Three portfolio companies under Heirs Holdings have been recognized among Africa's top 50 fastest-growing businesses in the 2026 Financial Times Africa's Fastest-Growing Companies ranking, reinforcing the group's position as a leading investment firm on the continent.
Recognition and Rankings
Published annually by the Financial Times in partnership with Statista, the ranking honors companies that demonstrate strong revenue growth, innovation, market expansion, and economic impact across Africa. The recognized companies include Heirs Life Assurance, which ranked seventh with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 147.85 percent; Redtech, which placed 32nd with a CAGR of 69.66 percent; and Heirs General Insurance, ranked 41st with a CAGR of 60.02 percent.
Significance of the Achievement
According to the group, this recognition reflects the growing strength of the Heirs Holdings ecosystem and validates its long-term investment strategy focused on innovation, financial inclusion, infrastructure development, and sustainable value creation across Africa. The milestone also reinforces the impact of Africapitalism, a philosophy introduced by Chairman and Founder Tony Elumelu, which positions Africa's private sector as a major driver of economic transformation, business growth, and social development.
Innovations and Achievements
Across its portfolio, the group continues to build and expand businesses that deliver innovation and measurable impact in sectors such as insurance, technology, payments, and financial services. Recently, Heirs Life Assurance and Heirs General Insurance, both members of the Heirs Insurance Group, launched Nigeria's first multi-language GenAI insurance assistant, positioning the group at the forefront of insurance innovation in Africa. The Heirs Insurance Group also hosted the inaugural Heirs Insurance Travel Festival, described as the first travel insurance festival in Nigeria, which advocated for fairer visa policies, stronger bilateral agreements, and a more inclusive travel ecosystem for Africans.
Fintech and Payments Growth
In the fintech and payments sector, Redtech has processed over $27 billion (equivalent to N37.2 trillion) in transactions to date, more than triple the over $8.9 billion (equivalent to N12 trillion) processed by the end of 2024. The company recently partnered with MoMo PSB and United Bank for Africa to expand merchant payment access across Nigeria. Redtech has deployed more than 55,000 RedPay POS terminals within 16 months across merchant locations nationwide. Additionally, its RedPay infrastructure supports payments across five UEMOA countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal, strengthening cross-border payment accessibility and digital financial infrastructure across West Africa.
Commitment to Transformation
Heirs Holdings stated that the Financial Times recognition highlights the ability of African businesses to build globally relevant solutions while driving innovation, inclusion, and economic transformation at scale. The company, a leading pan-African investment firm with interests spanning financial services, power, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, and technology, remains committed to improving lives and transforming Africa through strategic long-term investments.
