Forbes Africa – February-March 2026

Summary

Forbes Africa's third annual Over 50 Under 50 list celebrates 50 women in their 30s and 40s — from amapiano artists to biotech founders — who bet on themselves and built businesses built to last across the continent.

February/March 2026 (volume 16, number 1) opens with the cover story "Over 50 Under 50: Tenacious, Transformative And Triumphant" (p.16) by Chanel Retief, profiling women leaders including Mandisa Radebe (DBN Gogo), Celeste Ntuli, Pelonomi Moiloa, and Dineo Lioma. "Biotech Bravado" (p.38) covers African biotech entrepreneurs taking on drug manufacturing. "Big Blue's Quantum Bet" (p.42) examines IBM's quantum computing investments in Africa. "Hospital-ity At Home" (p.48) reports on home-based healthcare models gaining traction across sub-Saharan Africa. Environment pieces cover reptile conservation ("Reptile Radar," p.54) and renewable energy financing ("Power-ful Currency," p.60). Quantum Quest (p.62) profiles a South African quantum computing startup. "One Mic, Many Stories" (p.72) follows African podcasters building media businesses. "Beyond Basketball: The Man Who Stood Tall" (p.96) profiles Dikembe Mutombo's legacy.

Renuka Methil's Editor's Note is "Past, Present, Further." The issue blends hard business reporting with culture and environment features.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.16 · Over 50 Under 50: Tenacious, Transformative And Triumphant
Chanel Retief profiles 50 women aged 30 to 49 from across Africa's business, music, tech, and entertainment sectors. Each entry includes venture stage and revenue bracket. Headhunters building non-executive board slates will find qualified candidates here.

▸ Entrepreneurs / Biotech

p.38 · Biotech Bravado
Oluwatomisin Amokeoja reports on four African biotech startups filling gaps in local drug manufacturing. The article cites a single sterile filling line costs $15 million to install — which is why 80 percent of Africa's vaccines are still imported. A clear market-entry memo for pharma investors.

▸ Contrarian

p.42 · Big Blue's Quantum Bet
William Baldwin reports on IBM's quantum computing partnerships in South Africa and Kenya. IBM opened a quantum data center in Johannesburg with a 1,000-qubit system. African CIOs should read this before committing to classical-only compute roadmaps.

▸ Focus / Health

p.48 · Hospital-ity At Home
Oluwatomisin Amokeoja profiles three home-based healthcare startups in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. The combined patient reach is 2.5 million people. The article breaks down per-visit costs: $8 in rural Kenya versus $35 in urban South Africa.

▸ Environment

p.54 · Reptile Radar
Freddie Hiney reports on a Namibian conservation tech firm using satellite tracking to monitor crocodile populations. The per-animal tracking cost is $120 per year, down from $500 five years ago.

p.60 · Power-ful Currency
Freddie Honey examines how renewable energy projects in Africa are being financed through green bonds. The article cites $6 billion in green bond issuances by African entities in 2025, up 35 percent year-on-year.

▸ Tech

p.62 · Quantum Quest
Peter Engelbrecht profiles a South African quantum computing startup building error-correction software. The company raised a $12 million Series A in 2025.

▸ Culture / Media

p.72 · One Mic, Many Stories
Paula Slier covers Africa's podcast boom, with Nigerian and Kenyan creators generating $45 million in combined revenue in 2025. The article lists the top 10 podcasts by listenership across English and French-speaking markets.

p.96 · Beyond Basketball: The Man Who Stood Tall
Freddie Honey profiles Dikembe Mutombo's legacy in philanthropy and healthcare infrastructure. The Mutombo Foundation built a $30 million hospital in Kinshasa that has treated 200,000 patients.

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Editor's Take

The Over 50 Under 50 list is the clear anchor — it is more diverse and harder to compile than the standard "30 Under 30" format, and the sector range genuinely reflects Africa's female-led business landscape. The quantum computing pieces ("Big Blue's Quantum Bet" and "Quantum Quest") are well-placed together and give a complete picture of Africa's quantum aspirations. The weakest piece is "Reptile Radar" — interesting topic but too short and reads as a syndicated nature article rather than a business feature. The Dikembe Mutombo profile at p.96 is a strong closer. If you are building an Africa-focused board or portfolio, the Over 50 Under 50 list alone is worth the cover price.

Strengths
• Over 50 Under 50 list with revenue brackets and sector tags
• Home-based healthcare per-visit cost breakdown by country
• Quantum computing paired coverage — corporate and startup

Weaknesses
• Reptile Radar reads as nature-section filler
• Biotech Bravado could use more detail on the four startups

Verdict: Recommended — The women-in-business list is the best single resource in this issue; buy for the talent pipeline.