I Love Lists But This Forbes 1 Looks Dodgy

October 18, 2011 by  

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… I’m referring to the Forbes Online list of 40 Most Powerful Celebrities In Africa which was released last week. If you remember we mentioned it a few weeks ago HERE. Yes, Mfonobong Nsehe’s readers had to nominate celebrities and he thereafter compiled this final list but it is not a true reflection of Celebrities who “exert the highest degree of influence in contemporary african culture.” If anything, the list only profiles his readers.

Check this out… I’ve highlighted the SAns on 

1. Chinua Achebe, 80, Nigerian, Novelist
2. Youssou N’dour, Age: 51, Senegalese, Musician
3. Didier Drogba, 33, Ivorian, Soccer Player
4. Angelique Kidjo, 51, Beninoise, Musician
5. Akon, 38, Senegalese, Musician
6. Wole Soyinka, 77, Nigerian, Playwright
7. Salif Keita, 62, Malian, Musician
8. Yvonne Chaka Chaka, 46, South African, Musician
9. Oumou Sangare, 43, Malian, Musician
10. Femi Kuti, 49, Nigerian, Musician
11. Toumani Diabaté, Malian, Musician
12. Oliver Mtukudzi, 59, Zimbabwean, Musician
13. Haile Gebrselassie, 38, Ethiopian, Athlete
14. Khaled Hadj Ibrahim, 51, Algerian, Musician
15. Samuel Eto’o, 30, Cameroonian, Soccer Player
16. Alek Wek, 34, Sudanese, Supermodel
17. Liya Kebede, 33, Ethiopian, Supermodel
18. Dobet Gnahoré, 29, Ivorian, Musician
19. Genevieve Nnaji, 32, Nigerian, Actress
20. Koffi Olomidé, 55, Congolese, Musician
21. Neill Blomkamp, 32, South African, Movie Director
22. Souad Massi, 39, Algerian, Musician
23. Baaba Maal, 58, Senegalese, Musician
24. Hugh Masekela, 72, South African, Musician
25. K’Naan, 33, Somali, Rapper
26. Amadou and Mariam, Malian, Musicians
27. Awilo Longomba, Congolese, Musician
28. Eric Wainaina, 38, Kenyan, Musician
29. Binyavanga Wainaina, 40, Kenyan, Author
30. Ngugi Wa Thiongo, 73, Kenyan, Author
31. Freshlyground, South African, Musicians
32. Chimamanda Adichie, 34, Nigerian, Writer
33. Rokia Traoré, 37, Malian, Musician
34. Tuface Idibia, 36, Nigerian, Musician
35. P-Square, 29, Nigerian, Musicians
36. Don Jazzy, 30, Nigerian, Music Producer
37. D’Banj, 31, Nigerian, Musician
38. Nneka, 31, Nigerian, Musician
39. Asa, 29, Nigerian, Musician
40. Patricia Amira, 33, Kenyan, TV Personality

Ah-never shem…. 

His criteria for the list involved counting those with the highest number of entries and then measuring their media visibility (exposure in print, television, radio and online), number of web references on Google, TV/radio mentions and their general clout across the continent.

Still… I refuse but don’t ask me to name my own list, I don’t know but this one seems kinda dodgy. So there is not even 1 single white celebrity who is influential in this continent? Shame man…

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Comments

35 Comments on "I Love Lists But This Forbes 1 Looks Dodgy"

  1. crazydoll on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 2:55 am 

    Good qs BS,guess the list shud be ’40 Most BLACK Powerful Celebrities In Africa’

  2. Lwazi2711 on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 2:55 am 

    I also don’t agree with this dude. Where is Mandela? Mbeki? Measuring a person’s media visibility speaks nothing of the amount of influence they have.
    This is the same as the disagreements I often see on twitter- university students or alumni stating their university as number one in the country whereas they got that info from Webometrics. Webometrics only measure the total number of visitors to that specific university’s web site, which like this Forbes info, is NOT reliable.

  3. Lwazi2711 on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 3:17 am 

    Lol ok, Mbeki and Mandela are not presidents anymore and neither are they politicians… anymore… So they qualify as celebrities, right? Haha! But really now, the 1st afronaut- Mark Shuttleworth uphi kule list? Gareth Cliff?

  4. freckles on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 4:35 am 

    Is it “dodge” because of it not having “white” people? What’s so dodge about it? What about the Nigerian man who invented the internet? Is he number one on the list? Guy who wrote Capitalist Nigger? *excuse my ignorance* but anyway… Well Freshly Ground consists of white people and one black. That black girl is NOT freshly ground by herself. I don’t think its most powerful, its just popularity more than anything on this list.

  5. freckles on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 4:37 am 

    Freshly Ground is black? There’s ONE black person in the group, so is she Frteshly Ground? Rotflmao

  6. @JoneighGALAXY™||I Am Who I Am||Afrikan Star||No Limits Soldier||Observer||Hustler Extraordinair - Rainmaker||Dream Weaver||Global Citizen||Carpe Diem - Seize The Magic||22CD64B6 on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 4:54 am 

    This was a subjective list by #FA readers. I bet if he were to compile another list which is more objective he’d come up w/ totally different names.

  7. DTutu on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 5:32 am 

    I love me some Genevieve nnaji,oliver mtukudzi,Psquare,Dbanj and Ngugi wa thiongo great author.BS is right the list looks Dodgy Yvonne chakachaka neh ok and Knaan that one hit wonder dude so he made billions during worldcup?

  8. Leungo on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 7:03 am 

    KNaan, Mr One hit Wonder a powerful celebrity in Africa? GTFOH!!!

    The man’s music is really boring and confusing. I remember when I was with Sepp Blatter in Zurich in 2009 during the unveiling of the World Cup Trophy Tour and he annouced that they had commissoned an African guy called KNaan to sing the World Cup song. I remember thinking: Who the hell is this guy?
    However, the song turned out to be not bad but he obviously failed to take advantage of his popularity gained during the world cup to become bigger. Calling his a poweful celebrity in Africa is pushing it for sure as there is nothing big about him here, maybe in Canada where he lives and produces bad music.

    As for this list, they should have just called it a Nigerian list.

  9. Sarafina on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 7:14 am 

    It seems BEE is everywhere. this does not make any sense.

  10. Royal king on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 7:46 am 

    Most powerful celebrities?! No way Juju can’t be on the top 5

  11. Majesa TheUntouchable on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 7:52 am 

    Just wait for me to get my ish together, I will dominate this list 10 year in a row.

    Regards,
    Majesa Haaiwaane
    “The dude who is going to change the world”

  12. Biskiti on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 7:54 am 

    Shooo! The dude should have somaar just thumbsucked the names, cause this list doesn’t make no sense at all…

    We love Mme ChakaX2, mara is she really the most powerful celebrity in South Africa? On the contrary i think she ranks in the least list, along nabo pitchblackafro…lol..but we are not discussing that are we.

  13. Kiki on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 8:29 am 

    Heheheheh hai shem Darkies never seize to amaze me. If its a All Black list we complain FOR abelungu and start questioning the decision makers. If it’s a ALL white list we complain again the same way. Kanti kahle kahle what do we want? It’s not like abelungu complain on our behalf when the list is full of them. They don’t give a damn shem.

  14. Mrs_Marv on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 9:00 am 

    I dont agree at all with this list!!!!

  15. Pule on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 9:06 am 

    rule number 1:
    Never take the Forbes list on Africa seriously.They are made up by some freelance writers who are yet to be properly vetted by Forbes.Very soon Forbes would relaise the harm those hustlers are doing to their brand image and rein them in.
    Everyone of the lists they have written have been outright crap and made up in shebeens with no statistical tools to back it up whatsoever.
    No reader nominated that silly list,beleive me.
    It was just a product of the writer’s lazy mind.

  16. promisez on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 9:06 am 

    Ngugi Wa Thiongo! great author

  17. Beautiful lier on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 9:14 am 

    I think it was compleid by a nigerian,dats y there is so many of them on da list #NoXeno.

  18. MissAN on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 9:15 am 

    @ Majesa did the Aston Martin arrive in July?

  19. Majesa TheUntouchable on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 10:14 am 

    @MissAN I thought you are suppose to be preparing for exams hehehe.

    Eish a lot has changed since last year, when I made the Aston Martin declarations I was young & small minded like 95% of black people all around the world. I’m more ambitionuse about changing the world as compared to being rich, being rich is for people who dont have a meaningful purpose in life, I’m planning to spend my money on building schools & football academies.

    As a suprem intellectual you come to a point in your life where you realize your gift was bestowed un to you for the betterment of human kind.

    Regards,
    Majesa Haaiwaane
    “The dude who is going to change the world”

  20. Lustagp on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 10:21 am 

    LOL..Madonsela..!!

  21. SinoriMc on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 10:50 am 

    Lmao I hev a feeling BS wants 2 add Gareth Cliff 2 the list lol!

  22. MissAN on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 10:55 am 

    @ Majesa…I asked for a ride phela…I am glad you seem to have a different view on these things…Ama exams wani manje?

    @Lustagp Majesa uyangihlekisa…His signature changes everyday…

  23. Brown Shuga on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 11:10 am 

    Eish, there is one white guy on the list… Kwaaaaaaa at me wanting to add Gareth

  24. Estee IV WP on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 11:52 am 

    But BS by Africa standards, whites are only BIG in S.A. LOL, other Africans are doing it for themselves

  25. Estee IV WP on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 11:58 am 

    LOL, who want’s Juju on that list?? eish some people maar, so Juju is now powerful in the entire continent, just because he is allowed to hog headlines la Emzansi

  26. TC on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 12:19 pm 

    Hayi Hayi Hayi! Ngeke kea hana! Yvonne who? Number what???

  27. Zamani on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 12:24 pm 

    Can someone please not show this list to former beaty queen Cynthi Shange’s daughter. I beg you please!!! I dont want another melt-down.

  28. Nalizo on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 12:49 pm 

    LOL Zamani….I agree with you on that one ka Miss America….she will throw a bitch fit.

  29. RexonaABC on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 2:09 pm 

    Bathong Angelique Kidjo, 51, , wohh she still got a thing, thought she was much younger.

  30. DrDee on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 2:22 pm 

    @Estee IV WP you are so right.Here in Africa they believe that only SA,Zimbabwe and Namibia are the only African countries with indegenous white people.

  31. Mr 2 GUD on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 2:56 pm 

    i agree with you RexonaABC, some people still have a thing, look at “Baaba Maal, 58, Senegalese, Musician” he dance like he is 22.

  32. Boo on Tue, 18th Oct 2011 4:43 pm 

    Is this Mfonobongo person nigerian?

  33. Azuree on Wed, 19th Oct 2011 12:35 am 

    haha! Zamani i agree nonhle had best not see this list or all hell will break loose!

  34. blaQueen on Thu, 20th Oct 2011 7:39 am 

    it depends on how you think about Africa. If you think about Afrika in its broadness and about those in the diaspora then you would not doubt the list. Everywhere I have been in Africa they play more Lucky and Yvonne ChakaChaka and Brenda Fassie a SA’n would find that hard to believe. #yawn on the inclusion of whites. WTF Africa is dominated by blacks moer.

  35. Estee IV WP on Thu, 20th Oct 2011 10:05 am 

    Same thing with the U.S. no one still listens to John Legend, R. Kelly or Eminem there, but they are still BIG everywhere else.

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