African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks to transform Africa by developing a powerful network of over 6,000 leaders who will work together to address Africa’s greatest challenges, achieve extraordinary social impact and accelerate the continent’s growth trajectory.
ALA identifies young leaders between the ages of 16-19 from across the continent with demonstrated leadership potential, a passion for Africa, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a track record of community service. These young leaders are then brought together for a two-year pre-university programme centred on a unique Entrepreneurial Leadership and African Studies curriculum at our world-class boarding institution in Johannesburg, South Africa. ALA continues to cultivate these leaders throughout their lives, in university and beyond, by providing on-going leadership training, supporting their growth through access to internships and careers, and connecting them to high-impact networks of people and capital that will empower them to create transformative change.
ALA’s leadership model can be distilled into three essential components: seeking young Africans with the potential for leadership, embedding them in the practice of leadership through applied learning, and enabling access to networks of opportunities and resources that will enable their further growth, learning, and impact. We aim to develop the future Nelson Mandela, the next Wangari Maathai, and the African Bill Gates.
Our Programs
Two Year Pre-University Program - Each year, we identify young leaders between the ages of 16-19 from across the continent with demonstrated leadership potential, a passion for Africa, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a track record of community service. These impressive leaders undergo an innovative two-year program that strongly focuses on Entrepreneurial Leadership and African Studies.
Catalyst Term - Catalyst Term at ALA is a study-abroad experience that develops catalysts of positive social change. Each term, 10-15 Catalyst students from international secondary schools join ALA's community of young African leaders and engage in our Entrepreneurial Leadership program and our honors-level, pre-university curriculum.
Global Scholars Program -The Global Scholars Program (GSP) is an intensive, three-week, global leadership summer program for a select group of secondary school students from across the world.
The Anzisha Prize
The Anzisha Prize seeks to award young entrepreneurs who have developed and implemented innovative solutions to social challenges or started successful businesses within their communities. 12 finalists from across Africa will win an all-expenses paid trip to South Africa to be a part of a week-long entrepreneurship workshop and conference at the African Leadership Academy campus on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The grand prize winners, selected from these finalists, will share prizes worth $75,000 USD.
