Who chooses the AFN 100?

The African Food Network editorial team researches the list, and a second researcher checks every name before it goes in. The final list is signed off by Kevin Eze, founder and publisher of African Food Network.

Which parts of the food industry are counted?

Eight areas, from farm to plate: Chefs, Restaurant owners and hospitality, Events, education and associations, Farming and agribusiness, Brands and makers, Media, Social media influencers, Policy, research and community.

Can you pay to be on the AFN 100?

No. Nobody pays to be considered, listed or ranked, and no sponsor can buy a place.

How do I recommend someone?

Use the free form at /afn-100/recommend, which anyone can fill in. Tell us who the person is, what they did this year and where we can read about it, though you can't recommend yourself. Every recommendation is read by the editorial team, but a recommendation doesn't guarantee a place.

When is the next list published?

The 2026 AFN 100 is published on Sunday 13 December 2026. Recommendations for 2026 close on Friday 13 November 2026. After that, the form takes recommendations for 2027.

Something on my profile is wrong. How do I fix it?

Email awards@afrifoodnetwork.com with the page link and the correction. We reply within five working days and correct any confirmed error.

Back to the AFN 100

The AFN 100

How the AFN 100 is made

How we choose the 100 most influential people in the African food industry, who checks the list, and how to put a name forward.

What is the AFN 100?
The AFN 100 is African Food Network's yearly list of the 100 most influential people in the African food industry. It covers the whole food chain, from farmers and food brands to chefs, festival makers, media and policy leaders, across Africa and its diaspora. The first edition was published on 22 December 2023, and each new list is published in December.
Who chooses the AFN 100?
The African Food Network editorial team researches the list, and a second researcher checks every name before it goes in. The final list is signed off by Kevin Eze, founder and publisher of African Food Network.
How are people chosen?
Each edition looks at what people did in that year. We start from public recommendations and our own research, then find the work behind each name: what they built, cooked, grew, published, taught or changed that year, and how far it reached. Every name needs at least two published sources, one of them from that year. A second researcher tries to prove each entry wrong before it is accepted. There is no scoring formula. It is an editorial judgement, and we show our sources.
No list was published in 2024 or 2025. To keep the record complete, the 2024 and 2025 editions were compiled by the editorial team in November 2026, using the same method, and each honours work done in its own year. Both pages say so at the top.
04
Which parts of the food industry are counted?
Eight areas, from farm to plate:
1. Chefs
2. Restaurant owners and hospitality
3. Events, education and associations
4. Farming and agribusiness
5. Brands and makers
6. Media
7. Social media influencers
8. Policy, research and community
Can you pay to be on the AFN 100?
No. Nobody pays to be considered, listed or ranked, and no sponsor can buy a place.
How do I recommend someone?
Use the free form at /afn-100/recommend, which anyone can fill in. Tell us who the person is, what they did this year and where we can read about it, though you can't recommend yourself. Every recommendation is read by the editorial team, but a recommendation doesn't guarantee a place.
When is the next list published?
The 2026 AFN 100 is published on Sunday 13 December 2026. Recommendations for 2026 close on Friday 13 November 2026. After that, the form takes recommendations for 2027.
Something on my profile is wrong. How do I fix it?
Email awards@afrifoodnetwork.com with the page link and the correction. We reply within five working days and correct any confirmed error.

Nobody pays to be on this list.

What is the AFN 100?

The AFN 100 is African Food Network's yearly list of the 100 most influential people in the African food industry. It covers the whole food chain, from farmers and food brands to chefs, festival makers, media and policy leaders, across Africa and its diaspora. The first edition was published on 22 December 2023, and each new list is published in December.

How are people chosen?

Each edition looks at what people did in that year. We start from public recommendations and our own research, then find the work behind each name: what they built, cooked, grew, published, taught or changed that year, and how far it reached. Every name needs at least two published sources, one of them from that year. A second researcher tries to prove each entry wrong before it is accepted. There is no scoring formula. It is an editorial judgement, and we show our sources.

No list was published in 2024 or 2025. To keep the record complete, the 2024 and 2025 editions were compiled by the editorial team in November 2026, using the same method, and each honours work done in its own year. Both pages say so at the top.