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Lynette Chen, ALI SA Executive Director Across the world, elections and youth-led civic movements are placing trust, inclusion and accountability at the centre of public life. Young people are challenging corruption, economic exclusion and unresponsive institutions, reminding us that participation extends beyond the ballot box. South Africa faces its own important test on 4 November 2026, wh...

When introducing the dialogue, Dr Mzamo Masito did not begin with policy, statistics or ideology. He began with family. He spoke about two brothers whose lives took very different paths. One battled profound struggles before taking his own life. The other was remembered for kindness, generosity and an instinct to care for those around him. He also spoke about growing up without his biological f...

Once a year, ALI Fellows from across nearly two decades of classes return to De Hoek Country Hotel in the Magaliesberg for the ALI SA Good Society Seminar, now in its third consecutive year. From the inaugural class to recent cohorts like Class XIII: Akani and Class XIV: Pamoja, the GSS brings together Fellows spanning generations, all carrying that familiar and fiercely defended conviction tha...

What does a parliament built for a new generation look like? On Monday, 15 June 2026, the State of the Youth Address (SOYA) explored that question at the Homecoming Centre in District Six, Cape Town. The parliamentary-style event featured fourteen reimagined ministries, from the Ministries of menstruation and digital safety to imagination, mental health and employment, where young leaders set o...

On Tuesday, 30 June 2026, marches across South African towns and cities demanded that fellow Africans deemed “illegal” leave the country. For Dele Olojede (Class II: Kilimanjaro), the moment speaks not only to the country’s current political and economic failures, but to a painful rupture in the relationship between South Africa and the rest of the continent. Writing from the perspective ...

What does freedom mean for a young person who is politically free but economically stuck? In an article for the Sowetan, ALI SA Fellow Dr Steven Zwane (Class XVI: Umsimbithi) argues that entrepreneurship education is one of the most important missing pieces in South Africa’s response to youth unemployment. More than a pathway to business ownership, he presents it as a way to build agency, helpi...

Dean Villet, (Class XII: Isilimela), Country Director of the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, South Africa Getting into university is only one part of the journey. For many first-generation students, completing a degree and moving into meaningful employment also requires financial stability, academic guidance, wellbeing support and access to professional networks. How sustained support helps ...

Every once in a while, you see a moment in education that reminds you why words matter. In the video below, the KZN Department of Education celebrates South Africa’s African Spelling Bee champions and acknowledges the leadership of ALI SA Fellow, Roger Dickinson (Class II Kilimanjaro), CEO of the South African Spelling Bee and founder of the African Spelling Bee. The clip highlights how schools...

Bushra Razack, Class XVI: Umsimbithi Written by Bushra Razack (Class XVI: Umsimbithi) The Vital Voices Global Leadership Summit and Global Leadership Awards in New York this April brought together an extraordinary community of women leaders from across the world, creating a powerful space for reflection, connection, and renewed purpose. Hosted by Vital Voices in partnership with Estée Lauder, ...

What becomes possible when where you live no longer determines the quality of internet you can access? For ALI SA Fellow Van Zyl Botha (Class XIII: Akani), CEO of Herotel, that question is taking practical shape in Jouberton, Kanana and Siyabuswa, where fibre connectivity did not previously exist. The significance reaches beyond faster internet. Schools can gain access to video-based education, c...

ALI SA Fellow Gilbert Pooley believes the kind of experiential, coached learning that shaped his own leadership journey should not be reserved for a fortunate few. Through Tacit, he is exploring how technology can help make practice, feedback and support available at a far greater scale. What Changes People? It is a question Gilbert Pooley (Class XII: Isilimela) has spent much of his career tryin...

A LEGACY OF IMPACT: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2026 ALUMNI CELEBRATION On Saturday, 11 April 2026, the TEACH South Africa family gathered at the PPS premises for the 2026 Alumni Celebration. The event marked 18 years of impact, reconnection, reflection and the official launch of a renewed alumni movement. Founded as the brainchild of Drs Mothomang Diaho and Futhi Mtoba, both ALI SA Fellows from Class ...

When Crime Moves Faster Than Systems “If criminals are innovative, entrepreneurial, networked, coordinated and collaborating, why aren’t we?” For ALI SA Fellow Kim Robinson (Class VI: Tshelela), speaking in a Channel Africa interview on African Diaries, this question is more than a challenge. It is the starting point for her impact venture, the Pan Africa Justice Initiative (PAJI), which is...

For ALI SA Fellow Kayum Ahmed (Class VII: Dinatla), Rhodes Must Fall was never simply a student protest. It was a movement that challenged deeply held assumptions about liberation, education and power, forcing institutions and individuals alike to confront questions that could no longer be ignored. Those questions form the foundation of Theorizing Fallism: The Movement to Decolonize the Universit...

When institutions intervene to protect vulnerable people, does their responsibility end when the immediate crisis is resolved? In a thought-provoking Daily Maverick opinion piece, ALI SA Fellow Dr Brenda Kubheka-Chauke (Class XIII: Akani) examines a difficult question at the intersection of healthcare, ethics and children’s rights. Using a recent public debate about life-saving medical trea...

As South Africa marks 50 years since the 1976 Soweto Uprising, ALI SA Fellow Dr Steven Zwane (Class XVI: Umsimbithi) writes that June 16 cannot remain only a day of wreaths, speeches and remembrance. In his Sowetan column, Steven reflects on the courage of the students who confronted apartheid’s education system and connects that history to the pressures facing young South Africans today, inclu...

Public accountability is not only about rules. It is about whether institutions have the courage to stand behind the systems they create. In a recent Daily Maverick opinion piece, ALI SA Fellow Prof Busani Ngcaweni, Class X: XSeed, examines National Treasury’s criticism of an audit regime shaped by its own regulations. His argument raises a deeper leadership question: what happens when the rule...

ALI SA Fellow Thomas Brennan (Class XVI: Umsimbithi), CEO and Co-founder of Franc, has shared Franc’s inaugural Wealth Index Report, a data-backed look at financial wellbeing in South Africa. Drawing on almost 4,000 responses, the report sets South Africa’s national Wealth Score at 45 out of 100 and shows that behaviour is a stronger predictor of financial wellbeing than income, age or educat...

South African Tourism’s announcement of ALI SA Fellow, Ismail Dockrat (Class III: Seriti) as Chief Operating Officer from 1 May 2026 is a proud moment for both the organisation and the Laudium community he calls home. It signals a strengthening of South Africa’s tourism leadership at a time when the sector is sharpening its global ambitions and repositioning the country as a competitive, worl...

For ALI SA Fellow Olebogeng “Lebo” Thubisi, Class XVI: Umsimbithi, leadership is not defined by title alone. His appointment as CEO of Abax Investments marks an important new chapter, but he sees the role less as a personal milestone and more as an opportunity to build, strengthen and serve. “Stepping into the CEO role is both a privilege and a responsibility,” he reflects. “For me, it ...

ALI SA Fellow, Sindi Mabaso-Koyana’s (Class VIII: Mahube) appointment as chair of the MTN South Africa board marks a significant milestone for the ALI SA community and a powerful affirmation of values-based leadership in action. Taking up this role at one of Africa’s leading telecoms companies, she will help steer a business that sits at the heart of digital and financial inclusion on the con...

ALI SA Executive Director and Fellow, Lynette Chen As we head into the new year of the Fire Horse, I can’t help but feel that we have entered into a world ablaze with fury and fire. Wars are redrawing borders, families are being displaced at staggering rates and a pervasive sense of fragility hangs over the global community. Each day’s news cycle reminds us not only of how volatile our...

When a nation’s lies harden into “glue”, leadership faces a particular kind of test. In this provocative reflection, ALI SA Fellow Prof Busani Ngcaweni (Class X: Xseed) traces how deception in South Africa has shifted from isolated untruths to a structural feature of our politics and public life. He argues that power “lies for a living”, that myths of progress, permanence and exception...

As CEO of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and an ALI SA Fellow (Class XII: Isilimela), Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela has announced SAHPRA’s approval of Lenacapavir, a six-monthly pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) injection to help prevent HIV infection in adults and adolescents at high risk. Describing the registration as a “game-changer” in a country with on...

ALI SA Fellows at SWEAT Africa 2026 Left to Right: Futhi Mtoba Class II: Kilimanjaro), Joshin Raghubar (Class IV: Kalipha), Prof Tulio de Oliveira (Class XV: Khawuleza), Andi Kawa (Class VIII: Mahube)   “How do we help more young Africans build, not just dream?” That question helped launch SWEAT Africa, which grew from an early conversation into a two-day accelerator in Stellenbosch on 1...

Some of South Africa’s most impactful education reform over the past decade was ignited by a unique collaboration between ALI SA Fellows. Three leaders, united by a shared commitment to evidence, accountability and impact, triggered a change that is reshaping the future for South African learners. The Data Driven Districts (DDD) programme was established in 2012 through a public-private partner...

Award-winning journalist and ALI SA Class VI: Tshelela Fellow, Moipone Malefane, is showing how leading with strong values in media can help others get opportunities. Through Vutivi Business News, the digital platform she founded in 2020, Moipone is giving South Africa’s small businesses a stronger voice while creating opportunities for emerging business journalists to gain practical experience...

ALI SA celebrates Class II: Kilimanjaro Fellow Roger Dickinson, CEO of the National Spelling Bee, who has helped turn a simple competition into a meaningful platform for literacy, confidence and connecting young learners. Through A Better Africa Foundation and its partnerships with the Department of Basic Education and civil society, the National Spelling Bee now reaches children across all 12 of...

ALI SA moderator and Class XII: Isilimela Fellow, Sharmi Surianarain recently invited us to reflect on moderation as an act of love in a world overflowing with opinions and crowded conversations. Drawing on her lifelong relationship with books and language, Sharmi explores what it means to “hold space” in difficult dialogues—particularly those around race and justice. She reminds us that re...

Two ALI SA Fellows, Justice Malala (ClassII: Kilimnjaro) and Mondli Makhanya (Class III: Seriti), have just released a timely podcast on SONA 2026 and the 2026 Budget Speech. In a context of slow growth, fiscal strain and rising public frustration, they unpack what SONA revealed about South Africa’s priorities – from economic reform and infrastructure to crime, water and state capacity – an...

Photo Credit Business Unity SA We’re proud to celebrate Khulekani Mathe, CEO of Business Unity South Africa and ALI SA Fellow from Class IX: Tariro, on being named African Leadership Magazine’s Person of the Year 2026 in Accra, Ghana. This honour recognises his leadership in strengthening business–government engagement and advancing evidence-based economic reform in South Africa...

As part of the 2026 Globalisation Cycle, candidate fellows from the Class XV Khawuleza cohort participated in seminars held in different parts of the world, engaging with leaders from across the Aspen Global Leadership Network. These gatherings brought together fellows from diverse countries, industries and perspectives to reflect on leadership in an increasingly interconnected and complex global...

ALI SA congratulates Fellow Professor Reza Daniels on his appointment as Dean of Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (FEMS). Your values-based approach strengthens our shared mission to develop Africa’s visionary leaders. We sat down with Professor Daniels to explore his vision. Here is what he shared. Charting Economic Leadership from Stellenbosch &#...

We are delighted to celebrate Moshoeshoe Monare, ALI SA Fellow Class XV: Khawuleza, on his appointment as group head of Corporate Affairs at Primedia. Bringing nearly three decades of media leadership and governance experience, he steps into this strategic role at a pivotal time for South Africa’s media and communications landscape. To view the full article, read it HERE. Source: Bizcommun...

On a warm evening late January 2026 in Johannesburg, the ALI South Africa community gathered to welcome Class XVI into a fellowship that asks a simple but demanding question: what will your leadership mean for generations to come? The atmosphere was exciting and vibrant, with the room buzzing from the moment alumni Fellows and the newly selected Class XVI members began mingling with each other. R...

On 7 February 2026, Fellows, faculty and families gathered at De Hoek Country Hotel to celebrate the graduation of the ALI Young Leaders Motheo Class, the sixth cohort of the programme. It was an afternoon that reflected the spirit of the fellowship: thoughtful, creative and hopeful about the leadership work ahead. A highlight of the ceremony was the Motheo Class performance of “Antigony – Th...

The inaugural class, Kwibuka, of the Bloomberg Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellowship is mourning the passing of their classmate, award-winning journalist and author Ufrieda Ho, who recently succumbed after a long and brave battle with illness. Ufrieda was widely admired for her gift of storytelling — her ability to illuminate the human condition with empathy, clarity, and purpose. ...

We are pleased to introduce the newest members of the ALI South Africa Fellowship! Our new cohort of Class XVI Fellows represents a diverse cross-section of professional industries. We extend our gratitude to all who submitted nominations. Your insights have been invaluable in identifying leaders committed to societal impact and principled leadership. Class XVI’s exceptional group of indivi...

Neo Muyanga, ALI SA Fellow When Neo Muyanga (Class III: Seriti) received the 2025 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Best Sound Design, Original Music, Soundscape or Live Performance, the moment carried a profound sense of honour and validation. For Neo, this award is a celebration of the collective vision and passion that brought Manje! Manje! to life. “It is an honour to receive the ...

Alan Storey, ALI SA Fellow This month, ALI SA celebrates the outstanding achievement of Alan Storey (Class IX: Tariro), who has been awarded the 2025 Andrew Murray Desmond Tutu Prize for his book, The Bell, Banners and Blasphemy. In a conversation that echoes the values of our fellowship, Alan’s story is one of imagination, courage and unwavering commitment to justice—a story that reminds u...

Andrew Zaloumis, ALI SA Fellow “Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.” This African proverb rings true in the journey of Andrew Zaloumis (Class VI: Tshelela), whose legacy in conservation leadership continues to inspire across borders. As the driving force behind iSimangaliso Wetland Park’s rise to UNESCO World Heritage status, Andrew set a benchmark for v...

“A single seed can start a forest; a single Fellow can spark a movement.” Mpadi Makgalo, ALI SA Fellow In April 2025, the Aspen Global Leadership Network announced the recipients of the 2025 McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund. Among the six global awardees is ALI South Africa’s own Mpadi Makgalo (Class VI: Tshelela), honoured for her pioneering work with HEAL South Africa. This recognition pl...

Garth Japhet, fixlocal Founder Tired of electricity and water outages, potholes, or sewage flowing into your streets? fixlocal is here to help! Across South Africa, local government is responsible for providing essential services, yet all too often, it is “Missing In Action”. Many South Africans, despite paying rates and taxes, feel frustrated and despondent, unsure where to begin when fac...

Mounted Police in the Eastern Cape A significant step towards safer, more resilient communities has taken root along the Wild Coast. On Monday, 19 May 2025, the SAPS Mounted Unit began permanent patrols in this region—a development made possible by the collective determination of community members, traditional leaders, NGOs, the media and local partners. This partnership stands as a powerful e...

Gareth Morgan, ALI SA Fellow Gareth Morgan (Class XIII Akani), the Executive Director of Future Planning and Resilience – City of Cape Town, has co-authored a powerful new guide with Peter Willis: Becoming Good at Crises – A Field Guide for Leaders. This book arrives at a time when leaders everywhere are being tested by the pace and complexity of crisis and it offers a clear, practical p...

Globalisation seminar of international AGLN Fellows having some fun at Holi Festival in Jodhpur, India In a world marked by shifting alliances and deepening divides, the Globalisation Seminar in Jodhpur, India, offered our Fellows a rare space to connect, challenge and reflect. Simon Freemantle and Cobus van Wyngaard (Class XIV: Pamoja), both committed to values-based leadership, share their expe...

In the lead-up to SALDRU’s landmark conference: South Africa at 30 Years of Democracy, held in April 2025, a powerful partnership between the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) and the Africa Leadership Initiative South Africa (ALI-SA) catalysed a series of bold, high-level policy dialogues. Designed to challenge assumptions and forge new pathways, these engagements b...

At a time when global headlines threaten to obscure the lived realities of South Africans, our nation’s leaders are called to respond with clarity and conviction. The following statement, crafted by white South African Christian leaders, is a testament to the power of ethical leadership and collective responsibility. With unwavering commitment to justice, these leaders challenge misrepresentatio...

Basani Maluleke, ALI SA Fellow We congratulate Basani Maluleke (Class IX: Tariro) on her appointment as Group Executive for Capitec’s personal bank division. Basani’s leadership journey reflects the values and vision we advocate at ALI SA—integrity, innovation and a commitment to meaningful change. With a wealth of experience, including her tenure as CEO of African Bank and four years sha...

Reza Daniels, ALI SA Fellow ALI SA is pleased to share the news of Fellow Reza Daniels‘ (Class IX: Tariro) recent appointment as the Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University, effective 1 November 2025. Reza, who also directs the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), brings considerable ...