BUILDING AFRICAN HOMEGROWN COMPANIES INTO GLOBAL CHAMPIONS

Our Story

Founded in 2020, the African Hidden Champions Initiative (AHC) is a collective of African Business Leaders spearheading Africa's economic renaissance.

As the continent's premier scaling platform, AHC propels African companies towards global champion status, focusing on businesses with average revenues of $200 million.

Since 2023, AHC has continued to scale as a special initiative of the African Development Bank, evolving into a comprehensive scaling ecosystem. With major support from the German Development Bank (DEG), as a co-founder of the initiative, AHC empowers its 50 member companies through strategic guidance, fundraising assistance, innovation services, talent development, and enhanced visibility.

At the helm of this transformative journey is the Africa Foresight Group (AFG), AHC's co-founder and lead implementer. Together, we are nurturing a collective of African Hidden Champions— high-growth enterprise

Our mission

To identify, nurture, and propel Africa's most promising enterprises onto the global stage.

Our vision

To establish Africa as a powerhouse of global industry leaders, reshaping international perceptions and economic realities.

Our journey

2020 - Launch Year

Announcement of AHC at our annual conference Africa@Scale with Aliko Dangote as our special guest

2022 - Expansion & First In-Person Summit

Launched inaugural AHC Annual Summit in Frankfurt, Germany
Established presence across multiple African business hubs
Began hosting intimate networking events across Africa
Grew portfolio of companies from 6 to 15

2023 - Recognition & Growth

Recognised as a Special Initiative of the African Development Bank
Expanded network presence to 16+ African countries
Hosted second Annual Summit in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Grew our portfolio from 15 to 33
Featured at prestigious global events including:
- UN ECOSOC High-level Segment (New York)
- Financial Times Africa Sustainable Futures Awards (London)
- Harvard Business School Africa Conference (Boston)

2024 - Reaching New Heights

Network growth to 50 member companies
Collective workforce of 200,000+ employees
Combined members revenue of $18+ billion
Identified $50 billion in revenue growth potential for our member companies
Successfully hosted the third Africa@scale event in Malindi, Kenya

Our Impact

Aggregate member revenue: $18 billion
Total workforce of member companies: 158,000
Projected job creation by 2034: 500,000
Geographic reach: 21 African countries and expanding

Operations Team

Yasmin Kumi

AHC Co-Founder & CEO, AFG

Bernard Adjei

Co-Lead

Tunmise Olabiyi

Co-Lead

Kim Jansen

Chief Experience Officer

Godwin Gabla

Editorial

Global Steering Committe

Franziska Hollmann

Director at DEG

Thomas Viot

Investment Officer at AfDB

Yasmin Kumi

AHC Co-Founder & CEO, AFG

Bernard Adjei

Co-Lead

Tunmise Olabiyi

Co-Lead

Nieros Oyegun Soerensen

Chief Operating Officer & Partner - Verod Capital

Kuseni Dlamini

Chairman of Aspen Pharmacare

Our strategic partnerships

At African Hidden Champions, we collaborate with leading institutions that provide critical expertise, funding, and strategic guidance to help us achieve our mission of scaling Africa’s top businesses.

Together, we create meaningful impact across the continent by driving innovation, expanding market opportunities, and shaping the future of African leadership. Discover how each of our partners contributes to this shared vision.