Rwandan international referee, Salima Rhadia Mukansanga, on Wednesday, March 8, received the 2023 FORBES Woman Africa Sports Award in a colourful awarding ceremony held in Pretoria, South Africa.

Mukansanga was among outstanding women recognized during the 2023 FORBES Africa Women Awards presented during the FORBES Africa Women Leading Summit.

The 34-year-old, who became the first African woman to officiate at the Men’s football World Cup in Qatar 2022, won the top prize replacing South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker who won the prize in 2022 after becoming the first woman to swim the 200m breaststroke in less than 2:19:00 where she won a gold medal and set a new world record at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The Rwandan referee was also listed among the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 100 Africa Influential Women in 2022.

The FORBES Woman Africa Leading Women Summit, during which Mukansanga received the award, is an event that brings together the who’s who of female leadership on the continent and beyond from the world of business, politics, art, sports, civil society and life; a unique collection of female trailblazers who are distinct in their thinking but single-minded in their purpose all for a new, equal and thriving world.

Since its inception, the FORBES Women Africa Leading Women Summit has honoured International Women's Day on March 8 as an annual celebration commemorating the achievements and resilience of women across Africa and the world.