African tech executives who work at U.S. firms are often active on Twitter,
and following them can shed light on the latest developments at Facebook, Google and others.
Often considered thought leaders in their industries, some African tech executives use Twitter to communicate about updates on what their companies are doing in Africa. Others share their passion for social issues or sport.
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These tech execs work for Microsoft, Viacom, and Twitter itself as big tech firms seek to establish a local presence in Africa.
Here are 10 African tech executives at U.S. firms worth following on Twitter.
Nigeria’s former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed to the board of Twitter in 2018, according to Quartz. She served twice as Nigerian minister of finance — from 2003 to 2006 and 2011 to 2015. An economist and international development expert, she joined Twitter in 2011 and has more than 1.08 million followers. She tweets about health, the empowerment of women and youth, and economics.
Lillian Barnard is the managing director at Microsoft South Africa. She began in that position is March 2019 after spending time as an executive at IBM, Vodacom and South African low-cost airline Mango. Based in Johannesburg, she tweets to a following of more than 1,400 people on Twitter, often posting updates about her company’s work in Africa but also her efforts to empower women in the workplace.
Google’s Launchpad Accelerator Africa program is the startup initiative that connects promising entrepreneurs across Africa. Applications for its fourth cohort recently launched, and its third class graduated at the end of June. Nigerian Fola Olatunji-David is Launchpad Accelerator Africa’s head of startup success and services, according to TheCitizen. His primary responsibilities include ensuring the success of these startups. He tweets a mix of personal and business-related content to his almost 4,000 followers.
Kunle Awosika is the country manager for Microsoft in Kenya. He is responsible for guiding the business toward expansion through the creation of partnerships in the region. He tweets mostly about Microsoft’s work on the continent, as well as his personal view on issues from tech to sport and even religion. He has more than 800 followers on the platform.
Juliet Ehimuan is Google’s country manager for Nigeria. She leads the company’s business strategy in West Africa and has been on Twitter since 2010, building a following of more than 4,400 followers since then. She keeps her tweets professional rather than personal, focusing on her work for Google and all that the company is doing from an African perspective. In August 2011, she was listed by Forbes as one of the “20 Youngest Power Women In Africa”, according to Forbes.
Nunu Ntshingila-Njeke is the head of Africa for Facebook. Based out of the social media giant’s Johannesburg offices, she tweets to an online audience of over 4,400 followers on Twitter. She is passionate about women’s rights and empowerment while using the platform to showcase what Facebook is doing in Africa.
Mzamo Masito is Google’s chief marketing officer for the sub-Saharan African region. He was a managing executive at South African mobile operator Vodacom before leaving to join Google. He is well-respected in the marketing and media industry in South Africa. Before filling high-level roles at Vodacom, Masito enjoyed executive positions at Nike and Unilever, according to his LinkedIn profile. He follows more than 5,000 people on Twitter, and has almost 3,000 followers, often posting insightful quotes on the platform.
Bada Akintunde is the country manager for Nigeria at U.S. multinational mass media conglomerate Viacom, the parent company of MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and Comedy Central. He has almost 10,000 followers on Twitter, but only a few of his posts are about the company or its subsidiaries. He is a massive soccer fan and posts mostly about the beautiful game.
Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda is the public policy and government relations manager at Google South Africa and has been in that position for eight years. Based in Johannesburg, Sibanda enjoys sport and tweets often about various sports including soccer, golf, and motor racing. He also retweets posts about Google from time to time. He has more than 1,600 followers on Twitter.
A fountain of positivity on Twitter, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy is the strategic media partnerships manager for Facebook in Africa. She works from the Johannesburg office and is in love with the South African city. Her Twitter presence, which is followed by more than 590 people, is filled with positive posts and retweets involving interesting news and information, usually focused on Africa and its people.
