About Sheila Afari

Sheila Afari is a dynamic, multi-award-winning entrepreneur with a passion for Africa and showcasing its brands and talent.

Over the past 15 years, Sheila Afari has been working in the events, fashion, lifestyle, technology and entertainment space; having created a niche market for herself with her self-named company, the Sheila Afari Group, servicing clients from territories such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Botswana, Mozambique, Cameroon, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

With award titles and recognition such as Rising Star, Top 5 South African Business Women In Media, Best Publicist, Africa's Most Influential Women in Business and Government, 50 Black African Women Entrepreneurs To Watch, and African DOers Power List, just to highlight a few, Sheila Afari's reputation precedes her.

Having built a name for herself for the communications work she has done building the brands of some of Africa’s biggest personalities, Sheila Afari has established one of the leading independent PR & Music Services agencies in Africa.

As an advocate of entrepreneurship in Africa, Sheila Afari strongly believes entrepreneurship is THE solution Africa desperately needs to combat unemployment and is passionate about mentoring young entrepreneurs to get started on their journeys.

When Sheila Afari is not working you will find her blogging, writing, reading, doing yoga or hosting guests at home for a meal.

Background

Sheila Afari was born in Ghana and grew up in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. She was a highly engage student both at high school and at tertiary level, where she held numerous leadership positions, participated in various sporting activities, and volunteered at several organisations.

Sheila Afari holds a Bachelor of Social Science Degree in English and Psychology from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Psychology from the University of South Africa (UNISA). She also has a certificate in Public Relations from UCT.

Her entrepreneurial journey began when she founded an events lifestyle company in 2008 called Lavish Industries. Sheila Afari later co-founded a company called Design For Style (DFS) in 2010, where she served as its Director. DFS offered emerging fashion designers a platform to enter the fashion industry by showcasing their designs through fashion shows and managing the retailing of their collections for them. Sheila Afari resigned as DFS’s director in 2013, but still remains an avid supporter of young designers.

In 2012 Sheila Afari started her self-named company, the Sheila Afari Group, which currently comprises of Sheila Afari Public Relations, Sheila Afari Properties, Music Services Africa, and Front Page Media (home to online publications: Moziak Magazine, Batswadi Magazine, PREVIDAR, Front Page, Noire Culture, and The Music Review).

Awards / Career Highlights / Industry Recognition

2023: World Women Leadership Congress & Awards – Global Woman Leader
2023: MEA Markets African Excellence Awards – Most Dynamic Public Relations Experts - South Africa
2022: Tropics Magazine African DOers Power List - 700 Most Influential Africans
2020: Africa Brand Leadership Awards - Africa’s Best Brand – Sheila Afari Public Relations
2020: PRISM Awards – Arts & Entertainment Bronze winner - Samthing Soweto Isphithiphithi album campaign
2020: PRISM Awards – Arts & Entertainment Special Mention - Ami Faku brand & Imali album campaign
2019: Accenture Rising Star Awards – Entrepreneur winner
2019: Wiki Mzansi – Top 5 South African Business Women In Media alongside Basetsana Kumalo, Khanyi Dhlomo, Connie Ferguson and Bonang Matheba
2019: Ghana Awards SA – Business Person Of The Year nominee
2019: Ghana Awards SA – Most Influential Person nominee
2018/2019: Tropics Changemakers Awards – Best Publicist
2018: CEO Global Pan African Awards – Africa's Most Influential Women in Business and Government Awards - Country winner, sector SME
2018: CEO Global Pan African Awards – Africa's Most Influential Women in Business and Government Awards - Regional winner, sector SME
2018: Entrepreneur Magazine – 50 Black African Women Entrepreneurs To Watch
2017: CEO Global Pan African Awards – Africa's Most Influential Women in Business and Government Awards - Finalist
2017: Ghana Awards SA – Business Person Of The Year finalist
2015: Ghana Awards SA – Best Business Of The Year (small/medium)