Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a prominent Nigerian author, is known for her contributions to literature and advocacy for social issues. Adichie’s writing explores themes of identity, politics, and post-colonial Africa, earning her prestigious awards including the Orange Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award.  While her primary focus has been on literature, she has used her platform to promote gender equality, better educational opportunities, and social justice for Nigerians.

Senegalese rapper Akon is lighting Africa through the use of solar energy. His program known as “Akon Lighting Africa” was created in hopes of bringing electricity across Africa and laying a foundation for future development. He has provided 14 African countries with street lamps and domestic and individual solar kits that allow electricity to be created through solar panels. The main goal is to help build the economy through education and job creation.

Singer Alicia Keys, co-founded “Keep a Child Alive” with activist Leigh Blake in 2003. The intensely community-oriented charity supports six grassroots organizations throughout Africa and one in India, which address the socioeconomic roots of the AIDS epidemic and honor individuals with the disease. The Charity serves 70,000 people annually. Its milestones include getting generic, affordable AIDS medications to needy populations and piloting innovative approaches to region-specific issues.

Former US president Barack Obama, through The Obama Foundation, has established a new program known as Africa Leaders: Africa is a year-long program that provides 200 emerging African leaders with the skills they need to create change. The program offers leaders with a range of backgrounds, the opportunity to attend in-person and online seminars focused on values-based leadership development, skill-building for social change, hands-on service learning, and technical training. 

The BeyGOOD Fellowship Program in South Africa was started by Beyonce in partnership with Global Citizen. The two organizations are working to empower local youth in helping end world poverty by 2030. Each youth fellow receives a paid, yearlong job opportunity and will focus on one of four pillars of activity from Global Citizen: creative, campaigns, rewards or marketing.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s charity work in late 2018-2019 has focused on bringing Africa to the forefront of the global fashion scene and harnessing the talents of its citizens to turn the continent into a global power. As the keynote speaker at the 2019 Forbes Woman Africa Leading Woman Summit, Campbell said, “The African continent is absolutely, one hundred and one percent, the future.” Campbell is a supporter of UNAIDS and its fight to end AIDS by 2030. In 2016, she donated $100,000 to be split between British organization Save the Children and UNAIDS. 

He is the CEO of the Made in Africa Foundation which is an organization run from Uganda established to assist the development of the African continent. This is done by providing first-stage funding for the feasibility studies and business development of large-scale infrastructure projects based in the region. Made in Africa Foundation engages with different organizations such as  international governments, multilateral organizations such as the World Bank, financial institutions, and private investors, in order to promote and advocate for the continent and the foundation's supported projects, and raise awareness of the economic changes taking place in Africa.

Actor Don Cheadle is associated with The Enough Project which is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2007. Its goal is to end genocide and crimes against humanity. The Enough Project conducts research in several conflict areas in Africa including Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic etc. The Enough Project seeks to achieve an advantage against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes by conducting research, engaging with governments, and mobilizing public campaigns. He also started a poker tournament aimed at raising money and public awareness for the crisis in Darfur known as the “Ante up Africa” foundation. 

Matt witnessed what life was like for a community living in the global water crisis. As he was filming for a movie in Sub-Saharan Africa, actor Matt Damon spent a lot of time with families in a Zambian village. Due to their lack of access to water and toilets, it has inspired Matt exposure to commit to finding a way to help solve the global water crisis. Hence, in 2006 he founded H20 Africa Foundation to raise awareness about safe water initiatives on the continent.  Matt and Gary White merged H20 Africa and Water Partners International to create Water.org 

Davido is a prominent Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer known for his hits like “Fall,” “If,” and “Fia.” He is actively involved in philanthropy through his charitable foundation, the David Adeleke Foundation, which focuses on supporting underprivileged children and youth in Nigeria. The organization recently donated over 300 million naira to orphanages across the nation to support Nigerian youth. Davido has also been involved in various campaigns to aid communities affected by crises and natural disasters in Nigeria.

She had been involved with the British Red Cross for several years before the charity organized and supported her January 1997 trip to Angola. It was there, in Huambo province, that she came across the work of the HALO Trust, which had been working to clear mines in Angola since 1994 amid the then-ongoing civil war there. At the time of her visit at the beginning of 1997, negotiations were ongoing to initiate the Mine Bans Treaty. Diana had vocally appealed for an international ban on landmines during her time in Angola. 

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was established in order to help protect the world’s last wild places. This foundation implements solutions that help restore harmony to threatened ecosystems, ensuring the long-term health and well-being of all Earth’s inhabitants. Through his social media platform, Leonardo encourages his fans to join his cause and many of them have engaged on a variety of issues such as protecting key species like sharks in California, tigers in Asia, elephants in Africa — and calling on world leaders to address the global climate crisis.

Didier Drogba, a celebrated Ivorian footballer who won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea FC, is known for his extensive philanthropic work through the Didier Drogba Foundation. His foundation focuses on improving healthcare, education, and infrastructure in Côte d'Ivoire. In 2007 he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme, and in December 2018 he became Vice President of the international organization Peace and Sport.

Eto’o, a striker for Chelsea in the English Premier League, travelled to Cameroon, his native country, to supervise projects for his foundation, which works to improve health care by providing ambulances and building hospitals. The notoriously media-shy Eto’o rarely promotes his efforts because the soccer player is more concentrated, as he has said, on actually making a difference. MedShare, an Atlanta-based global humanitarian aid organization, is shipping a 40 foot container load of brand new medical supplies and quality biomedical equipment to Laquintinie Hospital in Cameroon and funded by Cameroonian soccer star Samuel Eto’o’s Foundation.

The Gates Foundation Africa focuses on the ten countries that they believe can have the greatest impact, and team up with organizations and individuals across 45 nations. They participate in a range of programs from the international to the local level that emphasize health and nutrition; disease prevention, treatment, and research; water, sanitation, and hygiene; agriculture; financial services for the poor; and policy and advocacy. They partner with local governments and NGOs in several other African countries to advance healthcare, improve agricultural production, strengthen financial services for the poor, and improve maternal and child health. 

Mo Ibrahim is renowned for his substantial contributions to African development through the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which he founded in 2006. The foundation focuses on governance and leadership, promoting good governance and leadership in Africa by awarding the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. This prize is one of the most prestigious on the continent, aimed at recognizing and encouraging effective leadership. Additionally, the foundation conducts research and provides data on governance and public services in Africa.

Fela Kuti was a famous Nigerian musician often considered the “father of Afrobeats,” blending traditional African rhythms with jazz, funk, and highlife. His influential music and energetic performances brought global attention to African music and culture. The son of political activist and suffragette Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Fela's lyrics often addressed political and social issues, critiquing Nigeria’s corrupt government and advocating for social justice. He is remembered as an influential icon who voiced his opinions on matters that affected the nation through his music and inspired scores of Africans to do the same.

Wangari Maathai was a renowned Kenyan social, environmental and political activist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize. She was awarded the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her "contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace." In 1977, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights. In 1984, she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for "converting the Kenyan ecological debate into mass action for reforestation." Maathai, an advocate for democracy, was an elected member of Parliament.

Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalized racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997. Widely regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice, he received more than 250 honors—including the Nobel Peace Prize.

Strive Masiyiwa, a prominent Zimbabwean businessman and philanthropist, is the founder of the Econet Group. Through the Higherlife Foundation, he has supported various causes, including education, healthcare, and rural development. Masiyiwa has provided scholarships to more than 250,000 young Africans over the past 20 years through his family foundation and provided more than 40,000 orphans with educational initiatives.

Born in 1984 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Trevor Noah grew up during the post-apartheid era which deeply influenced his work and philanthropic efforts, particularly in supporting educational opportunities for marginalized communities. Through the Trevor Noah Foundation, he supports educational initiatives such as the Khulani Schools program that aim to provide quality education to underprivileged children in South Africa.

Lupita Nyong’o, a Kenyan actress known for her roles in “12 Years a Slave” and “Us”, has been active in philanthropy, particularly through her work with organizations that support animal conservation and women’s rights. Through WildAid, where she serves as a global ambassador, N’yongo has spoken out extensively about poaching in Kenya. Additionally, Nyong'o became involved with Mother Health International to support women and children in the region by establishing local birthing centers. 

Talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, established the Leadership Academy for Girls which was founded in 2007 to serve the needs of underprivileged girls living in nine provinces across South Africa. The boarding school has transformed the lives of hundreds of students in grades 8-12, providing them with the educational tools to realize their dreams of pursuing careers in such illustrious fields as medicine, public service and architecture. Oprah Winfrey — who is fondly known as Mama Oprah in South Africa — announced that the Oprah Winfrey Foundation has launched a fully-funded fellowship aimed at empowering African women who are in public service.

Singer and beauty mogul Rihanna is a global ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and founder of the Clara Lionel Foundation. The Clara Lionel foundation was founded in 2012 by Rihanna and seeks to support and fund groundbreaking and effective education and emergency response programs around the world. With the voices of Rihanna, this foundation also engages in global advocacy with the goal of improving the quality of life for young people everywhere. Current programs include primary and secondary education programs in Malawi, Barbados and Senegal.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. She won the 2005 presidential election and took office on January 16, 2006. She was re-elected in 2011. She was the first woman in Africa elected as president of her country. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, in recognition of her efforts in the non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work. She has received numerous other awards for her leadership.