Forty under 40 Africa Award 2026

Overview

The Forty under 40 Africa Award 2026 aims to identify, honour and celebrate a cross-section of the continent's most influential and accomplished young business leaders under the age of forty. They come from a wide range of industries and are committed to business growth, professional excellence and community service. The organisers say that spotlighting these achievers builds a platform for them, gives a voice and opportunities to the next generation of industry pacesetters, and encourages young people to strive for excellence early.

Awards are given across many categories, including agriculture and agro-processing, banking and finance, education, energy, health and wellness, hospitality, law, manufacturing, media, real estate, science, technology and innovation, social enterprise, sports, telecom and software development, and many more.

Who can apply

Nominees must be citizens of any of the 55 African nations, living on the continent or in the diaspora. They must be an entrepreneur, shareholder, founder or co-founder of a company, and must still be under 40, or turn 40 in the year of the event.

Requirements

Nominations must come from someone other than the proposed recipient and cannot be anonymous. Letters of recommendation, social security details and company tax documents may be required. Repeat nominations give no advantage, and the number of nominations a person receives does not sway selection.

How to apply

Nominations are submitted online. Before starting, the nominator should have ready, as PDFs, a passport copy and a professional portrait of the nominee, company registration documents, a financial statement, and any awards, media coverage or other evidence of the nominee's work.

Key dates

The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2026.