Eric Ntumba is a man on a mission: to bring change to the African continent. And he is doing so by continually refining his leadership skills and by taking a firm stand on issues that affect the continent.

This proud alumnus of the North-West University (NWU) recently added yet another accolade to his already impressive curriculum vitae.

Earlier in the month he was included in the prestigious Choiseul 100 Africa 2018 list. The annual listing, conducted by the Institute Choiseul, identifies and ranks the 200 young African leaders of 40 years old and under, who will play a major role in the development of Africa in the near future.

The list features the likes of growing business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, investors, etc., who embody the dynamism and renewal of a whole continent and carry the hopes of an entire generation upon their shoulders.

As the head of corporate, private and diaspora banking at the Equity Bank of Congo in the Republic of Congo (DRC), Eric is blazing a trail of leadership excellence, and finds himself on the 140th position on the list.

In reaction to the listing, Eric says that he is very honoured to be regarded as one of the top 200 economic leaders of the future. “This is for me the recognition of an exceptional career and of my active contribution to the development of Africa.” He adds that the recognition serves as validation of potential and that it motivates him to continue to give his best.

More about the Choiseul 100 Africa list

Choiseul 100 Africa is represents an annual study by the think tank: “Choiseul Institute” which classifies the top 200 young African economic leaders of the future.

Several criteria were taken into account in order to classify the selected profiles: the image and reputation, the professional development and competences, the level of influence and leadership potential. The sum of the points obtained in the different categories of these criteria ultimately determines the place of each profile in the final ranking.

The top 100 are ranked from the 1^st to the 100^th place. A second list lists a hundred additional profiles ranked between 101^st and 200^th position in three categories: 3 stars, 2 stars and one star. Eric obtained a 2 star ranking.

More about Eric

Already during his student days at the Vanderbijlpark campus of the then Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE), Eric proved himself as an exceptional leader. Back then he was at the forefront of negotiations when the PU for CHE was merged with the former University of the North West (UNIBO).

As a first-year student, he was elected as the cultural officer on the Student Representative Council (SRC) and served as the SRC chairperson in 2003.

He obtained a BSc degree in information technology from the university and a diploma and master’s degree in public administration from the prestigious French School of Administration, ENA. Here he also represented students on the Administrative Council. During his studies at the university he received the University Council’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Services Rendered.

As a leader he has taken part in the inaugural Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders as well as the Africa France Young Leaders Programme.

In 2013 he was one of the first recipients of the coveted NWU Alumni Awards of Excellence.

Eric Ntumba.