The SERAS Will Launch Sustainability Rankings in 2026
The awards program will debut new industry benchmarks during its 20th anniversary year this December.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Organic Food
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The SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards will open entries on October 12, 2026, for its inaugural Sustainability Industry Rankings. This new initiative marks the program's 20th anniversary and seeks to establish a credible benchmark for sustainability across Africa.
Why it matters
The rankings aim to create a rigorous standard for measuring environmental stewardship and social impact, encouraging entities to prioritize accountability. By highlighting leaders in sustainability, the program hopes to inspire improved responsible business practices continent-wide.
The inaugural list will feature the Africa Top 100 Organizations, Africa Top 50 CEOs, and Africa Top 50 Sustainability Professionals. These figures celebrate the 20th anniversary of The SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards.
The players
The SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards
This is a long-standing organization dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility and sustainable development across the African continent.
African Union
The continental body is an institutional partner supporting the new ranking initiative to elevate sustainability standards.
African Development Bank
This multilateral development finance institution serves as an institutional partner for the sustainability evaluation program.
United Nations Global Compact
This UN initiative acts as an institutional partner to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies.
Forbes Africa
This media organization is an institutional partner providing platform coverage and recognition for the sustainability rankings.
The details
Private and public sector institutions, government agencies, NGOs, and individual business leaders can participate via self, organizational, or peer nominations. Participants are evaluated on four key pillars: environmental stewardship, social impact, ethical governance, and responsible business practices.
Timeline
Entries open for the sustainability rankings on October 12, 2026.
The window for submission closes on November 20, 2026.
Final rankings will be unveiled on December 4, 2026.
Culture Shift
The initiative follows the precedent set by the United Nations Global Compact sustainability standards by localizing global accountability metrics. This marks a departure from general awareness campaigns toward a structured, competitive ranking system for African businesses.
Businesses and leaders should prepare their documentation regarding social impact and environmental stewardship to participate in the nomination process. Participating organizations may gain significant industry visibility and benchmarking data to improve their internal sustainability efforts.
The takeaway
This initiative signals a shift toward data-driven accountability for sustainability across Africa. Interested entities should begin their nomination process early to ensure all necessary metrics are captured before the November deadline.
What happens next
Entries for the rankings are scheduled to close on November 20, 2026, followed by the announcement of the final rankings on December 4, 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in sustainable practices at Organic Food.
More information
Submit your nomination or learn more about the evaluation criteria on the Sustainability rankings nomination portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Marketing Edge Magazine.
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