Angelique Kidjo makes 100 Most Reputable Africans list

The annual list is compiled by Reputation Poll International, a leading global reputation-management firm. The list acknowledges Africans for their social impact and social entrepreneurship in transforming businesses in Africa and affecting lives positively without controversy.

The 100 visionaries ply their trade in the leadership, entertainment, advocacy, education and business industries and were selected based on their integrity, visibility and impact in society.

Kidjo's successful career as a musician and activist has made her a key figure on the continent. In March, Forbes Magazine named her among Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women who are changing the course of history, closing inequalities and pioneering new avenues of wealth creation.

The 60-year-old singer is one of the few African musicians who are recognised with awards and distinctions around the world, including the prestigious 2015 Crystal Award she received during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and the Order of Chivalry (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres), bestowed on her by the French Ministry of Culture in 2019.

Kidjo championed musicians' rights as vice-president of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) – a position she held from 2013 until 28 May 2020 when South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka was elected as her replacement.

The celebrated musician is also an activist for girl-child education through the Batonga Foundation, which she founded in 2007 to offer scholarships to secondary-school girls across Africa.