By Publicist East Africa
There are leaders who run organisations, then there are leaders whose work quietly shapes the direction of countries. Clare Akamanzi belongs firmly in the latter category.
Today, she leads NBA Africa, one of the continent’s most influential sports and entertainment platforms. Before that, she spent nearly fifteen years helping build the Rwanda Development Board into one of Africa’s most admired investment promotion agencies. Long before that, she was negotiating trade agreements in Geneva and promoting Rwanda’s economic interests in London.
On paper, it reads like an impressive career, in reality, it tells a much bigger story. It is the story of a woman who has spent two decades helping position Africa not as a recipient of opportunity, but as a creator of it.
Few executives can claim to have influenced trade policy, investment attraction, tourism growth, aviation development, innovation ecosystems, and now sport business. Fewer still have done so with such consistency.
For many investors, entrepreneurs, and development partners, Rwanda’s transformation from a post-conflict economy into one of Africa’s most competitive investment destinations did not happen by accident. It was the result of deliberate leadership, strong institutions, and an unwavering focus on execution.
Clare Akamanzi was part of that journey. As Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board, she became one of the most recognisable faces of Rwanda’s economic story. Her role extended far beyond attracting investors. She was helping create an environment where business could thrive, where entrepreneurs could scale, and where Rwanda could confidently compete on the global stage.
Under her leadership, Rwanda strengthened its reputation as a destination for investment, conferences, tourism, innovation, and private sector growth. The message was simple: Africa’s future would not be built by aid alone. It would be built by enterprise, partnerships, and opportunity.
That belief continues to define her leadership today.
Her move to NBA Africa surprised many observers. Yet the transition makes perfect sense. Modern sport is no longer simply about competition. It sits at the intersection of youth development, media, technology, infrastructure, culture, and economic opportunity. The NBA’s growing footprint across Africa is not only about basketball; it is about creating ecosystems that nurture talent, inspire entrepreneurship, and unlock new industries.
In many respects, NBA Africa represents another platform through which Clare is helping shape the continent’s future.
The sectors may have changed, the mission has not. Whether in government, investment promotion, aviation, global health, innovation, or sport, her career has consistently revolved around one idea: creating systems that unlock potential.
That is perhaps what makes her different.
She is not remembered for a single transaction, project, or title. She is remembered for helping build institutions that create opportunities for others.
Her influence extends beyond Rwanda. Across Africa, governments are searching for ways to attract investment, stimulate innovation, strengthen tourism, create jobs, and improve competitiveness. Clare’s career offers an important lesson: transformation is rarely the result of a single policy or flagship project. It is the cumulative outcome of vision, consistency, execution, and strong institutions.
It is also impossible to ignore the significance of her leadership as an African woman operating at the highest levels of business, government, and international development.
Through the Lionesses of Industry series, Publicist East Africa has celebrated women such as Dr. Patricia Ojangole, Mona Muguma Ssebuliba, Natasha Sebunya, and Juliana Kagwa, leaders who are reshaping development finance, green finance, operations, and destination branding across the continent.
Clare Akamanzi stands comfortably among that distinguished group.
Yet what sets her apart is the breadth of her influence. Few leaders move seamlessly between government, diplomacy, investment promotion, aviation, innovation, global health, and sport. Fewer still leave a mark on each of those sectors.
In an era where leadership is often measured by visibility, Clare reminds us that some of the most consequential leaders are those who quietly strengthen institutions, attract opportunity, and create conditions for others to succeed.
Perhaps her greatest achievement is not the positions she has held, but the opportunities she has helped create for others.
That is why Publicist East Africa recognises Clare Akamanzi as a Lioness of Industry.
Not simply because of the titles she has accumulated, but because of the pathways she has helped open for entrepreneurs, investors, young professionals, and future leaders across Africa.
Her story reflects a broader shift taking place across the continent. Increasingly, Africa’s future is being shaped by leaders who are comfortable moving between government and business, policy and enterprise, local realities and global opportunities. Leaders who understand that economic transformation is not driven by investment alone or policy alone, but by the ability to connect both.
Clare Akamanzi has spent much of her career doing precisely that.
And in doing so, she has become one of the most influential architects of opportunity on the African continent.
Clare Akamanzi: The architect of opportunity helping shape Africa’s economic future.
This feature is part of the weekly Captains and Lionesses of Industry series by Publicist East Africa, profiling Africa’s most impactful leaders, innovators, and institution builders shaping the continent’s future.
