African Most respected CEOs Awards 2026

ELIGIBILITY

The nomination of prospective awardees is open to the general public. However, all nominations are subject to verification and approval for shortlisting by our dedicated specially contracted team of research consultants and Awards Selection Jury who combine their quantitative and qualitative assessment techniques to approve or decline a nomination. Self-nominations and third party nominations that follow the format set out in the invitation for nominations are equally accepted. Upon nomination, the prospect is notified either by mail or written note and then shortlisted for public voting.

Following our due diligence, we are positive that all shortlisted nominees and enterprises remain a prospective good fit for boosting intra-African trade.

Based on the validated nomination, and research-driven shortlisting and the subsequent public voting conducted over three months, the emerging awardees are to be conferred with Most Respected CEO award in a particular sector of economic activity or business operation across the continent. This unbiased position is strictly subjective to the opinion of the general public. See website for more details on the processes: Africa’s Most Respected CEOs Awards

SELECTION CRITERIA

* Personal conduct
The personal conduct of an individual nominee will be considered in the assessment of that nominee ie personal integrity, personal ethics, etc

Professional conduct
The professional conduct of an individual nominee will be considered in the assessment of that nominee ie attitude to work and subordinates, adherence to established reporting lines etc.

* Professional expertise
The nominee will be assessed on the quality of professional expertise he or she brings to the job and the degree to which this impacts on the performance of the institution/agency.

* Management/Leadership quality
Nominees will be assessed based on how well they manage the employees and other human resources at their disposal.

* Leadership vision
Nominees will be assessed on how the vision they bring to their positions and how well they are able to get stakeholders to buy into and support the vision to ensure collective efforts in the same direction.

Nominees will be assessed on the basis of how they are perceived as individuals by colleagues and other stakeholders.

* Professional image
Nominees will be assessed on the basis of how they are perceived by other professionals (including professional associations) for their professional expertise and their adherence to professional ethics and correct behavior.

* Obedience to Supervising institutions
Nominees will be assessed on the basis of their respect for and obedience to the public sovereign, multilateral or bilateral institutions who supervise their activities.

* Public policy advocacy
Nominees will be assessed based on their contributions to the development and evolution of public policy with regards to the aspects that relate to the activities of the institutions/agencies they lead. In authenticating the nominations the re search consultants will validate the claims made in each nomination, but just as importantly will ensure that each nomination to be forwarded to the Awards Jury meets each criterion even if only minimally. For instance an individual whose personal image is negative would not be forwarded to the Awards Jury for consideration. To make the assessments as quantitative as possible, each criterion will be given a maximum score of 100, applicable to the assessments of each nominee by the Awards Selection Jury. Nominees on the shortlist presented the jury by the research consultant will be scored and ranked according to their scores.

SELECTION PROCESS

1) Nominations will be invited from the public all across Africa;

2) The nominations will be received and any clarifications and/or adjustments to the format used by, or on behalf of nominees will be sought by the organizers and presented by the nominees or their agents;

3) Nominations will be examined to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria;

4) The contents of nominations that meet the eligibility criteria will then be authenticated by our contracted team of researchers to confirm claims made in the nominations;

5) The research consultants will then assess each nomination against the assessment criteria established by the organizers to determine whether or not they meet each of the selection criteria to any degree.

6) A short list of nominations from each delineated award category that meet both the eligibility criteria and the selection criteria will then be forwarded to a specially constituted Awards Jury, comprising identified experts in public institution/agency performance and conduct assessment (on both institutional and individual levels), for consideration.

7) The Awards Jury will then meet virtually over several sessions to consider each shortlisted nominee, using a special quantitative scoring model encompassing all the selection criteria devised by the organizers (see above). Where a member is unable to join meetings either for technical reasons or for reason of unavailability due to acceptable cause, that member will forward his or her inputs into the considerations to the meetings of the Jury;

8) Finally the Awards Jury will forward their scores to both our contracted Awards Authentication consultants and the secretariat itself for computation of final scores for each nominee. The scores inputs and computed averages used as the final scores by both the consultants and the secretariat will be cross-checked against each other to ensure accuracy of both those inputs and the final scores of each nominee.

9) The organizers will announce the winners – ie the highest scoring nominees - in each category .

10) Where the highest scoring nominees decline to attend the impending Awards Conferment Event, they will be replaced by the first runners up.

11) Award winners will be conferred with their awards at a five star gala event to be held on the 28th of July 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia at a venue to be announced shortly.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

This event will be financed primarily by corporate/institutional sponsorships and opportunities still exist in this regard. Importantly, in recognition of the global economic difficulties currently being experienced we have opted to offer tailor made sponsorship packages , each one designed to suit the particular budgets and objectives of each potential sponsor.

To negotiate a sponsorship package that suits their peculiar budgets and objectives interested sponsors can call the secretariat on +233 26 856 2195/ +233 26 435 1382.

Sponsors would be able to directly reach a top tier, pan African audience of political and economic leaders including public and private sector institutional decision makers of the highest and therefore most influential order; as well as a huge continental market who would be accessed by sponsors through the extensive media coverage that the awards scheme - and the awards conferment event in particular will generate. This will allow sponsors reach a pan continental audience of top business owners,ceo's and wider stakeholders in the leadership of top companies in African countries at the sovereign, sub regional and pan continental levels, in a most focused and therefore cost effective manner.

BENEFITS TO WINNERS

Awardees of the Africa’s Most Respected CEOs Awards 2026 will be globally recognized as members of an elite group of African CEO's (THE EXECUTIVE NETWORK) who are setting the standard for excellence in corporate leadership, governance, ethical conduct, and organizational performance across Africa. They stand at the forefront of the continent’s economic transformation and private-sector-led development.

This recognition will ensure that they are acclaimed within their respective countries, across an increasingly integrated African business landscape, and within the global community of corporate institutions, investors, and enterprises as exemplary leaders driving sustainable growth and socio-economic progress.

OPENING OF NOMINATIONS

Nominations are now open for the Africa’s Most Respected CEOs Awards 2026, a prestigious platform that recognizes outstanding individuals across Africa who demonstrate excellence in leadership, innovation, corporate governance, and sustainable business growth.

The awards celebrate CEOs who are driving impactful change, strengthening organizations, and contributing to Africa’s socio-economic development. Members of the public, institutions, and organizations are invited to nominate deserving leaders for consideration.

Tap on the link below to nominate a renowned CEO in Africa.

https://forms.gle/kqJgbX1gz2bqvYkdA

Submit your nominations and help recognize Africa’s most influential and respected business leaders shaping the future of the continent.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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