Africa is brimming with pioneers who are reshaping industries and setting new global standards. In West Africa, there are countless individuals driving change in tech, finance, fashion, film, sustainability, luxury, and beyond. From Tokini Peterside, whose leadership has elevated ART X Lagos into a continental force, to Tunde Onakoya redefining access to education through chess, and Sarah Diouf, who is spearheading a new era of African fashion with Tongoro.
Below, we spotlight just a few of the many who are shaping the future. Arese Ugwu, Fabrice Guy Mahi, and Amma Mensah stand out not only for their individual successes, but for the structures they are building so that others can thrive. They are architects of a new African reality – one where financial literacy is a right, where fashion is not just inspired by Africa but owned by it, and where luxury is not exported, but cultivated, bottled, and consumed at home.
African excellence has always been here, waiting to be acknowledged. And now, thanks to these visionaries – together with many others – the world is finally taking notice.
Nigeria
Arese Ugwu: Money, Power, and the Art of Rewriting the Script
Arese was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People of 2024 by Top Charts Africa, and has redefined personal finance as a tool for empowerment, making financial literacy accessible to African women through storytelling.
As the author of the book and producer of the TV series The Smart Money Woman, Arese turned what could have been a traditional finance guide into a movement. More than ink on paper, The Smart Money Woman became a blueprint for financial empowerment, exposing the challenges African women face while making wealth management relatable. “Finance isn’t just about making money; it’s about keeping it, growing it, and using it to create the life you actually want,” says Arese.
Recognising the gap, she set out to bridge it – not with spreadsheets and lectures – but through storytelling. The book’s impact extended beyond print, evolving into a TV series that debuted on Netflix, amplifying her message to a global audience. But Arese didn’t stop there; she then transitioned the series to YouTube, making it freely accessible. Within three months, her channel grew from fewer than 10 000 subscribers to over 80 000, accumulating nearly 10 million views. “African stories don’t just belong on major streaming platforms, they can thrive anywhere when positioned strategically,” she explains.
Without formal training in film, Arese took it upon herself to learn scriptwriting, production management, and funding acquisition. “I never saw myself as a filmmaker, but when I looked around at the stories being told, I knew this one had to be on screen,” she reflects. The risk paid off and The Smart Money Woman TV series gained traction, proving that African women’s financial narratives had a place in mainstream media.
Now, Arese has partnered with Samsung Nigeria on an AI-driven film project. “I wanted to explore what happens when technology meets storytelling in a way that makes sense for African creators,” she says.
Her latest project, Lara Unlimited, delves into the realities of professional women navigating workplace politics, ambition, and financial independence. The show, shot entirely on Samsung’s latest smartphone, is set to launch this month, aligning with International Women’s Month. Arese sees financial literacy as more than just figures on a balance sheet; it’s a tool for self-determination, a way to rewrite narratives, and a means to claim economic power.
“African women are doing the work, making the moves, but our stories aren’t always being told the way they should be,” she says. Through her work, she is making sure that changes.
Côte d’Ivoire
Fabrice Guy Mahi: The Designer Who Refuses to Walk Alone
Founder of Zaady Official, a fashion house operating out of Paris and Belgium since last year, Fabrice was awarded the prestigious Fabriqué à Paris (Made in Paris) label, an achievement that solidifies his role in preserving and promoting high craftsmanship and quality in his garments. Zaady means victory in his native Bété language, reflecting his heritage from one of the largest clans in western Côte d’Ivoire.
Fabrice has gone on to build Zaady Fashion Day – a platform that puts the spotlight on emerging African talent. “Most designers spend decades establishing their names before thinking about giving back,” says Fabrice. As his brand grew, young African designers reached out – not for handouts, but for access. They needed tools, industry connections, and production support to elevate their craft. Instead of waiting until he was globally dominant, Fabrice listened and found a solution.
Zaady Fashion Day organises sponsorships and brings designers to Abidjan; and because he didn’t want this competition to be limited to those who could afford it, he ensured that flights, accommodation, and materials were covered. “Financial barriers shouldn’t dictate creativity. Fashion is expensive. It demands investment – materials, artisans, showrooms. I didn’t want this competition to be another opportunity available only to those with financial backing. The goal was to remove every possible barrier so that raw talent could shine,” explains Fabrice.
Besides Nigeria and Ghana, he actively seeks talent from places that are often overlooked, such as Rwanda, Benin, Togo, Gabon, and Kenya, ensuring they have a platform to shine. In an industry where success is often equated with personal gain, Fabrice is proving that fashion is only as strong as the ecosystem that sustains it.
Ghana
Amma Mensah: Turning African Agriculture into Global Luxury
Considered one of the leading entrepreneurs transforming Ghana’s luxury industry, Amma is the founder of Reign, a Ghanaian rum brand. From sugarcane fields to the glass bottle on the shelf, every step of her rum production process happens in Ghana.
“We call it Reign because we are building a community where everyone feels royal,” says Amma. “Everything – from the name to the bottle, the logo, and the iconography – is inspired by African royalty. But more than that, it’s about recognising the power and importance of farmers. It starts with them, because without them, there is no luxury.”
Amma founded Reign with one mission in mind: every step of the process must happen in Ghana. She calls it a grass-to-glass business model, one that disrupts the traditional supply chain and keeps value where it belongs.
Reign Rum is now a thriving ecosystem built on nearly 2 000 acres of farmland. In just two years, she’s sold over 20 000 litres of rum, cut company losses in half, and increased salaries for African farmers by 50 percent.
The property grows cashew nuts and sugarcane, distilling the latter into a rum that competes with the world’s finest spirits. The land is home to 250 workers who live on the residential compound, creating a small, self-sustaining community. “Running this operation is a daily act of responsibility, not just for my own future, but for hundreds of families,” says Amma.
“When people see the bottle, they ask, ‘Are you sure this is Ghanaian? Are you sure it’s African?’ The perception of luxury is still tangled in outdated assumptions, but that is slowly shifting,” Amma adds. African spirits, she believes, will follow the same path that African fashion, art, and fine dining have started to carve out, moving from the periphery into global recognition. “African luxury is not a new concept. It’s always been here. People are just starting to notice it,” asserts Amma.
Reign Rum is proof that African luxury isn’t just possible, it’s inevitable. “I want people to see it and see themselves – African, ambitious, and uncompromising in their pursuit of excellence,” Amma declares. “By 2050, a quarter of the world’s population will be African. Whether the world is ready or not, Africa is not waiting to be accepted, it is setting the tone.”
