YALI’s Africa-based leadership program provides transformational training to young African leaders between the ages of 18-35. There are four YALI Regional Leadership Centers (RLCs) located at African institutions of higher education, which offer in-person, online, and hybrid training.

Established through public-private partnerships, the RLCs capitalize on the dynamism of the private sector and the institutional capacity of African higher education institutions. Modeled on servant leadership, the holistic curriculum offered at the RLCs develops and supports a professional network of uniquely trained, highly qualified leaders in three tracks of study: Civic Leadership, Public Management, and Business and Entrepreneurship.

RLC graduates become alumni, who are motivated to be a positive force for transformational change in their communities, and committed to give back through training other leaders. YALI’s leadership training centers also offer some sector-specific training on contemporary African issues such as waste management, electrification, digital training, and education to develop young and transformative African leaders who are ready to tackle the most pressing problems on the continent.

Recruiting and Selecting Motivated and Talented Changemakers

To be selected for YALI’s leadership training programs offered at the RLCs, applicants must demonstrate a commitment to addressing challenges in their communities, organizations, or countries. Prior professional experience is also required. This experience can be paid or volunteer work, but must show the applicant’s inherent desire to transform their communities and the African continent.

Our programs have a well-established demand, which means admission to a YALI RLC is highly competitive. More than 2,000 individuals compete for an average 100 spots in each cohort. Cohorts are comprised of three tracks, and if selected, participants receive intensive leadership training in one of three areas:

  • Civic Leadership: Ideal for civically-engaged citizens who aspire to serve the public through non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, or volunteerism.
  • Public Management: Ideal for young professionals who aspire to work in various levels of government including regional, national, international, or publicly-minded organizations or think tanks.
  • Business & Entrepreneurship: Ideal for aspiring or emerging entrepreneurs who take on leadership roles within the private sector or build their own business ventures on the continent.

RLC West Africa, Accra is headquartered at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), and the language of instruction is English. Participants may complete training in one of two ways. The online training consists of eight weeks of courses online, whereas the hybrid training involves two weeks online, followed by three weeks of in-person training in Accra. Both the online and hybrid programs are followed by eight weeks of mentoring and internships or community service, then four weeks of report writing.

RLC West Africa, Dakar is headquartered at the Centre Africain d’Etudes Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG), and the language of instruction is French. Participants may complete training in one of two ways. The distance training consists of eight weeks of asynchronous, remote work, while the hybrid training involves two weeks online, followed by three weeks of in-person training in Dakar. This RLC serves all of the Francophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

RLC Southern Africa is headquartered at the University of South Africa’s Graduate School of Business Leadership (UNISA) in Pretoria, and the language of instruction is English. The RLC also runs Portuguese language cohorts a couple of times every year for the Lusophone community in Southern Africa. Participants may complete training in one of two ways. The distance training consists of seven weeks of fully online coursework, while the hybrid training involves two weeks online, followed by three weeks of in-person training in Pretoria.

RLC East Africa is headquartered at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya. Training is administered through a four-week residential program, and the language of instruction is English.

To apply for leadership training, visit the website of the RLC that covers your home country.

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Map of Africa showing the four Regional Centers for YALI