THE CLASS OF 2024 PASSION, PURPOSE AND A DECADE OF THE 30 UNDER 30 LIST

THE MILESTONE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF: IT'S THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF FORBES AFRICA'S 30 UNDER 30 LIST, AND JUST LIKE THE HONOREES WHO HAVE COME BEFORE THEM, THE CLASS OF 2024 TOO ARE DRIVEN BY IMPACT. PROFITS ASIDE, IT'S ABOUT ACHIEVING SUCCESS WITH INNOVATION, INFLUENCE AND INDIVIDUALITY. THEY AREN'T LOOKING TO FILL BIG SHOES BUT RATHER LACE UP THEIR OWN AND FORGE AHEAD WITH GIANT STRIDES, LEADING BY EXAMPLE AND LEAVING AN INDELIBLE PATH FOR THE CHANGEMAKERS TO COME.

- Chanel Retief

TEN YEARS, of uncovering some of the most influential and iconic young people on the continent. Ten years, of shining the spotlight on business innovators and tech trailblazers impacting their communities, countries and the continent.

Ten years, of profiling record-breakers, history-makers and risktakers determined to rewrite the narrative on Africa.

The 10th anniversary of FORBES AFRICA’s 30 Under 30 list is testament to the unmistakable potential and talent pool that exists on a continent boasting the world’s youngest population, and their role in together crafting Africa’s growth story.

Building a business and a brand, and consistently creating change on the continent, as a 20-something, is no mean feat. And it’s perhaps their path-breaking innovations and against-allodds resilience that’s leading the rest of the world to Africa as the next frontier.

The world is becoming more African. The whole continent of Africa, with 54 countries, is home to 1.45 billion people, and the economies are being driven by a growing young population. The United Nations states in a report that 70% of sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 30; and that more than a third of the world’s young people will live in Africa by 2050.

Experts also stipulate that the future of Africa’s wealth is young and female, and they hold the greatest potential for investment prospects. The 2023 Africa Wealth Report, published by Henley & Partners in partnership with New World Wealth, reports that the total investable wealth currently held on the African continent amounts to $2.4 trillion, and its millionaire population is expected to rise by 42% over the next 10 years.