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The African Spelling Bee was founded by ALI Fellow Roger Dickinson in 2015. Currently, 15 African countries participate in the spelling bee, these include Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The African Spelling Bee was started with the vision of celebrating the African Child, inspiring them ...

2019 has been an intense year. In terms of our political, economic, environmental and social contexts, it has often been a year of painful attrition of the good. Most in the news, perhaps, has been the impact of the accelerating implosion of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), in particular Eskom and SAA. Political credibility has been as badly hit as business confidence. The results of the political...

Dear ALI Fellows, By now, some of you would have heard about the passing of Ali Mufuruki, the Founder and Chairman of Africa Leadership Initiative East Africa. Ali left us in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Morningside Clinic in Sandton, Johannesburg. My condolences to Ali’s family; Saada and daughters, Leila, Zahra, Sofia, and son Tighenye. We share the deep pain that you are feeling ...

In September, ALI’s Class 10 Fellows had their second reunion at the idyllic Miarestate Hotel in the Eastern Cape. The Fellows spent time engaging in thought-provoking conversations, which were guided by readings that included A Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan, On the Shortness of Life by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, and Wide Open by Dawna Markova. The main topic of discussion was state-owned enterprises...

Remgro-controlled telecoms group Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH), the parent company of Dark Fibre Africa and Vumatel, has appointed ALI Fellow Raymond Ndlovu as CEO. CIVH has ambitious growth plans, and Ndlovu’s primary role is to drive a diversified wholesale, open-access ICT infrastructure business. He knows the business well, as he has been investment executive and a manageme...

Scientists predict the first person to live to 200 has already been born. “Just imagine what you could achieve…” muses Lesedi Ndaba, the world’s first 200-year-old, blowing out her birthday candles in 2218, in a Sanlam advertisement. But in what state – mentally or physically – will we be when we hit the 200-year mark? In his expeditions around the globe, journalist Ban Buettner [1] ...

In October, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) announced its new board, after a scrupulous review of its governance structures. ALI Fellow Tsakani Maluleke (Class VII: Dinatla) has been appointed to serve as the new chairperson of the board. SAICA’s mandate is to serve the interests of the chartered accountancy profession by upholding professional standards and integr...

South Africa has lost a literary disrupter, political activist and an ardent beacon of love, power, hope and truth. Sandile Dikeni passed away on Sunday, 10 November 2019. He was celebrated for being a prominent storyteller whose familiarity with racism, poverty and exclusion enabled him to use his words as ammunition to speak against the behemoth that was the apartheid regime.  Born in Victoria...

As a member of a global network of industry pioneers in the private and public sector, and civil society, we value the act of honouring all Fellows of the Aspen network. This month, we would like to recognise and highlight the achievements of Dr Arturo Condo, a Fellow of the Central America Leadership Initiative (CALI), a foundation that is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.  Espou...

ALI Fellow Lesego Sennelo (Class X: Seed) is a qualified chartered accountant with a passion for human resource development and economic empowerment. Many of the roles that she has taken up in her career have focused on the empowerment and advancement of African women, particularly in the finance sector. Lesego served as the president of the African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) Forum from 2...

With over 15 years of experience in the financial services and investment space, ALI Fellow Refilwe Moloto (Class XI: Tekano) is making great strides in the media and broadcasting industry. A financial analyst turned media doyenne, Refilwe started her journey with radio as a business and finance news contributor on the Afternoon Drive with John Maythamon CapeTalk. Thereafter, she landed her own a...

Since it’s promulgation, the National Health Insurance Bill has been a topic of hot discussion, with varying opinions and perspectives coming to the fore. On the 30th of September, ALI will be hosting a public dialogue centred around the NHI, which was announced at the National Assembly on the 8th of August. ALI Fellow Dr Malixole Percy Mahlathi, Class V: Mayihlome, will be chairing the discuss...

The Resnick McNulty Action Forum is a platform of engagement aimed at bringing together Fellows of the Aspen Global Leadership Network—a network that ALI is a proud member of. The Resnick McNulty Action Forum facilitates conversations around professional development and active citizenship. Every year, the Forum welcomes more than 350 entrepreneurs from over 30 countries to discuss the most pres...

ALI Fellow Linda Mateza (Class IX: Tariro) has been appointed as the new chief executive and principal officer of the Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (EPPF). The appointment comes as no surprise considering her wealth of experience and knowledge in managing pensions and investments across asset classes, including equities, bonds, property and money market investments. Linda holds a Master’...

The McNulty Foundation, in collaboration with the Aspen Institute, has announced the 2019 Laureates for the 12th annual John P. McNulty Prize. ALI Fellow Joshin Raghubar (Class IV: Kalipha) has been recognised as a remarkable tech and social entrepreneur, using his “expertise, experience and networks to build and lead transformative social impact ventures” in South Africa. According to the Mc...

About three years ago, at the end of my several years as a ‘wandering Jew, I started thinking about hosting an ideas festival for the African world. My extended period of dabbling, following the winding up of NEXT in Nigeria, was coming to an end, it seemed clear to me, as my mind reset itself. In retrospect, the direction I have now embarked upon should have seemed obvious; I was going to fin...

Four years ago, I started an organisation called Grassroot. I had been living in China and India for almost a decade before coming home. During my time abroad, I was inspired by how collaborative efforts can bring about a significant change in a community. In India, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) had organised millions of women from poverty-stricken societies to do everything, fro...

Media freedom is under attack across the world, and the World Editors Forum (WEF) – the leading global network for print and digital editors – is a critical defender of both press freedom and editorial excellence. This month, ALI-WA member and head of BBC West Africa, Toyisi Ogunseye, was elected vice-president of the WEF. The new president, Warren Fernandez, is editor of the Straits Times a...

“Three bankers who are shaping how banking will look in the next five years,”reads an article in the latest issue of the Forbes Africa magazine. “One runs the new kid on the block; the other a bank that has risen from the ashes; the third is spearheading a traditional bank’s transformation in 11 African countries. A glimpse into the future of banking…” The banker who is running th...

Isaac Shongwe, co-founder of the African Leadership Initiative (ALI), was honoured last month with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the South African Professional Services Awards(SAPSA). Explaining the objective of this awards initiative, Sipho Mncwabe, Regional General Manager of the Sanlam Gauteng Region, highlighted that it gives visibility to disciplines that are desperately needed in this cou...

PEG has completed a US$25m Series C round from existing and new investors to take its total raised to date to US$50m. PEG will use this latest round of investment to cement its position as a market leader in West Africa, where it already has operations in Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal. US$20m of this round is in debt, with CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution, arranging a $1...

As many are aware, over 2 million people have now been affected by Cyclone Idai and its aftermath in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. As part of the response to this crisis, ALI Fellow, Roger Dickinson is part of a coordinating team looking to work with stakeholders to respond appropriately and with a medium to long term view. We are currently working with the South African Council of Churches, H...

The Africa Leadership Initiative is excited to announce that Chairperson of the Board of Control at Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), Khanyisile Kweyama, will be joining us for our next dialogue on the 18thof March 2019. The topic of discussion will be: Delivery, Integrity and Leadership in South Africa’s SOE’s. During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2019 State of the Nation Addr...

Had it not been for a behind-the-scenes initiative of two like-minded women, Caster Semenya would not have had the financial muscle to challenge the International Association of Athletics Federations IAAF. Semenya’s legal representative Greg Nott has praised Bongiwe Mlangeni and Gloria Serobe for heeding the call to help raise funds from scratch to take the fight to the IAAF over their proposed...

  First Gear, then Asgisa, followed by a leftward shift took state-owned enterprises into the hands of rent-seekers On Wednesday on these pages fellow columnist John Dludlu argued that breaking Eskom into three subsidiaries will not resolve its fundamental problems, the primary one being a lack of leadership. Allow me to expand on that and add to his list. Eskom’s problems are rooted in th...

From finance to a fun winemaking experience, the allure of winemaking was enough to send stockbrokers Raymond Ndlovu and Kevin Swart to Franschhoek to start their own winemaking business. In this extract from Colour of Wine: Tasting Change, Ndlovu explains how his business accumen helped him grow their business. The wine business is fascinating. You meet a diverse range of people from all walks o...

10 years ago I established Chapter One Innovation, a business model research and development firm with the vision of being the platform off which market-winners, industry-leaders and world-changers are launched. Our vision is pursued by building and launching high-impact, listable organisational systems at scale and helping others to do the same. On the occasion of our 10th-year anniversary celeb...

Founded in 2009 by ALI alumni Dr’s Futhi Mtoba and Mothomang Diaho, TEACH SA was birthed with the objective of tackling the challenge of teacher shortages and the need for quality education in South Africa. The initiative comprises of young, talented graduates who are recruited and trained to become great ambassadors in the field of teaching – a healthy indicator for the future of educati...

ALI’s Board has for some time felt the need to appoint an Advisory Council –   a council of elders in a way, consisting of Fellows who have been actively engaged in the Fellowship for more than 10 years, or who have previously been on the Board. The intention is that this Council would play a support role to the Board’s activities, reflecting the diversity of the Fellowship and being ...

Our ALI Fellow, Konehali Gugushe, has recently been promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Land Bank and we couldn’t be prouder of the African woman power she’s exuding right now. Gugushe is part of the Fellow Class X: XSeed. Having been at Land Bank for almost four years, this soar up the corporate ladder was clearly just a matter of time. Previously, she was the Chief Risk Officer r...

ALI sends out a huge welcome to its newest Board member, Grathel Motau. She is an ALI Fellow of the tenth class of the initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Currently, Motau is an independent non-executive director of various boards including Metair Investments Limited, Afrocentric Investment Limited and Merafe Resources Limited. She also serves as a non-executive credit...

The inaugural Africa Impact Forum was a great success. Modelled on the Resnick Aspen Action Forum but designed specifically for the African context, the ALI Africa Impact Forum was initiated by the leadership of the Africa Leadership Initiative. This event brought together Fellows from ALI South Africa, ALI West Africa, ALI East Africa, ALI Mozambique, ALI Media, and the Young Africa Leadersh...

Dear Fellows, As we head into the end-of-year break, it’s time to look back on a most eventful 2018, reflect on our progress, and plan for 2019. What we were most excited about: We delivered two quality seminar experiences for Class XI; We built Pan-African ALI relationships through the inaugural African Impact Forum, and engaged and connected – or reconnected – many ALI Fellows; We told o...

Famously, Nelson Mandela said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ALI Fellows are taking that seriously. The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) analysis of South Africa’s education statistics makes for heartbreaking reading. Only 33% of matric candidates got 40% or higher for maths. Fewer than 30% of schools have a library; and fewer than 20% of go...

“History owes you nothing,” says ALI Fellow, Logan Wort. Click here to watch the full interview where he discusses his life experiences detailing his background as a young activist and his various encounters during the struggle days. Having been engaged all his life in the struggle for liberation movement, he believes today that all who were invested in the struggle are somewhat prisoners ...

Written by Cecily Carmona. The XSeed class met from 6 to 8 September in Magaliesburg, Gauteng and was moderated by the wonderful Tsakani and well attended by our class. We spent a wonderful two days catching up on personal, professional and political issues close to all of our hearts. The readings, selected by Tsakani, served as an excellent catalyst to stimulating discussions. Time flew by as we...

Opinion piece by Kayan Leung (YALI Nomvula Fellow) As September 24thcomes around, we celebrate a day and month, which remembers the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa,aimed at promoting unification and social cohesion. We’ve all heard it before, the ‘rainbow nation’ we are so proud to be a part of with its diverse, cultural melting pot and gen...

In a CNN interview, Tekano Fellow, Hugh Whalan shared insight on Ghana’s investment in solar power and the availability of mobile money services which has helped off-grid rural societies. While 80% of Ghana is powered up, the rural outlying areas do not have regular access to electricity. Government is aiming to electrify 90% of the country by 2020 having invested a substantial amount in t...

Every ALI class gets the opportunity to perform the Antigone play by Sophocles, and the recent group was no different.  Last month, ALI Fellows took to the stage to act in Antigone, a play where the theoretical essence is the conflict between individual conscience and the power of the state. The story is full of issues regarding leadership and the conflict surrounding this. Since its inception,...

2018 has been a magnificent year for ALI Media Fellow Phathiswa Magopeni. Her career reached a new high when she was recently appointed as Group Executive: News & Current Affairs at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). With the SABC’s commitment to attracting and retaining the best skills to address the evolving broadcasting environment enabled by technology, Magopeni was the ...

Gender Based Violence (GBV) in South Africa – Community-based Prevention and Empowerment Strategies in South Africa (COPESSA) Paradigm In his foreword to the 2002 World Health Organisation (WHO) Report on Violence and Health, Nelson Mandela wrote: “The twentieth century will be remembered as a century marked with violence. It burdens us with its legacy of mass destruction, of violence inflict...

To some, the rainbow nation may be as elusive as unicorns, but for South Africans who have known, and still know struggle, it’s the very reason we embrace and live the country’s democratic values everyday. ALI Fellows are part of this patriotic nation who observe and celebrate Heritage Month (September) for the monumental national milestone that it is. During September (and throughout the yea...

“There must exist a paradigm, a practical model for social change that includes an understanding of ways to transform consciousness that are linked to efforts to transform structures.” Bell Hooks – Author, feminist, and social activist. Many women across the globe, like Bell Hooks have stood, and still stand up for social justice issues that need urgent conversation and action. All ALI...

Founder of Power House Development Services (PDS) and African Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellow Advocate Boniswa Mzimba, is creating a new reality for widows all over South Africa. Widowed 16 years ago and following years of ad hoc work in support of vulnerable women, she formalised this passion by establishing PDS in 2015, an organisation which provides widow wellness, widow empowerment and med...

An initiative by Class IV:Khalipa Fellow, Dr Nobs Mwanda, CEO of COPESSA (Community-based Prevention & Empowerment Strategies – SA) ‘And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.’ Anais Nin When the youth of 1976 took on the education system of the time, I don’t know if they knew the depth of what their sacrifice would mean...

Opinion piece by Andrew Levy (YALI Mbewu Fellow) Youth unemployment has become the latest South African buzzwords. Everyone is speaking about it. Everyone is also trying to create their own incubator, solution or PR campaign and lining up their unspent skills development money and CSI funding to train unemployed youth. On paper this sounds like a fantastic idea and, while there is a lot of value...

With R2 million in personal savings as his start-up capital, Class XI: Tekano Fellow Malungelo Zilimbola established an asset management firm which today manages assets of R48 billion. With Zilimbola being the first-born son of two farmers, the significance of livestock as the original system of African wealth creation has been ingrained in his spirit – so it was only natural that he chose to n...

At the start of 2018, my reflection for the year was to: “Only speak when I have conviction.” It has guided my posture for the most part of this half year. It stemmed from a realisation that there comes a time when the right thing to do, or the thing that only you can do, is evident. While your actions might appear somewhat illogical to others, who might question your decisions or judgement, ...

There’s nothing quite like a crisis to reveal a group’s underbelly. Over the last 12 months, the veneer of Corporate South Africa has been stripped away by the brave actions of a few public-interest actors to reveal deeply unsavoury elements. KPMG, McKinsey, SAP, Steinhoff, Hogan Lovells, Bell Pottinger, Grant Thornton; any of these once-lofty brands can now reasonably be used as shorthand fo...

Class II ALI Media Fellow, Sikonathi Mantshantsha, deputy editor of Financial Mail, was recognised as the Sanlam Journalist of the Year 2017. Sikonathi also emerged as the winner of the Economy Category 2017, making him a twofold winner on the night! The awards took place last week Thursday, 21 June 2018 at Inanda, Johannesburg. The Sanlam Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism, honours...