Famous People from Africa: Most influential African personalities

Some of the most famous African personalities include Nelson Mandela who is famous as the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and the country’s first black president, and Nigerian and Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote. Other famous people from Africa include Kenyan 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, and sports legends Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

The continent has also produced famous actors and actresses who include Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Lesley-Ann Brandt, and The Mummy star, Arnold Vosloo. Other African legends include musicians Yemi Alade and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, award-winning authors Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, and religious leaders and activists.

Most famous and influential African personalities

Cyril Ramaphosa

17 Nov 1952

5th President of South Africa

Patience Ozokwor (Mama G)

14 Sep 1958

Nollywod actress who has acted in over 100 movies and often as a wicked Mother in law

Yoweri Museveni

15 Sep 1944

President of Uganda since 1986

Paul Kagame

23 Oct 1957

President of Rwanda

Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta

26 Oct 1961

Fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

18 Jun 1989

French-Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a striker and captains the Gabon national team and has played for Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea

Mohamed Salah

15 Jun 1992

Egyptian professional football player, also known as Mo Salah, who plays as a right winger or forward for Liverpool

Destiny Etiko

12 Aug 1989

Nigerian nollywood actress whose recent movies include Saving Rita, Everybody Loves Jenifa

Eliud Kipchoge

17 Nov 1984

Kenyan long-distance runner (5000m)

Jackie Appiah

5 Dec 1983

Canadian-born Ghanaian actress famous for her role in Ghanaian film "Princess Tyra"

• « Back
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• ...13
• Next »

Displaying 11 to 20 of 127 records
Page 2 of 13

Famous Legends from all the 5 Regions of the continent

There are other countless influential personalities from Africa. The most famous people from Africa have excelled in politics, sports, business, entertainment and history. Moreover, these celebrities from Africa span all the main regions of the continent.

These are North Africa, South Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and the six African Island nations of Madagascar, Mauritius, Cape Verde, Seychelles, Comoros, and Sao Tome and Principe.