The SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards has opened entries for Africa’s first Sustainability Industry Rankings, an initiative designed to identify and benchmark organisations and leaders making significant contributions to sustainability across the continent.

Launched as part of the awards’ 20th anniversary celebrations, the rankings will feature three categories: Africa Top 100 Organizations in Sustainability, Africa Top 50 CEOs in Sustainability and Africa Top 50 Sustainability Professionals.

The initiative is open to participants across all African countries and seeks to recognise achievements in environmental stewardship, social impact, ethical governance, innovation, responsible business practices and sustainable development.

Beyond recognition, the rankings aim to establish a credible benchmark for sustainability leadership in Africa, encouraging organisations and professionals to strengthen their impact, accountability and responsible growth.

Eligible participants include private sector organisations, from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to large corporations and multinationals operating across Africa. Public sector institutions, government agencies, development organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social enterprises are also eligible.

The initiative additionally welcomes chief executive officers, managing directors and business leaders advancing sustainability within their organisations, alongside professionals working in sustainability, environmental, social and governance (ESG), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and impact-driven initiatives.

Nominations can be submitted through three routes: self-nomination, organisational nomination and peer nomination. This allows applicants to put themselves forward or receive nominations from their organisations, industry colleagues and other stakeholders.

Institutional and media partnerships

The rankings are being delivered in collaboration with several institutional and media partners, including the African Union (AU), African Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Global Compact, Forbes Africa, African Sustainability Network and BusinessDay Media Group.

The partnership reflects the growing role of sustainability in Africa’s economic transformation and long-term development.

Entries open on October 12, 2026, and close on November 20, 2026. The final rankings are scheduled to be announced on December 4, 2026.

Ken Egbas, Founder of The SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards, said the rankings would provide an independent platform for assessing sustainability leadership and measurable impact across Africa.

“For the first time, Africa will have a credible and independent platform dedicated to identifying and ranking organizations, CEOs, and sustainability professionals creating measurable impact across the continent. These rankings represent an important milestone in Africa’s sustainability journey and will serve as a benchmark for excellence, innovation, leadership, and long-term value creation.

“Over the last two decades, The SERAS has championed sustainability accountability and impact across Africa. Through these rankings, we are creating a platform that not only recognizes outstanding performance but also inspires organizations and leaders to accelerate their contribution to the continent’s sustainable future.

“As sustainability becomes increasingly central to business success, investment attraction, stakeholder trust, and organizational resilience, we encourage every organization, CEO, and sustainability professional making a meaningful contribution to Africa’s development to participate and showcase their impact.”

The rankings are expected to serve as a reference for investors, policymakers, development institutions, consumers and other stakeholders seeking to identify leading sustainability organisations and individuals driving positive change across Africa.

Interested organisations and individuals can submit nominations through the official website, www.theseras.com.

Source: BrandCrunch