Why Are There So Few Women in Africa's Boardrooms?
When I read this article on The East African News Website I really started to wonder if gender equality is ever going to happen. This is a serious point, I'm not losing hope I am honestly just being realistic. This is an international phenomenon but I will just focus on Africa in this post. The article focuses on The African Development Bank's report, entitled “Where are the Women? Inclusive Boardrooms in Africa’s Top-Listed Companies”. Here is a summary of the report:
About 32.9 per cent of African companies in the survey have no women on their boards, 33.6 per cent have only one woman on their boards, resulting in two-thirds of companies with minimal female presence at best. Just 18.9 per cent have two women on their boards
The majority of African companies have at least 1 woman board director. However, about one-third (32.9 per cent) have 0 women on board, and another one-third only have one female director (33.6 per cent), so the majority of African companies have minimal women’s presence on boards.
The companies with the highest percentage of women on boards are East Africa Breweries of Kenya (45.5 per cent), followed by two South African firms, Impala Platinum Holdings (38.5 per cent) and Woolworths Holdings (30.8 per cent).
The percentage of women board directors in large-cap listed companies (which account for 30 per cent of companies) is 14.4 per cent, higher than mid- or small-caps, keeping in line with global patterns.
These figures are disturbing particularly given the level of business-minded women are on the continent: "In sub-Saharan Africa, women are particularly active as entrepreneurs. However, they are disproportionately self-employed. Women make up 40 percent of the region’s nonagricultural labor force, but account for nearly 50 percent of the self-employed." - The IMF
Obviously that statistic focuses on self-employment which I am very aware is different from corporate leadership but it reflects the fact that women have the ability and the appetite to assert economic change. So why aren't there more women on the boards of African corporations? In my view it is the fact that those in power are not making a paradigm shift, they are not changing their mindsets and thus progress is slow.When Baroness Amos tweeted that the number of women in senior positions had fallen in an organisation as influential as the world bank I was shocked but not surprised.
We need to understand who is really setting the agenda in terms of diversity and gender equality. If the boardrooms are still full of men who believe that they know what's best then little or nothing will change.
The Glasshammer shared a superb article on the fact that the White Men in power need to be included in this conversation: “No business strategy, including D&I, will deliver optimal results when many with position power (white men, in this discussion) disconnect from the strategy.” Unless these men start to accept the invitations to change things and I mean genuinely change things not just talk about changing things then there will be little or no progress. We keep setting up gender equality forums, organisations and online platforms as if those in power are paying attention. But are they? We keep talking about gender equality and diversity as if those in the top boardrooms in African and across the world, are genuinely ready for change. In my opinion I do not think that they are ready. I might be wrong. In fact I would love for someone to prove me wrong. What are your thoughts? Is change on the way?
These women have the degrees, the results, and the strategic vision. What they often lack is access to influence, visibility and recognition at the very top. This is not a question of competence, but of perception, systemic bias and the unwritten rules of power. So perhaps one could argue that personal branding becomes a game-changer.
The traditional leadership glass ceiling has evolved. It’s no longer just about being passed over for promotions. Today, it’s about being seen as "qualified" but not "board-ready." It’s about being valued internally but invisible externally. Black women across Africa are running divisions, building market share and turning around teams, yet still find themselves stuck just below board level. The reasons are layered: from unconscious bias and lack of sponsorship, to cultural narratives that still shape how executive presence is defined.
In this context, personal branding is more than a career tool it’s a strategic act of leadership. It helps high-performing Black women claim the space they’ve earned without having to shout to be heard. It reframes their story from “the woman behind the scenes” to “the executive everyone should be watching.” By curating a visible, intentional narrative through speaking engagements, thought leadership content or stronger positioning on platforms like LinkedIn and even instagram these women stop being overlooked and start being undeniable.
I say it often, maybe too often but visibility breeds opportunity. The more your leadership style, values and achievements are clearly understood by others, the more you are considered for strategic roles, especially those that exist beyond the walls of your current company. Board appointments, advisory roles, international assignments: all require not just performance but presence. For Black women in global markets, this is especially important. Cultural respectability, societal expectations, and gendered double standards often make self-promotion feel uncomfortable or risky but there is a way to lead publicly that is both powerful and authentic. Personal branding does not mean selling a version of yourself that isn’t real it means amplifying the best of who you already are. Leadership today demands more than excellence. It demands visibility and for Black women seeking seats in Africa’s boardrooms, personal branding isn’t optional it’s essential.