Connie Ferguson and Charlize Theron top Forbes Africa icon list

Actress, businesswomen, producer and director Connie Ferguson has featured in a prestigious celebrity list due to her many accomplishments in the entertainment industry.

The Queen actress made the 100 icons list for Forbes Africa magazine’s 100th issue. With a career spanning more than two decades, the actress has shown consistency over the years since her most popular role in Generations as Karabo Moroka.

Forbes Africa says the list hallmarks celebrities’ ideas, inventions and influential roles as models that have helped Africa’s growth over the last decade.

Ferguson landed on the number three spot, but she wasn’t the only South African who made the list. It includes The Daily Show host Trevor Noah, academy award winning actress Charlize Theron who came in at number three,  Yvonne Chaka Chaka, DJ Zinhle, Caster Semenya, Bonang Matheba, rapper Nasty C, veteran actor John Kani, fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, at number two, and rugby player Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, who landed in ninth spot.

Forbes Africa 100th icon list. Picture: Screengrab

At number one was international Nigerian superstar Davido. The publication said this was because of his music accomplishments, winning multiple awards such as BET awards and MTV awards.

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Theron’s social justice campaigns such as her support for Nigeria’s social movement #EndSARS last year and publicly  standing up against the brutal, corrupt, and murderous Special Anti-Robbery Squad were notable reasons why she made the list.

This is not the first time either of these stars have appeared on a Forbes list, Ferguson appeared on the cover issue in September 2018. Davido made the richest under 30 list in the same year, while Theron appeared in the top 10 most paid actresses in 2019.

Ferguson reached another career milestone in 2020 when one of her shows with husband Shona Ferguson, Kings of Joburg, landed on Netflix to much praise.

ALSO READ: Shona and Connie Ferguson’s Kings of Joburg launches in December