The Elite Africa Project is a global network of scholars working to shift how Africa and its elites are understood.

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to The Elite Africa Project

Watch a video introduction to the project and database.

Featured Posts

Introducing: The Elite Africa Project Database

Learn more about the Elite Africa Project and our Online Database!

Dafe Oputu

Scholar Spotlight: Sishuwa Sishuwa - Part 2

Part 2 of our interview with Zambian historian Sishuwa Sishuwa.

Elite Africa Roundup - 22 November 2024

Uganda's opposition leader abducted, artist Shonibare at Art Basel

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Elite Africa Roundup - 1 November 2024

A big week for art in W. Africa, SA supports ICJ case against Israel

Domains of Elite Power

The mechanics of how power—the essential condition of elite status—is meaningfully generated and exercised

Economic

Economic and business elites

Coercive

Military elites and those in security agencies

Ritual

Royalty, nobles, “traditional” rulers

Aesthetic

Art, literature, music- and media-based elites including new online influencers, clothing designers, architects, etc.

Religious

Religious and spiritual leaders, and intellectual/academic elites

Political

State-based or state-focused elites including international techno/bureaucrats

The Elite Africa Project

is a Canadian-based global network of scholars working to challenge predominant understandings of Africa and its elites.

Both in academia and in wider public discourse, African elites have either been ignored or depicted as grasping and self-interested. This framing perpetuates negative depictions of the continent and its peoples and draws on a simplistic understanding of what power is and how it is wielded. Our work aims to counter these perceptions by initiating global conversations about “who leads” in Africa and how they do so.

We seek to disrupt and renew both academic and public discussions of African leadership, refocusing attention on a wider, qualitatively different set of elites from those that have predominated in the past (such as the parasitic “Big Men” of neo-patrimonial politics).

Burna Boy, Nigerian musician, rapper and songwriter; in 2021, his album Twice as Tall won the Best World Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, and he enjoyed back to back Grammy award nominations in 2019 and 2020.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerian economist, fair trade leader, environmental sustainability advocate, human welfare champion, sustainable finance maven and global development expert. Since March 2021, Okonjo-Iweala has been serving as Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

This project focuses on Africa’s elites, defined as those who operate at the highest level across a range of domains, wield significant power, and possess expert knowledge, skills, and personal strengths that are deployed in strategic, creative, and generative ways. While elites are those who possess the most consequential and powerful agenda-setting and decision-making capacity, Africa’s elites have either been sidelined in many of our analyses or rendered monotonal. When we switch frames to consider the continent as embodying and projecting new, generative forms of power, it changes our view of Africa. It may also change how we understand power itself.

We look at six domains of elite power, from the political to the aesthetic, and ask how we might shift how we think about and study Africa, and how this shift would impact our conceptualization of power and its exercise. Our goal is to contribute to popular conversations about Africa and to highlight the achievements of the astonishing new generation of leaders for a broader public audience.

This website will serve as a hub for collaborative activity by scholars, activists, and practitioners working on Elite Africa and house a searchable database of primary and secondary materials on African elites.

Kofi Annan (1938-2018), Ghanaian-born diplomat, trained in economics, international relations and management; was the first UNSG to be elected from within the ranks of the UN staff itself and served in various key roles before becoming Secretary General.

Namwali Serpell, Zambia award-winning novelist and writer; Recognised early on with the Caine prize, her numerous subsequent awards include the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize, one of the world’s richest literary prizes.

Mohammed "Mo" Ibrahim, Sudanese billionaire businessman. He worked for several telecommunications companies, before founding Celtel, which when sold had over 24 million mobile phone subscribers in 14 African countries.

The Elite Africa Project

is a Canadian-based global network of scholars working to challenge predominant understandings of Africa and its elites.

Both in academia and in wider public discourse, African elites have either been ignored or depicted as grasping and self-interested. This framing perpetuates negative depictions of the continent and its peoples and draws on a simplistic understanding of what power is and how it is wielded. Our work aims to counter these perceptions by initiating global conversations about “who leads” in Africa and how they do so.

We seek to disrupt and renew both academic and public discussions of African leadership, refocusing attention on a wider, qualitatively different set of elites from those that have predominated in the past (such as the parasitic “Big Men” of neo-patrimonial politics).

This project focuses on Africa’s elites — those who operate at the highest level across a range of domains, wield significant power, and possess expert knowledge, skills, and personal strengths that are deployed in strategic, creative, and generative ways. When we switch frames to consider the continent as embodying and projecting new, generative forms of power, it changes our view of Africa. It may also change how we understand power itself.

This website is the hub for collaborative activity by scholars, activists, and practitioners working on Elite Africa and will house a searchable database of primary and secondary materials on African elites.

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ELITE AFRICA PROJECT DATABASE

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Creating Emerging Markets: Interview with Omobola Johnson

Creating Emerging Markets

Date: December 7, 2021
Summary:

Omobola Johnson, Nigeria's first Minister of Communication Technology, discusses her journey from engineering to leadership roles at Arthur Anderson and government service. She emphasizes the need for collaboration in the ICT Industry and advocates for venture capital funding in Nigeria. Johnson also highlights her involvement in mentoring start-ups, her co-founding of WimBiz to empower women in the workplace, and the organization's growth and future initiatives.

Read about the interview here.

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Creating Emerging Markets: Omobola Johnson

Creating Emerging Markets
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Omobola Johnson discusses her career journey, the importance of ICT collaboration and venture capital, and her work empowering women through WimBiz.

Economic

Creating Emerging Markets: Interview with Ian Fuhr

Creating Emerging Markets

Date: September 27, 2019
Summary:

Ian Fuhr, Founder of South Africa's Sorbet Group, reflects on his diverse career journey, from the music and retail business to founding the successful beauty salon chain Sorbet. He discusses the importance of brand culture, exceptional customer service, and his post-Sorbet venture, the Hatch institute, focusing on coaching for SMEs and entrepreneurs.

Read about the interview here.

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Creating Emerging Markets: Ian Fuhr

Creating Emerging Markets
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Ian Fuhr, founder of Sorbet Group, talks about his diverse career, the importance of customer service and brand culture, and his new venture, the Hatch Institute for coaching entrepreneurs.

Aesthetic
Economic

Creating Emerging Markets: Interview with Adrian Gore

Creating Emerging Markets

Date: May 9, 2022
Summary:

Adrian Gore, the founder and Group Chief Executive of Discovery Limited in South Africa, reflects on his upbringing's emphasis on education and his Actuarial Science degree, which he credits for his management skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. He discusses the post-apartheid era, his early career in insurance, and the founding of Discovery. He emphasizes Discovery's unique approach, including the Vitality Health program and their expansion into financial services with Vitality Money, which aims to improve customers' lives while promoting entrepreneurship and social change in South Africa.

Read about the interview here.

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Creating Emerging Markets: Adrian Gore

Creating Emerging Markets
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Adrian Gore, Founder and Group CEO of Discovery Limited, discusses his career journey, and his company's approach to improving lives through health and financial services while advocating for entrepreneurship in South Africa.

Economic

Creating Emerging Markets: Interview with Dr. Ahmed Heikal

Creating Emerging Markets

Date: June 1, 2022
Summary:

Dr. Ahmed Heikal, Chairman and Founder of Qalaa Holdings, a major investment company in Egypt, discusses his journey from engineering to finance, his role in transforming EFG into an investment firm, and the challenges faced during the global financial crisis. He emphasizes the importance of production, knowledge, and law enforcement for Egypt's development and highlights educational programs supporting the country's youth. Dr. Heikal also discusses the need for government-private sector collaboration in high-risk projects.

Read about the interview here.

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Creating Emerging Markets: Dr. Ahmed Heikal

Creating Emerging Markets
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Dr. Ahmed Heikal, Chairman of Qalaa Holdings, shares his career trajectory, emphasizing the transformation of EFG into an investment firm and the importance of production and collaboration for Egypt's development.

Economic
Political

Creating Emerging Markets: Interview with Hubert Danso

Creating Emerging Markets

Date: April 17, 2015
Summary:

Hubert Danso, CEO of Africa Investor (Ai) Group, discusses his efforts to attract international investment to Africa, his strategies for encouraging investments in different African nations, and the vital role of private-sector investments in developing the continent's infrastructure, along with his plans for expansion into regional markets through offices in Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Read about the interview here.

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Creating Emerging Markets: Hubert Danso

Creating Emerging Markets
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Hubert Danso, CEO of Africa Investor (Ai) Group, outlines his initiatives to promote international investment in African infrastructure and expand into regional markets.

Economic

Creating Emerging Markets: Interview with Cas Coovadia

Creating Emerging Markets

Date: January 13, 2021
Summary:

Cas Coovadia, Managing Director of the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA), shares his personal journey growing up under apartheid, his early leadership as an anti-apartheid activist, and his decision to pursue a career in business. His interview includes his role in South Africa's first mutual bank, and corruption in the country, and highlights the advocacy efforts of Business Unity South Africa. He further emphasizes the importance of gender diversity, economic empowerment, and societal transformation in the country.

Read about the interview here.

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Creating Emerging Markets: Cas Coovadia

Creating Emerging Markets
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Cas Coovadia, Managing Director of the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA), shares his life experience, leadership challenges, and need for societal transformation in South Africa.

Economic
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