London, UK//- The 2026 BCA Business Book of the Year Award has been won by It’s About Tyme: Banking Beyond Borders by Adrian Saville & Bruce Whitfield.
The winners received a trophy and a cash prize of $10,000 at the award presentation, which took place at the Institute of Directors in London on Friday, July 3, 2026.
The judges praised the book for its honest and compelling storytelling and insights, revealing the ins and outs of banking and entrepreneurship in South Africa, and an African company that has managed to go global.
The book came tops for what the judging panel described as its “compelling narrative, practical business lessons and strong contribution to African business storytelling.”
The BCA African Business Book of the Year, which is in its 4th year, celebrates the most compelling business writing that examines and shapes Africa’s economic imagination – from leadership memoirs and sectoral deep‑dives to bold analyses of the continent’s future.
The Kay Whiteman Memorial Lecture, held alongside the award ceremony, was delivered by Arunma Oteh OON, Nigerian British economist, Chair of the Royal African Society and former Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria and Vice President and Treasurer of the World Bank.
Her lecture focused on the African opportunity and how Africa holds a disproportionate share of the solutions to the world. In her words – “There is no version of a sustainable future that does not run through Africa.”
The runner-up prize was awarded to Making It Big by Femi Otedola, philanthropist, self-made entrepreneur and Forbes-rated billionaire, for what the judges hailed as an insightful entrepreneurial journey with leadership lessons.
The second runner-up prize went to How We Made It in Africa by Jaco Maritz, whose book was recognised for its accessibility, relevance to SMEs and entrepreneurs, and its broad representation of African business success stories, many lesser-known but highlighting the realities of building businesses on the continent..
The runners-up both received cash prizes of $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.
This year’s award was supported by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Africa’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, and was judged by a panel made up of respected African business and thought leaders, alongside top media executives: Arnold Ekpe, Chairperson of BCA, and chair of the Judging Committee, Chris Ogbechie, former Dean of Lagos Business School, Terhas Berhe, Managing Director and Founder of Brand Communications, Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Business and New African magazine, Moky Makura, CEO of AfricaNoFilter and Anver Versi, Editor of New African and African Banker magazine.
Commenting on the significance of the awards, Arnold Ekpe said: “At a time when Africa’s role in the global economy is changing rapidly, serious and informed writing on business has never been more important.
The Africa Business Book Awards exist to champion excellence in this field, to elevate African perspectives, and to ensure that the achievements, opportunities, and challenges of African enterprise receive the attention they deserve.”
Speaking at the event, Samaila Zubairu, president and CEO of AFC, noted that “These awards matter because we want to celebrate authors who do more than document history. We want to celebrate authors who document what Africans have built because nothing builds conviction like evidence of execution…Books that capture those stories do more than preserve history; they build confidence.”
