During the Africa CEO Forum Gala Dinner, the 2025 AWARDS honored companies and leaders who are shaping the continent’s economy and embodying the renewal of African leadership. Organized in partnership with Forvis Mazars, the ceremony recognized six winners for their impact, strategic vision, and long-term commitment.

For eleven years, the Africa CEO Forum Awards have celebrated those who best represent the continent’s ambition: building sustainable, inclusive growth led by the private sector. Over 250 companies and investment funds, along with more than fifty of Africa’s most emblematic leaders, have already been nominated.

For the 2025 edition, six outstanding winners were selected by an independent jury following a rigorous selection process among the most promising applications from across the continent.

The first all-oral treatment for Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.) rhodesiense sleeping sickness, an acute form of the disease, is now available free of charge to patients in specialized treatment centres in Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Ministries of Health in several African countries have approved the use of Fexinidazole Winthrop for T.b. rhodesiense sleeping sickness treatment.

‘Until now, the only treatment for the advanced stage of the disease involved a toxic intravenous drug that required hospitalization. Today, with this breakthrough, we have a safe and simple oral treatment that can be taken at home with minimal observation, revolutionizing care for patients. The authorization of Fexinidazole Winthrop in Malawi and several other African countries is a testament to the dedication and hard work of African doctors, clinicians, healthcare staff, and communities who contributed to its development,’ said Dr Westain Nyirenda, principal investigator of the clinical trials for Fexinidazole Winthrop in Malawi.

The clinical trials that led to Fexinidazole Winthrop’s approval were sponsored by the not-for-profit medical research organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing with the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid, including food, in the ongoing blockade.

The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death. This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time.

The latest food security analysis was released today by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership, of which WHO is a member.

“We do not need to wait for a declaration of famine in Gaza to know that people are already starving, sick and dying, while food and medicines are minutes away across the border,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Today’s report shows that without immediate access to food and essential supplies, the situation will continue to deteriorate, causing more deaths and descent into famine.”

Over 1 billion tonnes of food are wasted annually, while 783 million people face hunger, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Ugandan entrepreneurs Sandra Namboozo (26) and Samuel Muyita (27), founders of Karpolax, have developed a plant-based sachet that extends the shelf life of fresh fruit by up to 30 days. Their sustainable, biodegradable preservation solution has earned them a place in top 10 innovators in the Young Inventors Prize 2025, known as Tomorrow Shapers, which recognises young inventors tackling global challenges. They were selected from 450 candidates by an independent jury.

Despite the steady increase in the global population, around 40% of all food produced does not reach the market, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Namboozo and Muyita both grew up in farming families and saw first-hand the challenges of post-harvest losses, which have a devastating impact on the profit of small-scale farmers. Determined to find a natural and more affordable alternative to synthetic preservers, they developed sachets, which release a blend of plant-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to slow ripening and prevent spoilage.