Heirs Holdings Leads Financial Times Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2026 List

• Three portfolio companies ranked among Africa’s top 50 high-growth businesses, affirming Holdings’ rise as powerhouse for continent’s most prosperous ventures  

•Redtech processed transactions worth $27 billion, from $8.9 billion in 2024

James Emejo in Abuja

Heirs Holdings has strengthened its reputation as one of Africa’s most aggressive investment groups after three of its portfolio companies emerged among the continent’s fastest-growing businesses in the 2026 ranking released by the Financial Times (FT).

The annual ranking, published by the UK-based FT, in collaboration with global research firm Statista, spotlighted companies delivering exceptional revenue growth, innovation, and market expansion across Africa’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

The recognition reflected growing investor confidence in African-owned enterprises building scalable solutions capable of competing globally while driving economic inclusion across the continent.

In the latest ranking, Heirs Life Assurance secured the seventh position on the continent with an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 147.85 per cent, while Redtech ranked 32nd with a CAGR of 69.66 per cent.

Heirs General Insurance also made the list, placing 41st with a CAGR of 60.02 per cent.

The recognition places Heirs Holdings among a select group of African investment firms whose portfolio companies are driving growth across strategic sectors, including insurance, fintech, payments, and digital infrastructure.

The achievement underscores the philosophy of Africapitalism championed by Chairman/Founder of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, which promotes the private sector as a catalyst for Africa’s economic transformation and social progress, and as a critical driver of economic transformation, business growth, and social development across the continent.

Across its portfolio, Heirs Holdings continues to build and scale businesses delivering innovation and measurable impact across key sectors including insurance, technology, payments, and financial services.

The latest recognition also reinforces the growing footprint of the Heirs Holdings ecosystem, which has increasingly positioned itself at the centre of financial inclusion and digital transformation initiatives across Africa.

The group attributed the performance to its long-term investment approach anchored on sustainable value creation, innovation, and infrastructure development.

In recent months, Heirs Insurance Group — comprising Heirs Life Assurance and Heirs General Insurance — intensified its technology-driven expansion with the launch of what it described as Nigeria’s first multi-language GenAI insurance assistant, a move aimed at deepening customer engagement and improving insurance accessibility.

The group also expanded its visibility within the travel and insurance ecosystem through the inaugural Heirs Insurance Travel Festival, described as the first travel insurance festival in Nigeria.

The initiative advocates improved visa access for Africans, stronger bilateral cooperation, and a more inclusive travel environment across the continent.

Meanwhile, Redtech continued its rapid expansion in the fintech space, processing transactions valued at over $27 billion (about N37.2 trillion), compared to $8.9 billion (N12 trillion) processed in 2024.

The payments company also accelerated its merchant acquisition drive through partnerships with MoMo PSB and United Bank for Africa, while deploying more than 55,000 RedPay point-of-sale terminals nationwide within 16 months.

Beyond Nigeria, the company’s payment infrastructure currently supports transactions across five UEMOA countries — Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal — strengthening regional payment connectivity and cross-border digital commerce in West Africa.

The FT ranking is widely regarded as one of the continent’s most influential business growth benchmarks and highlights companies demonstrating resilience, scale, and innovation amid Africa’s increasingly competitive economic environment.

In a statement, Heirs Holdings said the recognition buttressed the ability of African businesses to build globally relevant solutions while driving innovation, inclusion, and economic transformation at scale.

Heirs Holdings is a leading pan-African investment company with interests across financial services, power, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, and technology, committed to improving lives and transforming Africa through strategic long-term investments.