporting due diligence processes aiming at investing in SMEs, start ups and financial institutions. Over the years working in different impact ventures such as Investisseurs et Partenaire, the United Nations and Finance in Motion, she has particularly developed a deeper knowledge in corporate finance, fundraising and impact assessment. Besides her investment activities, she teaches in business schools and universities. Currently in ESCP Europe she delivers an elective class on impact investing in emerging markets. She offers similar lectures for entrepreneurs in accelerator programs like Bridge for Billions or GIZ-SAIS program.

Mélanie holds a Master' s in Corporate Finance from ESSCA business school, MSc International Sustainability from ESCP Europe and is certified as a Microfinance expert from Frankfurt School of Finance Management.

Kennedy Ekezie

Founder

Kippa

Kennedy Ekezie is the Founder and CEO of Kippa, a payments and accounting platform serving 500,000+ small businesses in Nigeria. Kippa has raised $10M from global investors.

Before Kippa, Kennedy worked at Tiktok in Beijing, heading user acquisition for its expansion to Africa. He won a Yenching Scholarship (Chinese Rhodes Scholarship) and was the highest-ranked competitive debater in Nigeria for two years. As a teenager, he ran a social enterprise focused on expanding access to education for women in Nigeria. His work won the Queen's Young Leader Award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and was awarded the Young African Leaders Fellowship from President Barack Obama.

Kennedy is a 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 Lister.

Hope Ditlhakanyane

Investment Principal

Founders Factory Africa

Hope is passionate about using entrepreneurship as a tool towards solving Africa's toughest challenges. She's lived out this passion through her work with the largest Pan-African incubator supporting tech startups across the continent to scale, as well as founding an organisation which develops and invests in African women entrepreneurs. Hope's work has earned her public recognition from Mail & Guardian as a Top 200 South African as well as Yahoo Finance as a Top 100 Woman of the Future. She currently leads investments at Founders Factory Africa, a leading VC firm on the continent.

Beatriz Franck

Founder & CEO, BEFRAN Lda Group and Stylist

BEATRIZFRANCK

Beatriz comes from a poor family. She started working when she was 5 years old, selling small cakes at the market--cakes her mother was making at home, to buy food and clothes for her family.

She lost her father when she was 14 years old, and her mother stopped making cakes because the money was not enough, and started to work as a housekeeper. Beatriz went to work with her mother when she was 13 years old, helping her mother in the morning and going to school in the afternoon.

Money was still not enough. After work, her mother continued to make cakes, food, and sold beer at home, and Beatriz helped her with the sales market.

After she created her own business with money her mother gave to her, she started to make sandwiches and juice, and sold them at the market. She saved all her money from when she was 14 years old until 18 years old when she did her first trip to Brasil to buy clothes and made sales in her city, to neighbors and classmates at school.

While working and studying, she started to construct her first store in the backyard where she lived.

In 2003, she opened her store square meter, buying clothes from Brazilian sellers in her city.

In 2006, she made her first trip to the USA, buying clothes in Miami and Los Angeles.

In 2009, she made the first department store in Angola with 1000 square meters, with kids stores, men, women, bags, shoes, perfume, home staff and furniture, was buying furniture in the Turquia market.

In 2012, she moved to Luanda the Capital, opened another store and opened a Fashion Magazine named SUPERFASHIONN, which was for 9 years the best fashion magazine in Angola, and made covers in all fashion week Paris, London, Milan and South Africa.

In 2015 she started to work to create her own brand BEATRIZFRANCK, which she launched in December 2018.

In 2021 she opened the first fashion academy in Luanda- Angola.

Today, her brand has almost seven products: women's clothes, men's, kid's, shoes, bags, belts, sunglasses, scarves and sportswear, and is the biggest and known Angolan brand.

Her dream is to become a legend of fashion in Africa.

Kelvin Mensah

Co-Founder & CEO, Approved Jets and Cofounder

Approved Experiences

With a passion for exploration and an entrepreneurial spirit, Kelvin "PJ Kev" Mensah has swiftly risen to become one of the youngest and most prominent private jet brokers globally. Catering to high-net-worth individuals spanning media, entertainment, sports, and corporate sectors, Kelvin has earned recognition as a burgeoning star in the travel industry. Operating across North America, the United Kingdom, and West Africa, Kelvin orchestrated over 500 private jet charters in 2022 alone, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to his ascent in the field.

Kelvin's journey into the aviation industry began prior to college as he sought to forge a path distinct from his peers. Admitting to initial uncertainty, Kelvin's determination to transcend mediocrity fueled his pursuit of excellence. Through persistence and networking, he secured his first role with a brokerage firm in Los Angeles within a year of relocation. Five years later, Kelvin stands as a respected private jet broker and tech executive, with aspirations to extend his reach to Accra, Ghana, his parents' hometown.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Kelvin is dedicated to philanthropy, intending to establish a mentorship foundation nurturing academic excellence among children. By imparting opportunities for others to follow suit, he envisions a legacy of empowerment spanning generations. Kelvin's passion for showcasing the world's wonders, particularly in Africa, underscores his commitment to bridging cultural divides and fostering appreciation for the continent's beauty.

In tandem with his philanthropic pursuits, Kelvin has cultivated a diverse portfolio of ventures under his renowned "PJ Kev Approved" brand, in collaboration with his longtime partner and business manager, Aaron Wilson. Their flagship venture, Approved Jets, soared to multi-million dollar revenues within its inaugural year, while Kelvin's foray into e-learning tools and the release of the book "How To Get Funding For Your Startup" garnered widespread acclaim, endorsed by industry luminaries such as Meek Mill and Michael Rubin.

Kelvin's network includes influential figures eager to join him in amplifying Africa's rich resources and tourist attractions. Discussions with personalities like Meek Mill and Akon hint at exciting ventures on the horizon, as Kelvin aims to elevate West Africa's luxury market to unprecedented heights. Stay tuned for the unveiling of Kelvin's ambitious initiatives, poised to redefine perceptions and elevate Africa's global prominence.

Jonathan Shaw

Founder & CEO

Nuru

Jonathan Shaw is the founder and CEO of Nuru, a renewable energy-powered metro grid utility company in eastern DR Congo. Nuru just closed a 70+ million USD Series B fundraise to build three of the largest off-grid solar hybrid mini grids in Africa. This is the largest venture raise in Congo's history. Nuru is also the first Congolese-founded startup to receive a Series A round of investment, the first to bring a commercial solar hybrid mini-grid online in Congo, and in February 2020, commissioned the largest off grid solar hybrid mini-grid in Africa in the city of Goma. Jon holds a PhD from the University of Michigan. Nuru’s vision is to provide 10 million delighted Congolese people with world-class power by December 2030.

Mpho Sebina

Artist, Melodist and Songwriter

Mpho Sebina is a Botswana-born and bred melodist and songwriter who has spread her wings across the African music scene over the past years. Her sound is Neo Soul and AfroIndie. She performs for small acoustic audiences to large festival stages.

Mpho Sebina is a global music force with a voice that dances over melodic beats and production. She debuted her first project in 2017, a six track EP titled “Neo'' featuring the hit song ‘No Evil’ which encompasses all of the musical elements that make and influence her from Setswana Folk to RnB to Hip Hop.

She has been engaged to converse at different conferences and stakeholder platforms that exhibit, network, share expertise and knowledge. Mpho has achieved popular success throughout the years and won awards both locally and internationally.

Vincent Maposa

Founder & CEO

Wetility

Vincent, Founder and CEO of Wetility, is dedicated to advancing climate technology in Africa. With a background in mathematics and statistics, and corporate strategy experience, he plays a pivotal role in shaping electricity market dynamics, collaborating closely with regulators, power utilities, ministries, and manufacturers.

Having gained experience at Cummins Inc, Deloitte, and Frost & Sullivan, Vincent brings a wealth of expertise, particularly in strategy development and implementation.

His insights, featured on media outlets like CNBC-Africa, SABC, and Newsroom Afrika, reflect his deep understanding of energy sector trends. Vincent's passion lies in using innovation through Wetility to address Africa's climate challenges, while also contributing as a public speaker and commentator.

Saul Kornik

Founder & CEO

Kena Health

Saul Kornik is co-founder and CEO of Healthforce. Healthforce is an EHR with on-demand video telemedicine, used by nurses and patients in clinics to consult with Healthforce doctors. Over 4m nurse consultations and over 250k telemedicine consultations have been delivered through 500 clinic rooms in South Africa. The service has a 75 NPS and has lowered the cost of care by 45%.

Saul is also founder and CEO of Kena Health. Kena is a smartphone app through which patients can talk to a team of nurses, doctors and mental health professionals via text, voice or video call. Launched in March 2022, the app has been downloaded over 400k times and over 45k low-cost consultations have been delivered. The app is rated 4.8/5 on the app store.

Saul has a postgraduate degree in machine learning and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He has been awarded the Archbishop Tutu African Leadership Fellowship (2008), Yale World Fellowship (2013) and Rainer Arnhold Mulago Fellowship (2016).

Aaron Wilson

Cofounder, Approved Jets and Cofounder & CEO

Approved Experiences

Aaron Wilson is a serial entrepreneur who has leveraged his hard skills and sharp business acumen to blaze a trail in an array of industries. He received his bachelor’s degree in business from the Binghamton University School of Management (known as one of the top business programs in New York State) and spent the first few years of his post-undergrad career in finance at JP Morgan Chase & Co.

After a few years in finance, Aaron transitioned into human capital consulting & recruiting with the hopes of making a move into a more dynamic industry. During his time in the executive search, human capital & recruiting space, he grew rather quickly ascending to Director-level roles and being asked to participate in Chris LaVoie’s London-based “Art of Recruiting” documentary, where he was featured as one of the Top 20 recruiting & sales professionals in the world. Throughout the duration of his career, Wilson has produced tens of millions in revenue for his business ventures.

With one foot in recruiting and the other in the hyper-growth startup & venture capital space, in 2019, Wilson and Co-Founder, Kelvin “PJKev” Mensah, brought Approved Jets to the world. Approved Jets quickly became one of the most well-known black-owned private aviation brokerage companies in the industry, servicing high-net-worth-individuals, athletes from the NBA & NFL, attorneys, major record labels, musicians, doctors, etc. While starting in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult task, the duo was able to grow the business to multi-million dollar revenue during their first year and have increased their revenue by 30%+ every year since inception. Today, the company still remains wholly-owned by Wilson & Mensah.

Uwem Uwemakpan

Head of Investments

Launch Africa VC

Uwem Uwemakpan is a seasoned ecosystem builder and investor, currently serving as the Head of Investments at Launch Africa VC Fund II. With an unwavering commitment to supporting early-stage startups, Uwem is at the forefront of driving entrepreneurship in Africa’s dynamic business landscape.

Previously, Uwem played a pivotal role in the success of Ingressive Capital, where he led operations and investments. During his tenure, he oversaw the growth and impact of a $10m Fund I and $50m Fund II venture capital fund that has been instrumental in empowering the next generation of African innovators.

Before his time at Ingressive Capital, Uwem served as the Entrepreneurship Programme Manager and founding team member of The Tony Elumelu Foundation. In this role, he spearheaded the largest Pan-African Entrepreneurship Programme, a $100 million initiative that exceeded its 10-year goal of training, mentoring, and funding 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa in just five years. Uwem’s leadership and dedication to driving entrepreneurship have cemented his reputation as a dynamic and influential figure in the African startup community.

Today, as the Head of Investments at Launch Africa VC, Uwem continues to leverage his expertise and industry connections to build robust entrepreneurship ecosystems. He actively collaborates with renowned organizations such as Google, IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator, She Leads Africa, Startup Grind, and Techstars, amongst others to support and uplift African startups.

Uwem is passionate about the role of entrepreneurship in driving Africa’s economic development. In addition to investing, he mentors entrepreneurs and shares insights as the host of The Grinders Table podcast featuring innovative startups and thought leaders in Africa. With his experience across leading entrepreneur support organizations, Uwem has established himself as an authority on early-stage investing and entrepreneurship development in Africa.

Rose Delilah Gesicho

Data Scientist & Community Manager

Zindi

Rose Delilah Gesicho, a dynamic figure in the realm of data science and community engagement, serves as both a Data Scientist and Community Manager at Zindi, Africa's largest data science network. With a robust background in Information Technology and Data Science and Analytics, Rose's journey has been marked by her unwavering dedication to empowering individuals and communities across Africa in the realm of emerging technologies.

Her impactful career spans various roles, including serving as a data science technical trainer at Moringa School in Nairobi, Kenya, where she honed her skills in guiding aspiring data professionals. At Zindi, Rose spearheads a team of over 200 ambassadors spanning 30+ countries, leading vibrant communities building AI solutions.

Through her leadership, Zindi has emerged as a pivotal force in establishing a thriving AI ecosystem across the continent, with Rose actively moderating and speaking at conferences to advocate for the adoption of data science for driving innovation and growth within organizations. Notably, she has spearheaded collaborations with corporate giants like Microsoft and has been instrumental in spreading Responsible AI practices across key African markets such as Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria.

Beyond her role at Zindi, Rose extends her impact as a Learning Program Manager at Alliance4ai and a Content Creator in the AI space, where she champions the importance of AI adoption for the future of work . Her tireless efforts are focused on equipping Africa's youth with the requisite knowledge and skills to forge successful careers in the dynamic field of data science.

Rose's unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and empowerment within Africa's tech ecosystem positions her as a trailblazer and visionary leader in the global landscape of data science and emerging technologies.

Mboko Basiami

Founder & Creative Director

Glotto

Mboko Basiami is the vibrant founder and creative director of Glotto, a sustainable clothing brand celebrated for its Afrocentric unisex garments made entirely in Botswana. Founded in 2015 and officially established in 2017, what started in a University dorm room has now garnered international acclaim, with features in prestigious publications such as ELLE Magazine, HYPEBEAST, AFROPUNK, The Business Weekly, The Responsible Citizen, True Africa and many more publications, as well as earning recognition from Forbes and the Allan Gray Foundation.

Under Mboko’s direction Glotto has achieved numerous milestones, including being the first Botswana brand to showcase at New York Fashion Week, and named the fourth most admired brand in Botswana in 2023 through its built community fondly known as “The Glotto Gid Family”. Glotto has represented her nation’s offering in fashion and design at the US-Africa Business Summit, the BET and MTV Base Africa Day Celebration and the Pan African Kusi Ideas Festival.

Mboko's extensive accolades also include being appointed as a national leader by UNESCO and the Ministry of Youth , Sports and Culture in the drafting and curation of “Reshaping Policies for Creativity and Artistic Freedom” project, within the framework of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, a Convention that holds the promise of fostering creativity and contributing to sustainable development. Mboko was also profiled for Black History Month by the US Embassy, selected as one the 150 chosen to take part in the AWE development program in partnership with the US Embassy and AGOA act and won a coveted mentorship under the African retail giant Mr Price.

Mboko is dedicated to making a positive impact on the industry and her community, infusing heritage and culture into sustainable slow fashion, and impactful youth entrepreneurship.

Chris Maurice

Cofounder & CEO

Yellow Card

Chris Maurice, Yellow Card’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, is a 27-year-old American tech entrepreneur who has spent five years living and working in Africa, making significant contributions to the continent’s financial services industry.

In 2016, Chris started Yellow Card from his dorm room in Auburn, Alabama, before moving the company to Lagos, Nigeria, and launching the mobile app in 2019. Today, Yellow Card is the largest crypto company on the African continent, as well as the first and only licensed pan-African exchange.

With Chris at the helm as CEO, Yellow Card has facilitated over $2B USD in transactions, grown to over 200 employees across 25 countries, and launched full on-and-off ramps for local fiat currencies in 20 African markets.

Chris has led the company through three successful funding rounds, securing over $50 million—the most ever raised by a crypto company on the African continent—from investors including Polychain Capital, Valar Ventures, Third Prime Ventures, Block’s Cash App, Coinbase, and more.

Chris has delivered keynote addresses at conferences attended by heads of state and advised ministers and financial regulators across the continent on crypto adoption in Africa. He has been interviewed and featured by prominent international and pan-African media platforms such as CNBC, the BBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, and Business Insider.

Chris graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Finance. While in school, Chris spent his summers volunteering at Camp Smile for differently-gifted children and adults. He has a black belt in TaeKwonDo, is an Eagle Scout, and was a finalist for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships in 2019. Chris was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List (2023) in the "Finance" and "Big Money Startups" categories.

Blessing Abeng

Branding Expert

Blessing Abeng is a leading woman in branding and communications in Africa helping brands discover their unique identity so they can tell better stories. As the Co-founder and Director of Communications at Ingressive for Good, she drove the mission of the edtech non profit to create and increase the earning power of African youth through tech training and resources for the growth of the African startup ecosystems. She led the growth of Ingressive For Good from 0 to over 250,000 community members, training over 100,000, placing thousands in jobs, and exclusively leading multiple cohorts of women-focused tech training, attracting partners and supporters like Coursera, DataCamp, Facebook, Figma, Alphabet, and a host of others. She has worked with brands across industries in unique capacities, nationally and globally, including Seedstars, Heritage Bank, African Alliance, Dark and Lovely (Nigeria and Africa), Bolt, GSK, QuickCheck and many others. Prior to her impactful work with Ingressive for Good, Blessing co-founded Disha, a digital tech startup that caught the attention of an African Unicorn, Flutterwave, leading to a successful acquisition. Her expertise and ingenuity as the former CMO of Disha contributed significantly to its growth and success, leaving a lasting impact on the tech landscape in Africa. She has won several awards including a recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, UN 100 Most Influential People of African Descent Under 40, YNaija as one of the 100 most powerful youths in Nigeria, PR Power List top 50, UK Africa Achievers Awards, amongst others.

Han-C

Vocalist & Songwriter

Born Hanceford Phemo Magapatona, on the 18th December 1994 in Mahalapye.

A multi-talented vocalist and songwriter with numerous awards under his name. He has performed and collaborated with a number of international artists mostly from neighbouring South Africa. HanC has also performed at different high profile corporate events such as those for Heads of States and other Dignitaries.

His music has gained him large followership from his fans with some of his songs reaching 1.5m viewers on YouTube. HanC is seen as a role model to a lot of youth that are aspiring to follow in his footsteps as musicians.

Ezra Neethings

Musician

Esere Diloro was born on the 30th August 1998 and raised in Selebi Phikwe, Botswana.

He first debuted in the music industry in 2019 after being discovered by Major 1 Records in South Africa where he recorded his official debut single DESTINY which topped Charts in both South Africa and Botswana. Some of his music has gotten him international recognition throughout Africa, Europe and the USA. He has been featured in international publications such as NBC and CBS in the United States of America.

Ezra has also performed at international stages alongside other regional giants in the music industry.

ATI

Artist & Producer

ATI was born Atlasaone Molemogi in Serowe on the 28th September 1989.

He has been celebrated and highly appreciated as one of the few young Batswana local hip hop artists. ATI is known for his trademark symbol, a black tear drop and is also locally branded as “Batho Bame” that is a title to the mix tape which introduced him to Batswana as a recording artist and became an instant hit.

ATI is a master of his technique and has the ability to connect with his fans in unique ways. He is one of the country’s most gifted singer-songwriters, blessed with a creativity and energy few can match when it comes to live shows. He has performed at different stages both locally and internationally and has won many music awards and topped charts.

Remy The DJ

DJ, MC & Content Creator

Remy The DJ is a Botswana-born and bred DJ/Entertainer who has performed on various local & international stages in Botswana, South Africa & Sweden. He is currently one of the resident DJs for the internationally known DJ Collective, Nuh Linga Sweden, and continues to explore different music genres from around the world through his open format DJ sets in Botswana.

Starting his DJ journey in Stockholm as a member of Nuh Linga Sweden, Remy aimed to introduce and celebrate different cultures by curating sets that showcase the unifying power of music regardless of genre. He not only introduced Afro House & Amapiano to the Stockholm scene alongside international DJ duo Jozi Nights, Remy also joined Nuh Linga Sunday Dreams, which currently attracts thousands locally, internationally and the African diaspora due to the various genres being played, inclusivity, and various local and international live acts.

Remy The DJ has opened stages for Davido (NG), Mr. Eazi (NG), Spice (JA), Ace Hood (USA), Konshens (JA), B Young (UK), Mr. P (P Square) (NG), NSG (UK), Afro B (UK), Young MA (USA), Juls (GH), Seani B (BBC1 XTRA UK), Kranium (JA), Horace Brown (USA), Serani (JA), WSTRN (UK), FS Green (NL) & more. He has also performed at festivals such as Malmö Festival (SWE) & Way Out West Festival (SWE), performed at Everyday People New York in Johannesburg, led by DJ Moma (USA) which featured American rapper, Bas (Dreamville) hosted by Koolout/KoolinInTheCity (SA) and Naked Soul in Botswana which featured Mpho Sebina (BW), Msaki (SA), Abidoza (SA), Dato Seiko (BW), Jordan Moozy (BW) & Zuziwe Mavuma (BW).

His open format song selections explore the sounds of Afrobeats, Afropop, Amapiano, Afropiano, House, Dancehall, Reggae, Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Urabn Latin & more, taking you on a musical journey that creates the perfect atmosphere for local & international crowds. Today, he aims to connect international creatives and creatives from Botswana through events and build programmes that would help create a network of opportunities locally and internationally, in different areas of the creative industry in Botswana.

Randall Lane

Chief Content Officer & Under 30 Founder

Forbes

Randall Lane is the Chief Content Officer of Forbes Media and editor of Forbes Magazine, responsible for editorial content across all platforms. Since returning to Forbes in 2011, he has helped the magazine and Forbes.com reach peak levels of readership. He created The Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy and the Under 30 Summit, the world’s greatest convening of young leaders and entrepreneurs.

Prior to joining Forbes, Lane cofounded two media companies, launching over a dozen editorial brands, including P.O.V. (Adweek’s “Startup of the Year”), Trader Monthly and Dealmaker. Lane began his career at Forbes in 1991, and served as reporter, staff writer and Washington bureau chief.

Lane sits on the board of directors of Global Citizen, as well as three boards affiliated with his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.

Mayowa Kuyoro

Partner and Head of Fintech and Payments for East Europe, Middle East, and Africa

McKinsey & Company

Mayowa is passionate about the role that access to finance can play in Africa’s growth and development. She leads McKinsey’s fintech and payments work across East Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMA) and works closely with government leaders, social sector organizations, and the private sector on issues related to growth and large-scale transformations. She has also led projects focused on business building and organization design, as well as strategies for foreign direct investors to accelerate growth and development in Africa.

Mayowa leads research in Africa for McKinsey’s Global Institute focused on economic development and gender parity, and is the author of several reports on these topics, including the critically acclaimed Reimagining economic growth in Africa: Turning diversity into opportunity.

She has an MEng (First Class Hons) in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Warwick and a Masters in Business Administration with Distinction from Harvard Business School.

Chanel Retief

Multimedia Journalist & Under 30 Curator

Forbes Africa

A multimedia journalist at Forbes Africa, Chanel Retief is passionate about the digital space, integrating innovative digital storytelling techniques into all aspects of her work. She is also the curator of Forbes Africa’s annual 30 Under 30 list, showcasing her commitment to recognizing and celebrating the continent’s brightest young people.

Yandile Nuku

Startup Support, Regional Programme Manager

Co-Creation Hub

Yandile is a skilled corporate moderator and facilitator of high-level trade, business, and investment forums. She has facilitated several key events, including the 2023 HB Botswana launch, the 2023 FNBB Budget Review, the 2022 Global Expo Botswana (featuring a Fireside Chat with Botswana's Minister of Finance and Afrexim Bank Chairman), the 2022 UN Day panel discussion (with Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs and UN Resident Coordinator ), the 2022 Debeers Group Natural Diamond Summit, the 2022 Forbes Under 30 Summit in Africa focusing on Botswana’s business ecosystem, the 2022 Mozambique-Botswana Business Forum, the 2022 Dubai 2020 Expo Botswana Agri-Business Seminar in Abu Dhabi-UAE, the Presidential Roundtable of the Botswana and South Africa Heads of State, and the 2022 LEA Entrepreneurship and SMME Development Symposium.

Thabo Thamane

Chief Executive Officer

Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA)

Thabo Thamane is the Chief Executive Officer of Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) a Development Finance Institution in Botswana. CEDA offers funding for the development of competitive and sustainable citizen owned businesses and joint ventures operating within and expanding outside the country. In addition to funding, CEDA provides mentoring, monitoring, training and other business advisory services to its funded entities. Since inception in 2002 CEDA has funded over 23,600 businesses at BWP7.4 billion across the agribusiness, services, manufacturing, and property sectors.

Thamane holds an MBA specialising in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from York St. John University. He is also an alumnus of the University of Botswana, London Business School and Wits Business School. Thamane is the Chairperson of the African Association of Development Financial Institutions (AADFI) and Chairman of the World Federation of Development Financial Institutions (WFDFI) since January 2020.

Dewald Rademeyer

Senior Producer

CNBC Africa

Dewald Rademeyer has built his career over 15 years in a variety of roles. Starting as a junior editor at a marketing firm, he moved on to edit lifestyle shows, motor review shows, business and corporate feature shows. He joined CNBC Africa in 2018 as a senior producer and has reported on major events across Africa such as the Mining Indaba, Africa CEO Forum, Africa Travel Indaba, AGRF and more. He currently produces feature content, panel discussions and highlight specials and hosts interviews/discussions for CNBC Africa.

Reagile Kopi

Founder, Creative Consultant & Trainer

RK Global

Reagile Kopi began her media career at the tender age of 10 years old hosting the kids television program, Mantlwaneng on Botswana Television(BTV). At the age of 20 years old she pioneered an online talk show using her cellphone to shoot and edit. The Rea Online Talk Show grew to 10 000 views and through collaboration, it was commissioned to air on the local youth television channel, NowTV. She has since evolved into a sought after international speaker & moderator. Her footprint ranges from Dubai Expo 2020 in Dubai & Abudhabi as well as the Netherlands, Congo & Uganda where she has lended her voice to various corporate videos, recording from her home studio.

With an educational background in Accounting, she founded a video production company & training consultancy which has equipped over 500 people with skills in confidence, corporate media, public speaking and Tv presenting. She is also an alumni of the Ungwa Africa Leadership, Mentorship & Lifeship program.

Keamogetswe Mosepele

Multimedia Journalist & TV News Reporter

CNBC Africa

Keamogetswe Mosepele is a story scout who loves telling African stories. She is a multimedia journalist, producer and television News Reporter with experience working in two of South Africa's largest newsrooms, namely Primedia Broadcasting and currently Pan African Business news channel - CNBC Africa. She holds an honours degree in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of Witwatersrand. Her interests include business journalism, current affairs, arts and culture as well as socio-political commentary.

Jillian Wolf

Award-Winning Journalist, Presenter & Producer

Jillian Wolf is the ultimate multi-hyphen. The award-winning journalist, presenter, producer, and public speaker covers global stories and special events. Her extensive international experience spans Reuters, Al Jazeera English, TODAY Show, NBC News, the United Nations, CFDA Awards, and more. She moderates renowned events around the world and serves annually as a judge for the Emmy Awards.

Katherine Love

Deputy Director, Editorial Partnerships

Forbes

Having joined Forbes as a young journalist in 2015, Katherine Love is now Deputy Director of Editorial Partnerships, working on lists, events, internships, and “World of Forbes” articles published in each issue of Forbes magazine. She has led content and partnerships for the Forbes Under 30 Summit Africa in 2022-2024. For six years, she has co-edited the Forbes 30 Under 30 North America list in the category of Education and the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in the category of Retail & Ecommerce. Before joining Forbes, she interned with Rolling Stone in New York City and with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas.