FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA
Forty Under 40 Africa is an annual awards program, organized by Xodus Communications Limited, that recognizes young African business leaders under 40 across 40 industry categories, generating revenue through event tickets, corporate sponsorships, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAccra, Ghana
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA does
Forty Under 40 Africa is an annual awards ceremony and events platform that identifies, honours, and celebrates influential African business leaders under the age of 40 across 40 industry categories spanning agriculture, banking, telecom, fashion, energy, and software development. The program is organized by Xodus Communications Limited, a Ghana-based concept development and events management company that also operates parallel Forty Under 40 franchises in the UK, Global, South Africa, and Ghana. The 2026 cycle is scheduled for Accra, Ghana, with nominations closing October 30, 2025, publication of nominees and public voting from November 10, 2025, tourism activities from February 10–13, 2026, and the Under 40 Champions Summit and Awards Night on February 14, 2026.
The core technology is a WordPress-based website (fortyunder40africa.com) supporting online nominations, public voting, and ticketing. Public voting contributes 20% of the final scoring, with the remainder determined by a technical committee and awarding board chaired by figures including Dr. Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun. Supporting products include the Under 40 Champions Summit (a one-day networking retreat for finalists), the Forty Under 40 Magazine distributed at the ceremony, and tiered event ticketing (VIP, Standard, and Silver tables).
The company monetizes through three revenue streams: ticket and table sales for the awards dinner (VIP, Standard, Silver tiers), corporate sponsorship packages (Platinum, Gold, Silver, plus award naming rights and drinks sponsorship), and donations earmarked for community projects. Total headcount is 5, based in Accra, with no external investors or venture funding disclosed. The target customer segments are young African business leaders (primary), industry peers who nominate candidates, and corporate sponsors seeking brand visibility among emerging African decision-makers.
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA
- Legal name
- Xodus Communications Limited
- Website
- https://fortyunder40africa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Forty Under 40 Africa is an annual awards program, organized by Xodus Communications Limited, that recognizes young African business leaders under 40 across 40 industry categories, generating revenue through event tickets, corporate sponsorships, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Awards and Recognition Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events (MPAGAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)
Keywords
Where FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Accra
- HQ country
- Ghana
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket and Table Sales: Revenue from selling individual tickets and tables (VIP, Standard, Silver) for the awards dinner event, including champagne reception, 3-course dinner, drinks, and event brochure profile
- Event Sponsorship: Platinum, Gold, and Silver sponsorship packages plus award naming rights and drinks sponsorship, providing marketing exposure for sponsors before, during, and after events
- Donations: Donations collected to support community impact and humanitarian projects selected by the Forty Under 40 Africa team
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | VIP Table (10 persons) with premium perks including front-of-room seating, pop-up banner, private table, champagne throughout dinner, full page advert in brochure, dedicated usherette with branded lapel and evening wear |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Full Table (up to 8 persons) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Table (up to 5 persons) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Single Standard and Deluxe Tickets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forty Under 40 Africa operates an annual awards program that identifies, honors, and celebrates influential young African business leaders under the age of 40 across 40 industry categories. The offering spans online nomination and public voting platforms, a one-day Under 40 Champions Summit for finalists, an annual awards dinner in Accra, Ghana, and tiered sponsorship packages sold to corporate brands seeking visibility among emerging African leaders.
Product overview
Forty Under 40 Africa is an awards ceremony and networking event platform organized by Xodus Communications Limited. The core offering consists of the annual Forty Under 40 Africa Awards, which celebrates outstanding African entrepreneurs and business leaders under 40 across 40 industry categories. Supporting offerings include the Under 40 Champions Summit (educational retreat for finalists), an online nomination and voting platform, the Forty Under 40 Magazine publication, and event ticketing with various tiers. The company also offers sponsorship packages (Platinum, Gold, Silver) for brands seeking visibility at the event.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Forty Under 40 Africa Awards Annual awards program identifying, honouring, and celebrating influential and accomplished young African business leaders under 40 across 40 industry categories spanning Agriculture to Telecom and Software Development. The program combines an expert jury, a technical committee, and public voting (20% of scoring). Targeted at African citizens from any of 55 African nations, living on the continent or in the Diaspora.
- Under 40 Champions Summit One-day educational and networking retreat held in conjunction with the awards ceremony, gathering over 100 finalists (entrepreneurs and chief executives under 40) for perspective-building, peer networking, and engagement with industry leaders.
- Online Nomination and Voting Platform Digital platform supporting online submission of nominations (third-party and self-nominations) across 40 industry categories and a public voting system where supporters vote for nominees, contributing 20% of the final scoring criteria.
- Event Tickets and Tables Ticketing products for the awards dinner, including Single Standard and Deluxe Tickets, Standard Tables (up to 5 persons), Full Tables (up to 8 persons), and VIP Tables (10 persons) with premium perks such as front-of-room seating, branded usherette service, champagne, full-page brochure advert, and a pop-up banner.
- Event Sponsorship Packages Sponsorship packages (Platinum, Gold, and Silver tiers) plus award naming rights and drinks sponsorship, sold to corporate brands seeking brand visibility, talent identification, and networking with emerging African leaders before, during, and after the awards ceremony.
- Forty Under 40 Magazine Event magazine distributed at the awards ceremony and to ticket holders, featuring profiles of award winners and finalists across the 40 industry categories.
Companies that use FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Xodus Communications LimitedcoreParent company and organizer of Forty Under 40 Africa Awards. A concept development and events management company with over 20 years of professional experience. Also organizes Forty Under 40 UK, Forty Under 40 Global, Forty Under 40 South Africa, and Forty Under 40 Ghana.
- Ministry of Tourism, Arts and CultureminorGovernment ministry listed as a partner organization for the Forty Under 40 Africa awards program
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Emerging Africa Awards / BAFA: Recognition platform celebrating African excellence and business leadership, with an annual gala and category structure that competes in the same niche of African business recognition events.
- Africa Business Heroes (Jack Ma Foundation): Pan-African entrepreneurship competition with prize funding and high-profile judging, addressing a young African founder audience partly overlapping with Forty Under 40 Africa's nominee pool.
Direct peers
- Forty Under 40 South Africa: South African edition of the same Xodus franchise, offering a country-level variant of the Forty Under 40 recognition format and overlapping in audience with the Africa-wide program.
- Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship (AAE): Legacy pan-African entrepreneurship recognition program run by African Leadership Network/Springboard, targeting ventures and founders across the continent and competing for the same young-leader narrative.
- Forty Under 40 Ghana: Country-level sister brand under the same Xodus Communications Limited parent, applying the same 40-category model at the Ghana market; most directly comparable in operating mechanics and brand architecture.
- Global African Business Awards (GABA): Annual awards program recognizing African business leaders and entrepreneurs at a pan-African/diaspora scale, with categories, gala, and sponsorship model that closely overlap with Forty Under 40 Africa.
- The Future Awards Africa (TFAA): Nigeria-anchored but pan-African recognition program celebrating young Nigerians and Africans under 31 across multiple categories, with an annual ceremony and sponsor-driven model that mirrors Forty Under 40 Africa's GTM.
- Africa Youth Awards: Pan-African recognition platform honoring young African achievers via an annual public-voting and awards model, directly comparable in audience, voting mechanic, and sponsorship-driven dinner.
- Forbes Africa 30 Under 30: Forbes Africa's flagship 30 Under 30 list directly competes for the same audience of accomplished young African business leaders and offers a parallel pan-African recognition brand with strong sponsor pull.
Broad incumbents
- All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA): CNBC Africa / Africa Business News awards program is a more established, larger-scale African business recognition brand targeting executives and entrepreneurs across multiple tiers, competing for the same corporate sponsorship pool.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA social profiles
Digital presenceFORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA
What does FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA do?
Forty Under 40 Africa operates an annual awards program that identifies, honors, and celebrates influential young African business leaders under the age of 40 across 40 industry categories. The offering spans online nomination and public voting platforms, a one-day Under 40 Champions Summit for finalists, an annual awards dinner in Accra, Ghana, and tiered sponsorship packages sold to corporate brands seeking visibility among emerging African leaders.
Is FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA a public or private company?
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA founded?
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA based?
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, in the Africa region.
How does FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket and Table Sales are the primary driver. The others are event Sponsorship and donations.
Who are FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Emerging Africa Awards / BAFA and Africa Business Heroes (Jack Ma Foundation). Direct peers are Forty Under 40 South Africa, Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship (AAE), Forty Under 40 Ghana, Global African Business Awards (GABA), The Future Awards Africa (TFAA), Africa Youth Awards and Forbes Africa 30 Under 30. All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA have an API?
No public API is recorded for FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA.
What industry is FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA in?
FORTY UNDER 40 AFRICA's product category is Business Awards and Recognition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAHAF, Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events, with a secondary code of EDADAFAC, Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas). Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 7310.