Africa’s economic ascent continues unabated, with six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies now located on the continent.
As sectors like technology, consumer goods, and infrastructure drive unprecedented expansion, the custodians of this transformation sit in the executive suites of Africa’s stock exchanges.
These CEOs and Managing Directors, through a combination of expertise, opportunity, and strategic positioning, now help the institutions that power Africa’s economic infrastructure.
From the historic Johannesburg Stock Exchange to the rapidly growing Nigerian Exchange, these leaders represent diverse backgrounds but share the privilege of guiding markets that collectively surpassed $1.4 trillion in capitalization.
Their boardrooms make decisions affecting millions of investors, from local pension funds to international institutions seeking African exposure. This profile examines the select group of CEOs and MDs entrusted with steering these vital financial institutions.
From capturing the market capitalization of the exchanges, to the last three-month percentage growth so far in 2025. Let’s take a look.
- Market cap: $8.8 billion (GHS 136.99 billion)
- YTD: 27.19%
- Stocks listed: 39
Abena Amoah is the Managing Director of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) and a leading voice in Africa’s capital markets. With over 20 years of experience in investment banking and financial advisory, she has been instrumental in shaping the capital markets ecosystem across Ghana and West Africa. Her expertise spans mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt placements, market development, and corporate governance.
Before her appointment as GSE MD, Abena led Baobab Advisors, raising over US$100 million in growth capital and supporting listings on the Ghana and London Stock Exchanges. Under her leadership, the GSE has achieved remarkable growth. In 2024, the GSE Composite Index (GSE-CI) surged by 56.17%, marking its highest return since 2013.
She has served as Non-Executive Director of Coronation Insurance Ghana, Access Bank Ghana, and the University of Ghana, where she chaired several investment committees. She was also Vice Chair of the African Women’s Development Fund and led the early development of the US$250 million WestPark Industrial Park in Ghana.
Abena holds a First-Class degree in Accounting from the University of Ghana and executive education from Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB.
