A new generation of African leaders with a social conscience is emerging – and it’s exciting to witness
By Gemma Thompson
With the loss in recent years of great leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Tito Mboweni, many South Africans – and Africans – are lamenting the erosion of ethical leadership in our society. I believe exactly the opposite: given my recent experiences with a cohort of bright young African leaders, I can attest to the fact that our continent’s future is in good, safe and highly capable hands.
As head of development for Good Work Foundation, I was fortunate enough to be selected for last year’s Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship programme, hosted by the African Leadership Institute and Oxford Saïd Business School.
It’s an invigorating programme that helps participants understand how to lead themselves, how to lead others and how to lead effectively on our multifaceted continent that is so full of potential. Politicians, bankers, owners of start-ups, professionals, entrepreneurs, trailblazers from NGOs and artists converged – all doing incredible work in their respective fields, and all invested in Africa and its boundless possibilities.
Through an intensive programme of workshops over several months in Cape Town, and at Oxford Saïd Business School, our group of 24 passionate young leaders drawn from across Africa explored some of the challenges and opportunities facing our continent. What emerged over and over in conversations with academics, business leaders and thought leaders is the impending “youth bulge”. More than 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25 and, by 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 42% of global youth, according to the World Economic Forum.
Seeing opportunities for Africa to thrive
While some doomsayers portray this youth proliferation as negative, the emerging leaders I encountered see it as an extra motivation to work to expand education, development and employment opportunities for our continent’s young people. They say: challenge accepted!
These patriotic Africans strongly contend that Africans already have all the tools we need to thrive economically and socially: the brainpower, the resources, the humanity and the will. We are committed to finding ways for all Africans to flourish, not just the elites benefiting at the top.
These are under-40s with big brains and even bigger hearts. They are not ego-driven, and have a large capacity for empathy and self-reflection. And they are all passionate about pan-Africanism – seeing the whole continent succeed, not just their own countries.
What else makes these budding leaders stand out? They have immersed themselves in their own education, acquiring skills and building their careers. Now, they want to pay it forward to others.
The strong slant towards social justice espoused by these leaders reminds me of our Bridging Year Academy students at GWF, where we help young adults bridge the gap between school and further education, the workplace or entrepreneurship.
Our students come from rural schools where there might be only one teacher for every 50 learners, making the chances of a teacher having a meaningful conversation with her charges, let alone inspiring them, slim. These students have to search hard for mentors who are available to listen to their hopes and dreams.
Empowering young people to lead
Especially in areas where economic opportunities are few and far between, it’s easy for young people to fall through the cracks. Bombarded with Western media images of materialistic, aspirational lifestyles that seem a million times removed from their lived reality, many could feel hopeless and overlooked. But sometimes simply listening to young people, and giving them the opportunity to work or study, can open up entire new worlds of possibility for them. Feeling like you are seen and heard can make a monumental difference to your confidence.
We’ve seen this in action at GWF. For instance, there’s one of our hospitality graduates who is working at a lodge waiting tables, who puts in extra unpaid time staffing the reception desk to improve her skill set. It’s something small, but it shows initiative and appreciation for being given opportunities. Every small act of self-improvement counts – it need not be on a large, grand scale to be meaningful and inspirational. This is a determined young woman who is just at the start of her own personal leadership journey. Who knows what she may yet achieve?
Others reveal their leadership potential through word and deed, stepping up with quiet authority when called upon. By way of an example, we have trained incredible young leaders in Mpumalanga to take the reins as our campus and programme managers. They lead through example – both on our digital learning campuses and in their respective communities.
They know leadership is not about issuing top-down orders, but rather about empowering others in their communities to lead themselves. Their leadership ethos is anchored in ancient wisdom and values; it comes from a genuine place of improving the self and the greater community. They are taking up the moral leadership baton of their elders and running with it. And education is unlocking these doors for them.
All of this gives me hope for the future of South African and African leadership – for Africans, by Africans.
I emerged from the Tutu fellowship programme enriched, brimming with fresh ideas to implement in our rural education space and feeling buoyed about our future. It was heartening to see concrete evidence that there is no leadership vacuum in Africa. Now, it’s up to all of us to be receptive to these new, youthful leaders with their fresh ideas. We need to somehow bottle their collective energy and harness it for the good of the continent and the globe.