The Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 spotlights four Ghanaians—Jackline Acheampong (Gyakie), Free The Youth, Dr. Khadija Owusu, and Darlington Ahiale Akogo—whose bold contributions in music, fashion, and technology are redefining Ghana’s global presence. These young innovators, rooted in Ghanaian culture, have earned international acclaim for their creativity and impact. This article profiles their ages, work, and accolades, offering ways to support their vibrant legacies.
In 2025, Ghana’s youth are rewriting the nation’s story, with these four Forbes honourees embodying a fusion of cultural heritage and cutting-edge innovation, as celebrated by GhanaWeb and Forbes Africa. Gyakie’s soulful anthems echo Ghana’s highlife roots, while Free The Youth’s kente-laced streetwear electrifies global runways. Dr. Owusu and Akogo tackle Ghana’s healthcare challenges with tech, uplifting communities and inspiring the diaspora. Their Forbes recognition highlights their role in driving Ghana’s creative and economic surge, from music festivals to tech hubs, making their stories essential to amplify. Supporting these stars strengthens Ghana’s position as a cultural and technological beacon in Africa.
Here are the Ghanaians that made it to the list:
1. Jackline Acheampong (Gyakie), Musician, Age 25
“I want to thank my fathers, my brothers and sisters, and my mothers who came all the way to support me. I want to thank MTN Ghana Foundation—they gave me this wheelchair. God bless you.”
“I thank my fans, my supporters, and everybody. I also thank MTN Ghana for giving us this platform to raise awareness and continue helping children with cerebral palsy,” Martha said in an emotional speech after receiving the award.
Kumasi-born Jackline Acheampong, known as Gyakie, is a 25-year-old Afro-pop prodigy whose honeyed voice weaves Akan proverbs into silky highlife and Afrobeats grooves, earning her a 2025 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 spot in the Creatives category. Her single Forever soared on African and UK charts, while her upcoming album After Midnight (August 2025) promises raw storytelling, recorded in her father’s Kumasi studio.
Gyakie’s accolades include a 2024 BET Awards Viewer’s Choice nomination, 2025 TGMA nods for Artiste of the Year, and a 2024 Ghana Music Awards UK win. Her Afrochella 2024 set, infused with Ga chants, drew 20,000 fans, cementing her as Ghana’s global music envoy. Forbes Africa’s cover feature hails her as a voice for Ghanaian youth, blending nostalgia with ambition.
She has forged notable international collaborations that elevate her Afro-pop and Afro-fusion sound. She teamed up with Nigerian star Omah Lay for the Forever remix (2021), winning the International Collaboration of the Year at the 2022 Telecel Ghana Music Awards. Her 2023 track Flames with Nigeria’s Davido blended highlife with Afrobeat energy, while Scar with UK rapper JBEE fused Afro-fusion with British rap. Gyakie also featured on Paradise (2022) with South Africa’s AKA and Musa Keys, merging Ghanaian and South African vibes, and collaborated with Ghanaian-born KJ Spio on the soulful Days Pass By (2024), showcasing her global versatility.
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2. Free The Youth, Fashion and Art Collective
Free The Youth, an Accra collective of creatives, is a fashion dynamo whose electric streetwear fuses kente’s vibrant threads with urban grit, securing their 2025 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 place in fashion and philanthropy. Their 2024 Africa Fashion Week collection, with Adinkra symbols like Gye Nyame hand-stitched onto bomber jackets, sparked a deal with a global sportswear giant in 2025.
The collective’s Osu art workshops, mentoring 50 young designers, earned a 2024 Ghana Youth Impact Award. Their pop-up at London Fashion Week 2025 drew influencers, showcasing Ghana’s style on a world stage. Free The Youth’s bold aesthetic, born in Accra’s bustling markets, redefines African fashion with unapologetic swagger.
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3. Dr. Khadija Owusu, Medical Innovator, Age 28
Tamale’s Dr. Khadija Owusu, aged 28, is a medical visionary whose diagnostic app for rural Ghanaian clinics landed her on the 2025 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list for healthcare technology. Her startup, HealthLink Ghana, uses mobile tech to detect malaria early, serving 10,000 patients in Northern Region villages, earning her a 2024 African Health Innovation Award.
Owusu’s app, inspired by her grandmother’s battle with undiagnosed illness, integrates Twi-language interfaces for accessibility. Her 2025 TEDxAccra talk, viewed by thousands online, championed women in STEM, per Forbes Africa. Owusu’s work transforms Ghana’s healthcare landscape, blending empathy with innovation.
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4. Darlington Ahiale Akogo, AI Innovator, Age 29
Accra’s Darlington Ahiale Akogo, 29, is an AI pioneer whose Mino Health AI Labs earned him a 2025 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 spot for technology. His AI platform, developed in his Legon dorm, diagnoses tuberculosis with 95% accuracy, serving 30 Ghanaian hospitals and cutting wait times, winning a 2024 African Innovate Award and a 2025 Ghana Tech Excellence Award. Akogo’s tech, trained on local patient data, tackles Ghana’s TB crisis, as featured in Forbes Africa.
His 2024 AI Summit talk in London drew Google’s interest, elevating Ghana’s tech profile. Akogo’s relentless drive, sparked by a childhood hospital visit, positions him as Ghana’s tech lodestar.
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Gyakie, Free The Youth, Dr. Khadija Owusu, and Darlington Ahiale Akogo, the four Ghanaians on the 2025 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list, are lighting up the world with their music, fashion, and tech wizardry. From Gyakie’s soul-stirring hooks to Akogo’s life-saving AI, they’re weaving Ghana’s heritage into global triumphs, sparking pride across the nation. Dive into their work, share their hustle, and join the wave of Ghana’s 2025 rise, where these young guns are crafting a legacy that’s anything but ordinary.
