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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,...

Founded by Dr. Percy Malixole Mahlathi, Selizwe Leadership Academy will be hosting a symposium to introduce the idea of alumni investing in their Alma Mater on a collective basis by showcasing live examples of what alumni are experiencing in the Colosa Senior Secondary School situation; a focus on alumni role in nurturing a rural school. Alumni Activism: An Untapped Resource for Nurturing Scho...

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...

In the debate about land expropriation without compensation, the voice of Justice Albie Sachs is critical. As both a member of the Constitutional Committee and a former judge of the Constitutional Court, he has a deep understanding of the rationale for and implications of the principles and demands of Constitution. Equally, he has a deep understanding of the amendments that would need to be made,...

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...

We’re delighted to announce that Réjane Woodroffe has joined the Board of ALI SA. She is a Fellow of the 7thclass and an active member of the Fellowship; read her ALI profile here. Réjane is Director and founding member of an extraordinary venture, Bulungula Incubator, and spends much of her time in that community in a remote part of the Eastern Cape. We are particularly grateful, with the g...

What responsibility do today’s leaders have? by Anthea Houston (Class II: Kilimanjaro) In the past six months, much has been written and said in the Press, in social media, and in various public forums, about ownership and control over South African land. Much of this debate has been inflammatory and divisive, and frequently it has been blatantly racist. If we listen beyond these emotive voices...

We’re pleased to announce a programme of opportunity for ALI Fellows to engage with the complex challenges facing South Africa today. What drives a more equitable and inclusive society? We are at a crossroads as a society. Our historic strategies to build an inclusive society and shared prosperity have not yielded the desired results. What is our way forward and what is our new vision that we c...

Conventional wisdom tells us that the Chinese are buying up Africa faster than any other investors. It tells us that African banking lags in terms of innovation and reliability and that no African country is at the forefront of global innovation. But conventional wisdom is often wrong and it is important to recognise that we don’t have the Africa we think we have. What do I mean? Perhaps we can...

Odette van der Haar, a Fellow of Class IX Tariro, is making a career leap: from heading up the industry body of the South African advertising and communications sector, she will be taking up the position of CEO, J Walter Thompson Johannesburg, on July 1, 2018. Effectively, this means she’s moving from being a referee, to being a player. In her 11 years as head of the Association for Communicati...

Nicola, a Class XI Tekano Fellow of ALISA, set up the Click Foundation to aid the use of technology in education and pursue outcomes-based interventions using data to drive decisions and impact. The Foundation’s founding premise is that the correct use of technology can shift the education paradigm in an efficient, cost-effective and scalable manner. The Foundation’s primary project is the im...

Talk by Class I Fellow Ralph Freese. The land question is not simply about who stole whose land and when. It is not simply about dispossession and colonialism. It should be about addressing poverty and inequality now. It should be about utilizing national assets to provide jobs and changing the economic base to minimise poverty and create that “better” life for all. We are at risk of the la...

The Africa Leadership Initiative bids farewell to Aspen Institute’s former Executive Vice President for Leadership and Executive Director of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program, Peter Reiling, who has left the Aspen Institute from the 1st May 2018. For more than a decade, Peter Reiling has been instrumental in overseeing the Aspen Institute’s growing portfolio of leadership initiatives and sem...

The Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) is pleased to announce and introduce Class XI: Tekano (Sesotho name for ‘Equality’). The class is brimming with formidable African leaders who have demonstrated their capacity to lead with integrity and uphold values that can shape and benefit their communities. These impeccable Fellows, ranging from Lawyers to engineers, from historians to cons...

The Africa Leadership Initiative kindly welcomes its new programme manager, Sulungeka Dazana (BCom, MAP, MBA). Sulungeka brings to the table a wealth of experience in Marketing and Communication, Content Management, Strategy, Corporate Communications and Public Relations. She has served in numerous broadcasting houses where she has helped deliver compelling content to viewers. In her landmark car...

Following a due process of interviews and assessments internally and externally, Nedbank Group is pleased to announce that Dr Terence G Sibiya has been appointed as Managing Executive: Rest of Africa & Subsidiaries. He will be responsible for leading and managing the Rest of Africa and subsidiary businesses and to ensure that they grow and achieve the key strategic objectives of building scal...

The Africa Leadership Initiative lauds and celebrates our very own Fellow, Basani Maluleke (Class IX: Tariro) for a historic rise as the first black woman to head a commercial bank in South Africa. On the 1st April 2018, Basani Maluleke, an attorney by profession, took the mantle as the new chief executive officer of the African Bank. With years of experience in corporate finance, and an unwaveri...

We will not allow you to dishonour the name of our mother with innuendos and adjectives. A giant has fallen. When the news came that my mother, Mama Winnie, had passed away, I was filled with great sadness as I’m sure many of you were too. But as I was listening to leaders of our movement and in particular exiled comrades lamenting her passing, my heart filled with anger and outrage. Adjectives...

The ALI Africa Impact Forum aims to provide our Fellows with a platform to deeply connect and engage on matters of significance to the whole continent. In so doing, deepening the pool of influential, effective and ethical leaders across Africa who assume personal and collective accountability for the “Good Society”. To add to this esteemed event, on our panel of guest speakers we have, Dr Nko...

Johannesburg, 2 February 2018 Professionals from various organisations gathered at a gala dinner in Montecasino Ball Room on the evening of 1 February 2018 to honour the best amongst them. The South African Professional Services Awards sponsored by Sanlam were being hosted for the third time after a rigorous process of determining winners through strict criteria. Sally Hutton of Webber Wentzel wa...

This is a story of a young boy whose love of the game gave him a purpose to aspire to when life as he knew it changed forever. His passion for soccer was a silver lining during the darkest days of illness. Then his life changed again when he was given the opportunity to referee his beloved sport through Diski Nine9. Not only is Fezile Hlope the youngest referee in South Africa, he is also a role ...

On 29 November 2017, the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD) proudly announced the launch of its GP Care Cell in Atteridgeville, Tshwane, by the Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa. The launch will take place at Dr Shange’s practice, one of the five GPs involved in the initial stages of the one year pilot. FPD is funded on a six-year award by PEPFAR through USAID to work in partners...

ALI SA Fellow Basani Maluleke of Class IX: Tariro, is in the running for African Bank CEO. Not only that; she may very well be the first black female bank CEO on South African shores. As Brian Riley’s tenure as the current African Bank CEO comes to an end, South Africa may be ushering in the first black-and-female bank CEO. The “good bank”, as African Bank is affectionately known, has put h...

In light of the recent cabinet reshuffle by President Jacob Zuma, the debate around energy has taken centre-stage in the South African socio-economic politics. From Eskom’s ambitions of building a 59 billion-rand nuclear plant by 2025, to the Department of Energy’s eagerness to get Russia to construct a trillion-rand nuclear facility. The discussion around energy is an important debate that s...

As a non-party political organisation, ALI aims to be a safe space for a diverse spectrum of beliefs within an ethical and values-based framework. We recognise the value in having all fellows’ voices heard. We accept that in the invite for the Nuclear Build workshop, the alternative perspective on nuclear energy was not canvassed. We accept that it is important to include all viewpoints on thes...

The Africa Leadership Initiative graduated the 10th Class of values-based leaders. On the 24th of September 2017, the Africa Leadership Initiative graduated another cohort of exceeders, Class 10. The 10th class, impeccably self-named Class XSeed, concluded their fourth and final seminar (The Challenge of Leadership Seminar) at the Spier Wine Farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The graduation cere...

“My vision for Africa is that my daughter, and any other African child being born today, can be whoever they want to be — here in Africa, without having to leave. And they can have the possibility of transcending the circumstances under which they were born.” — Ory Okolloh Introduction Accept it or not, Africa is slowly rising from the dire challenges that have seemingly held the con...

Introduction During August, Africa Month 2017, Joseph Makamba Busha (Class IX: Tariro), the founder of JM Busha Investment Group, oversaw yet another successful JM BUSHA 54 RACES event. The initiative facilitates and hosts a series of programs across the continent with a mission of encouraging peace and unity. Below is a transcript of a speech he delivered in Cape Town to launch the JM BUSHA 54 S...

YALI Fellow Raymond Ledwaba, 2015 alumni of the MBA World Summit, agreed to partner with MBA World Summit organisers to bring the MBA World Summit to South Africa in 2018. “We are happy and proud of the opportunity to host the MBA World Summit in partnership with the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business to be able to put emphasis on the immense challenges the African continent in...

In the spirit of Women’s Month, the Africa Leadership Initiative hails Woman of Substance; an annual accolade ceremony initiated by the African Women Chartered Accountant Forum (AWCA). AWCA works to advance the interests of qualified and aspiring African female CA’s across South Africa. The forum is led by Lesego Sennelo (Class X: XSeed) who is the President of AWCA, a qualified Chartered...

Introduction In the early 50’s, cotton was Uganda’s second highest cash crop contributing close to 25% of its total agricultural exports. Sadly, by the 1970’s (during the reign of Idi Amin) the figure had descended to 3% and the government was growing pessimistic in reviving the industry. As time passed, most farmers abandoned cotton and turned to other crops, mainly due to the labo...

Vacancy Summary Organisation: Africa Leadership Initiative (South Africa) Role: Project Manager Job level: Mid to senior level Type: Permanent Reports to: Executive Director Location: Preferably Cape Town (Johannesburg is an option) Start date: 1 November 2017 About the African Leadership Initiative It is well known that Africa continues to face social and economic challenges. It is also eviden...

On July 29th, the Aspen Institute and the McNulty Foundation announced that ALI SA Board Member, Bruce Robertson has been named as one of the 2017 Laureates for the tenth annual John P. McNulty Prize. Robertson is a Fellow of the inaugural class of the Africa Leadership Initiative-South Africa and a moderator for the Aspen Global Leadership Network.  His project TRAIL (Transforming Agriculture ...

On July 29th, The Aspen Institute and Anne Welsh McNulty announced the 10th annual John P. McNulty Prize Laureates. Watch the announcement   The Laureates are five extraordinary leaders from across the world who felt the moral imperative to act, and who have used their entrepreneurialism and professional expertise to address seemingly intractable challenges in their communities. From trai...

Since 2008, the McNulty Prize has recognized life-changing ventures from Aspen Global Leadership Network fellows. “A Decade of Impact — 10 Years of the McNulty Prize” – A short film looking back at the Prize, our Laureates, and their amazing work. 2017 marks the tenth awarding of the John P. McNulty Prize, the Laureates of which will be announced at the Resnick Aspen Action Fo...

In all efforts to create another cohort of formidable Fellows, who possess impressive notions that uphold ‘good society’ values; ALI SA is pleased to announce the extension of the Class XI nominations for a further two weeks, from the 25th of July to the 9th of August. Do you know exceptional executives and professionals? We are seeking outstanding leaders, leaders who possess outstan...

Dear Fellows, Thank you to those of you who attended the ALI dinners and gave your input with regard to the positioning and future of ALI. It is clear that whilst our purpose is to develop the next generation of values-based African leaders, Fellows are expecting ALI to facilitate greater coordinated action by Fellows on issues that are important in upholding a commitment to the Good Society and ...

YALI: Leading societies through the energy of youth and the power of integrity Following the success of the Africa Leadership Initiative, Isaac and Khumo Shongwe founded a younger generation of ALI, which is today known as YALI: The Young Africa Leadership Initiative. The motive behind the conception was to reach out to Africa’s future leaders in their younger days and prepare them to lead thei...

What emerged at the recent ALI dinners in Johannesburg and Cape Town are that there are three key dimensions that fellows want to take forward to increase engagements with ALI. Although the ALI Fellows appreciate that ALI needs to be non-aligned, and is a platform to develop, nurture, and inspire leaders to act in their individual capacity, it was felt by fellows that we are in a moment in our h...