> World Cup

Perhaps the single biggest news item to emerge from Africa in 2010 was the successful staging of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in July.

Proving legions of doubters wrong, the World Cup went off peacefully and on schedule. FIFA, soccer fans worldwide and especially proud South Africans were left feeling on top of the world, despite African teams not progressing as far as hoped. It sent a signal that Africa could produce a world-class event and was the best public relations campaign Africa has ever had in its long and often tortured history.

> Conclusion

As we enter 2011, the story of Africa must build on whatever momentum was created in 2010. The continent must take its space in global socio-economic and political fields of interests and the best of the year past must be the conduit to progress across the board in 2011.

(Reporting from Zimbabwe)

Africans to watch in 2011

People we think will be making news headlines in 2011 include: Sim Tshabalala, CEO of Standard Bank South Africa; Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin, Founder and CEO of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange; Bill Egbe, President of Coca-Cola South Africa; Strive Masiiwa, Group CEO and Founder of Econet Wireless International; Khumo Shuenyane, Head of M&A for MTN; Ngozi Edozien, Head of West Africa at Actis, one of the largest private equity firms in Africa; and Titus Gitau, Director of MEA Fertilizers.

Rosetter Chantal Rugamba, the Managing Director of Songa Africa Ltd., Andrew Rugege, the Chief Operations Officer of MTN, Rwanda and Richard Mugisha, the Founder and Managing Partner of Trust Law Chambers in Kigali will also be some of the emerging leaders to watch in the coming year.

The Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, and his Zimbabwean counterpart Morgan Tsvangirai will also be interesting leaders to watch in 2011. The intriguing political events in their countries will seem to favor their further projection.

In South Africa, Phikile Mbalula will be an interesting star to watch as the African National Congress heads toward its 2012 leadership renewal congress.

In the cultural sector, people like David Adjaye, an architect from Tanzania, and Tsitsi Dangarembga, an author from Zimbabwe, will definitely be key ambassadors of the continent.