Zakes Mda and Prof Tshilidzi Marwala nominated for African Genius Awards

Twenty-one achievers who’ve excelled in a variety of different fields have been nominated for this year’s African Genius Awards.

Established in 2021, the awards are run by Priority Performance Projects, which is part of Plus 94 Research, a South African black-owned  research company.

South African nominees are novelist, playwright and poet Zakes Mda and former vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, Prof Tshilidzi Marwala.

The other nominees are:

• Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental and political activist.
• Arthur Zang, a Cameroonian engineer and entrepreneur who is best known for inventing the Cardiopad, a touchscreen medical tablet that enables remote heart examinations.
• Dr Angela Nyambura Gichaga, CEO of the Financing Alliance for Health, a partnership of more than 40 organisations, including governments, multilateral institutions, foundations and private sector organisations, that work together to improve health outcomes and achieve universal health coverage.
• Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the first woman president of Mauritius, serving from 2015 to 2018. Before entering politics, Gurib-Fakim was a biodiversity scientist specialising in the study of plants and their medicinal properties.
• Morris Mbetsa, a Kenyan inventor and entrepreneur.
• Dr Helena Ndume, a Namibian ophthalmologist who has dedicated her career to providing eye care services to people in need, particularly those living in remote and underserved communities.
• Aisha Yesufu, a Nigerian social justice activist, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
• Prof Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, a soil biogeochemist, political ecologist and the director of the Office of Science for the US department of energy.
• Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, a plant breeder, agricultural scientist and founding director of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement based at the University of Ghana.
• Didier Drogba, a retired professional footballer who has since been involved in charitable and philanthropic efforts, including his foundation which aims to help provide health care and education to underprivileged children.
• Sadio Mane, a football player from Senegal who plays as a forward for Bayern Munich and the Senegal national team. Mane is also known for his philanthropic work in his home country, where he has funded the construction of schools, mosques and hospitals.
• Eliud Kipchoge, a Kenyan long-distance runner considered one of the greatest marathon runners of all time.
• Agnes Matilda Kalibata, a Rwandan agricultural scientist who served as agriculture minister before leading a non-profit organisation aimed at increasing food security and agricultural productivity across the continent.
• Danai Jekesai Gurira, a Zimbabwean-American actress, playwright and activist.
• Lupita Amondi Nyong'o, a Kenyan-Mexican actress, author and producer.
• Dr Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynaecologist and human rights activist who has dedicated his life to helping survivors of sexual violence in the DRC.
• Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, which she shared with two other women for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and women's rights to full participation in peace-building work.
• Ouided Bouchamaoui, a Tunisian businesswoman who in 2013 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with three other civil society leaders, for her role in the National Dialogue Quartet, which helped establish a peaceful and democratic transition in Tunisia after the 2011 revolution.

Three African Genius Awards winners will be named on May 25, Africa Day, based on criteria including demonstrable contribution to problem solving, leadership/inspirational qualities, exceptional skills, impact of and outstanding contributions relevant to the community or society, and official recognition, awards, honours and prestigious appointments.

The awards adjudication committee comprises:

• Prof Steven Friedman, director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Rhodes University and the University of Johannesburg;
• Dr Pulane Molokwane, a nuclear physicist and environmental specialist;
• Fulufhelo Ntsandeni, the CEO of MIH Advisory;
• Simon Gathua, who holds a senior position at Chartall Business College; and
• Dr Rosaire Ifedi, an associate professor in education foundation and instruction in the US.

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