Applications Open for YALI Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa Program!

Deadline: 18 March 2018

Who will empower and lead these young Africans? Who will shape the future of business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, and public management? In order to answer these questions, YALI promotes three models designed to identify and empower young leaders: the YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship, YALI Network, and now the establishment of Regional Leadership Centers across Africa.

Applications are open for YALI Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa Program that 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.

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.

Aims

Create critical thinkers
Solve complex and multidisciplinary problems
Foster entrepreneurial thinking
Innovative use of information, knowledge and opportunities
Encourage communication and multicultural collaboration
Create awareness of contemporary African issues

Objectives

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.

Eligibility Criteria

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
- Portuguese speaking participants will be accommodated in the Mozambique Hub at UEM
- 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
- Young leaders from the following countries are eligible to participate in the programme: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Please note: Participants from Tanzania and the DRC should apply for Yali RLC East Africa.

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.
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