Heirs Holdings has cemented its position as one of Africa’s most aggressive investment groups after three of its portfolio companies were ranked among the continent’s 50 fastest-growing businesses in the 2026 Financial Times and Statista annual ranking, with Heirs Life Assurance posting a compound annual growth rate of 147.85 percent to claim seventh place on the continent.
Redtech secured 32nd position with a CAGR of 69.66 percent, while Heirs General Insurance placed 41st with a CAGR of 60.02 percent, making the group one of a select number of African investment firms whose portfolio companies were simultaneously driving growth across insurance, fintech, payments, and digital infrastructure.
The group attributed the performance to a long-term investment approach anchored on sustainable value creation, innovation, and infrastructure development, describing the recognition as validation of the Africapitalism philosophy championed by its Chairman and Founder Tony Elumelu, which positions the African private sector as the primary catalyst for economic transformation and social progress across the continent.
Redtech processed transactions valued at over $27 billion during the period compared to $8.9 billion in 2024, accelerated its merchant acquisition drive through partnerships with MoMo PSB and United Bank for Africa, and deployed more than 55,000 point-of-sale terminals nationwide within 16 months. Beyond Nigeria, its payment infrastructure supports transactions across five UEMOA countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal.
In the insurance space, Heirs Insurance Group launched what it described as Nigeria’s first multi-language generative AI insurance assistant and introduced the inaugural Heirs Insurance Travel Festival, the first travel insurance festival in Nigeria.
