Oliver Mtukudzi Named in Forbes 40 Most Powerful Celebrities In Africa

Zimbabwe music legend Oliver Mtukudzi is rated 12th in the Forbes 40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa according to a list released by the site.

Tuku is in some serious company in the list of the most influential icons in contemporary African pop culture.

Forbes explains the criteria used:

Determining the celebrities who exert the highest degree of influence in contemporary African pop culture involved sifting through the nominations for the individuals with the highest numbers of votes, 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. Ideally, a robust social media presence would have been an invaluable yardstick in determining the intensity of influence these individuals exert over their enthusiasts. However, apart from Senegalese hip-hop act Akon, Nigerian beat maker Michael Collins A.K.A Don Jazzy and a handful of others who boast 6-figure followers on networks like Facebook and Twitter, an overwhelming number of Africa’s most influential celebrities have either a very small or non-existent social media presence.

The list is a first of its kind and it is great to see our old man in there. Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe heads the list with Chelsea striker making the number 3 spot.

Here is a list of the first 20

First 20

1. Chinua Achebe, Novelist (Nigeria)
2. Youssou N’dour, 51, Musician (Senegal)
3. Didier Drogba, 33, Footballer (Cote D’Voire)
4. Angelique Kidjoe, 51, Musician (Benin Republic)
5. Akon, 38, Musician (Senegal)
6. Wole Soyinka, 77, Playwright (Nigeria)
7. Salif Keita, 62, Musician (Mali)
8. Yvonne Chaka Chaka, 46, (South African)
9. Oumou Sang, 43, Musician (Mali)
10. Femi Kuti, 49, Musician (Nigerian)

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

Source: Forbes.com