YALI Regional Leadership Centre Southern Africa 2020: Cohort 20 (Fully-funded)

Deadline: Ongoing

Applications are open for the YALI Regional Leadership Centre Southern Africa 2020: Cohort 20. The RLC SA will develop the young African leaders in Business and Entrepreneurship Development; Civic Leadership; and Public Management and Governance through a hybrid of innovative and complimentary approaches that include contact sessions; online mentoring; online self-paced tuition; industry placements and experiential learning.

The centre will have year-long access to the state-of-the-art facilities at the Unisa School of Business Leadership in Midrand, South Africa for the English speaking participants. The same program will be replicated in Mozambique for Portuguese speaking participants as a way of reaching and opening access to the disadvantaged lusophone communities. Contemporary African issues such as HIV/AIDS, gender, responsible leadership and technology will also be infused into the program to develop young and transformative African leaders. The productive partnership with the local and USA universities; private sector partners as well as the regional bodies such as SADC and the African Union will contribute to the improved quality of the program as well as the access, reach and delivery mechanisms.

About

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. The need to invest in grooming strong, results-oriented leaders comes out of the statistics: nearly 1 in 3 Africans are between the ages of 10 and 24, and approximately 60% of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35.

Objectives of the RLC SA

• To provide the platform and tools to empower dynamic young Africans
• To awaken their innate leadership potential for the benefit of Africa and its global partners.

Benefits

• There is no fee to apply for or participate on the program. Successful applicants will be provided round-trip transportation to the program, lodging, meals, and course materials.
• All other costs will be at the participant’s expense.

Eligibility

The program is open to young African leaders aged 18 – 35 years old depending on their level of experience and track record in their chosen sector.

Participants must meet the following criteria:

• Age (18-35)
• English language proficiency
• A commitment to positively impact Africa, their own countries as well as communities
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities and interest in Public Management, Entrepreneurship Development and Civic Leadership
• Commitment to serve the development agenda of the African continent
• Citizen of: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Kingdom of Eswatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Selection Process and Criteria

Selection for participation in the YALI RLC SA will be conducted by a selection panel which will use the following criteria to evaluate applications:

Requirements

• A proven record of leadership in public service, business and entrepreneurship, or civic engagement. They can be new entrants in public and private service institutions looking to develop their leadership abilities.
• Proven record of knowledge, interest, and professional experience in the sector/track selected.
• Proven record of active engagement in public or community service, volunteerism, or mentorship.
• Selected participants applying for the contact session must be willing to travel to the RLC SA in Midrand, Johannesburg or Maputo for the duration of the program.
• A commitment to apply leadership skills and training to benefit your country and/or community after the program.

Skills

• Good interpersonal and communications skills
• Knowledge of youth leadership and development issues
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Demonstrate the ability to work in a small or large team setting
• Proven computer skills
• Cultural sensitivity
• Positive attitude
• Dedication, responsibility and reliability

Over and above, the intended beneficiaries of the program include the following:

• Rural based and economically disadvantaged communities
• Young leaders living with disabilities
• Young leaders in lusophone countries
• Women
• People who are HIV positive or who are living with AIDS
• Organisations that represent and advocate for the rights of LGBTI communities across the region

Application

Click here to apply

For more information, visit YALI RLC.