CIO100 Awards 2026 Shortlist Spans 10 Countries

The 18th edition of the CIO100 Awards is bringing together organisations from 10 countries, setting the stage for a cross-continental competition for recognition in technology leadership, innovation and digital transformation.

The shortlisted organisations will compete across sectors for the CIO100 Awards’ top honours, including sector-specific and individual awards, as well as the Ivory, Silver and Gold marks of recognition. The finalists were selected following the judging and adjudication process for the 2026 edition of the awards, which recognises organisations that are using technology to create business value and drive transformation.

The 2026 shortlist reflects the increasingly broad role of technology across Africa’s economies, with organisations from Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom represented in the competition.

Kenya has a particularly strong presence on the shortlist, with organisations spanning banking and financial services, telecommunications, aviation, healthcare, energy, hospitality and the public sector. Among those in contention are M-Pesa Africa, Safaricom, Equity Group, Kenya Airways, KenGen and Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi.

The competition also brings together major organisations from other African markets. Nigeria is represented by organisations including Dangote Cement and Nigerian Breweries, while Ethiopia’s entries include Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Airlines. Tanzania has Vodacom Tanzania among the organisations in contention, while Uganda Electricity Generation Company represents the country in the shortlist.

South Africa also features prominently, alongside entries from Rwanda, while Centenary Bank brings Malawi into the competition and Chitungwiza Central Hospital represents Zimbabwe. The presence of an organisation from the United Kingdom further extends the geographic reach of this year’s shortlist.

The diversity of the shortlist also extends beyond geography. Organisations from sectors including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications, aviation, energy, government and public services will be competing for recognition based on the impact of their technology initiatives.

The CIO100 Awards are designed to recognise how organisations are applying technology to address business challenges, improve operations, enhance customer experiences and create new opportunities. This year’s shortlist therefore reflects the range of ways technology is being integrated into organisations operating in very different markets and sectors.

The next stage of the competition will see shortlisted organisations battle for sectorial recognition as well as individual awards that highlight technology leadership. They will also compete for the Ivory, Silver and Gold marks, which recognise different levels of achievement among the organisations participating in the CIO100 programme.

The winners will be announced during the CIO100 Gala Dinner, which will form part of the CIO100 Symposium and Awards taking place from November 25 to 27 at the Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf Resort in Diani, Kenya.

The three-day event will bring together CIOs, technology executives, business leaders and technology providers for discussions around the role of IT leadership in driving business growth. The 2026 edition is themed “Innovation at Scale: Driving Business Growth Through IT Leadership.”

Beyond the awards themselves, the event will provide a platform for organisations represented on the shortlist to share their experiences, benchmark their technology strategies and engage with peers from across the continent.

With organisations from 10 countries and a broad range of industries represented, the 2026 CIO100 Awards will provide a snapshot of how technology leadership is evolving across different African markets and the wider enterprise technology landscape.

The final results will determine which organisations emerge as sector leaders, which technology executives take home individual honours and which shortlisted organisations secure the Ivory, Silver and Gold marks at this year’s CIO100 Gala Dinner.

Below is the full shortlist: