Across education, fashion, hospitality, entertainment, and sports media, a new generation of African women is demonstrating that influence is built through originality, enterprise, and the courage to create new paths. This week’s Women of the Week celebrates five remarkable women whose work reflects the evolving power of African creativity, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Modola Osifuwa – Actress, Skit Creator and Creative Entertainer
Modola Osifuwa has carved out a distinctive place in Nigeria’s entertainment industry through a combination of comedy, acting, modelling, and digital storytelling. Her journey began with a strong interest in drama and literary performance before she moved into professional modelling and subsequently found a major audience through comedy skits. Known for her versatility, sharp command of English, Yoruba, and Nigerian Pidgin, as well as her ability to transform into different characters, Osifuwa has appeared in more than a hundred skits and has expanded her work into film and television. Her acting credits include Atiko, Strawberry Chinny, Silent Storm, Abánisété: The Ancestor, and Trade by Bata, reflecting her evolution from digital entertainer into a multifaceted screen performer.
Toluwani Wabara – Founder and Creative Director, Wanni Fuga
Toluwani Wabara has established Wanni Fuga as one of Nigeria’s distinctive contemporary womenswear brands, combining minimalist elegance, African identity, and sophisticated craftsmanship. A trained civil engineer who later studied luxury brand management and fashion, Wabara founded the brand in 2014 after recognising an opportunity to create the kind of modern, confident clothing she wanted to wear herself. Her designs have since evolved into a recognisable aesthetic celebrated for its refined silhouettes and contemporary interpretation of African fashion. Wanni Fuga has expanded its international presence, including presentations during London Fashion Week, while Wabara continues to position the brand as a global expression of African creativity.
Nqobile Khwezi – Sports Presenter, Brand Strategist and Influencer
Nqobile Khwezi is a South African media personality whose career sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, culture, and strategic brand communication. Described professionally as a sports presenter, creator, host, and strategist, she has developed a distinctive profile around global sport, including Formula 1, while maintaining a strong presence in lifestyle and digital media. Her work has taken her onto some of the world’s biggest sporting stages, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where her coverage and personality have further strengthened her reputation as one of South Africa’s emerging sports media figures. With a growing digital following and an ability to connect sport with culture and lifestyle, Khwezi represents a new generation of African presenters taking sports storytelling beyond the traditional broadcast format.
Toluwalope Anne Jacob Adigun – Founder and CEO, TAJ Group
Toluwalope Anne Jacob Adigun is a Nigerian serial entrepreneur whose ventures span fashion, hospitality, and retail. As founder and creative director of Anne Jacob, she established a luxury fashion house before expanding into hospitality with TAJ Bistro and TAJ Restaurant & Bar, where she also takes an active role in developing menus and training chefs. Her entrepreneurial portfolio further includes TAJ Metro Mart, created to address gaps she identified in the supply of quality food products to both consumers and businesses. A Business Economics graduate of Baze University with fashion training from Instituto di Moda Burgo in Italy, Adigun has built her ventures organically while developing a reputation for resilience, innovation, and hands-on leadership.
Ontifile Gaokgorwe – Founder and Director, The Bees Hive Academy
Ontifile Gaokgorwe is a Botswana entrepreneur and education advocate whose work is transforming early childhood education through inclusion and innovation. As Founder and Director of The Bees Hive Academy in Francistown, she leads an inclusive early childhood development centre serving children with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. The academy combines education with specialised therapies, sign language, music, and computer literacy, while her Inclusion Hub Connect extends assessment and learning support digitally to children who cannot access the physical academy. Her leadership has earned significant recognition, including the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the Grand Prize at the Tokafala Business Plan Competition, and the Best Pitch Award in the Standard Chartered Women in Tech Accelerator. Through education and social entrepreneurship, Gaokgorwe is building a more inclusive future for Botswana’s children.
Why SHE Matters
This week’s honourees demonstrate the extraordinary range of African women’s influence. From inclusive education and global fashion to hospitality, digital entertainment, and international sports media, each woman is building a distinct legacy through expertise and imagination. Their stories reinforce a powerful reality: Africa’s next chapter is being shaped by women who are not waiting for opportunities to emerge, but are creating the platforms on which new possibilities can thrive.
