News

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...

ALI Fellows, Dr Mothomang Diaho and Dr Futhi Mtoba’s TEACH Initiative Continues to Affect Positive Change Armed with a passion for quality education in its entirety, TEACH South Africa’s objective to nurture a generation that embraces science and mathematics, as opposed to retiring to the status quo that, “Mathematics is not my strong suit,” (Lerato Mathenjwa), is well underway. When the ...

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...

Having continued in the footsteps of those who gave her the opportunity to grow and empower herself, president of the African Women Chartered Accountants Forum Lesego Sennelo discusses what she had to do to make it in the industry, the opportunities it offers and how-to for those who would like to pursue a career in accountancy, as well as how far we are in South Africa with producing mentored ...

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...

Ory Okolloh tells the story of her life and her family — and how she came to do her heroic work reporting on the doings of Kenya’s parliament. This talk was presented at an official TED conference. Read the full Transcript here. ...

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...

Uninsured, expectant mothers can now gain affordable maternity care. Riedwaan Jabaar (Class X: XSeed) is the Co-founder and COO of PPO Serve (Professional Provider Organisation Services). He is also the former Executive Committee Member and Head of Health Intelligence at Discovery Health. PPO Serve is an integrated healthcare management company, with a vision of transforming the commercial health...

ANALYSIS Three women who are ANC royalty are now officially in the race for the party’s presidency in December. We analyse the contest and assess the campaigns of all three. Baleka Mbete At the weekend, the party’s chairperson and Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete threw her hat into the ring for the second time. It was reported in January that she was running to become part...

Dear ALI Fellows, As previously communicated we were required to delay the recruitment of the 11th class. We have now decided to go ahead with the recruitment of the 11th class to be launched in March 2018. Many of you previously nominated candidates and we will look at all previous nominees. We are also reopening the nomination process for the 11th Class of the Africa Leadership Initiative. Th...

Dear ALI Fellows, The leadership of the South African, East African, West African and Mozambican chapters of ALI have committed to hosting a joint Africa wide Fellowship event to be called The ALI Africa Impact Forum. The event will be modelled on the Aspen Action Forum and allow the African Fellows to engage on issues of relevance for the continent. A steering committee has been appointed with...

Against the backdrop of State Capture and South Africa’s credit rating downgrade, the Africa Leadership Initiative held its 3rd ALI Leadership Dialogue of 2017 on Wednesday, 24 May 2017 (under Chatham House Rules) to discuss the issues that continue to dominate public debates on the future of democratic governance. Speaking at this dialogue was the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jon...

Chinezi Chijioke (Class X: XSeed) Co-Founder and the CEO of Nova Pioneer Education Group, a network of accessible 21st century private schools across Africa, announces that all their schools are now operating under one holistic brand. Pioneer Academies (South Africa) and Nova Academies (Kenya) are now officially Nova Pioneer: Schools for Innovators & Leaders. The Nova Pioneer vision is to tra...

The Africa Leadership Initiative takes this opportunity to congratulate Fred Swaniker (Class III, Seriti), the founder and CEO of Africa Leadership Academy, which is a pan-African secondary school. A few weeks back, Fred Swaniker was bestowed with an honorary doctorate from the Middlebury College in Vermont, USA. A similar honor from the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa was also awarded ...

Increasing decoupling of economic growth and labour absorption is creating insecurity and widening inequality We are in a period of human and planetary transition. The techno-capitalist-driven decoupling of economic growth and labour absorption is accelerating, creating insecurity, widening inequality and despair. The planet’s ecological system, which supports all life, is racing faster towards...

Dear Fellows, I am writing to inform you that, after three years as Programme Manager for ALI South Africa, Sedibeng Ngubane has decided to leave ALI in order to apply all of her focus and energy on a new business venture. Sedi will be leaving at the end of May, but will still take responsibility for completing the final seminar of Class X (XSeed).  Sedi will also be joining us for the African ...