The African Leadership Academy (ALA) is an
educational institution
An educational institution is a place where people of different ages gain an education, including preschools, childcare, primary-elementary schools, secondary-high schools, and universities. They provide a large variety of learning environments a ...
located in
Roodepoort
Roodepoort ( ) is a city in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality, Roodepoort became part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg municipality in the late 1990s, along with Randburg ...
on the outskirts of
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, for students between the ages of 16 and 19 years old, with current alumni coming from 46 countries.
Founded in 2004 by
Fred Swaniker, Chris Bradford, Peter Mombaur, and
Acha Leke, ALA officially opened in September 2008 with an inaugural class of 97 students. ALA seeks to transform Africa by identifying, developing, and connecting the next generation of African leaders. To achieve this goal, ALA teaches a two-year curriculum in
African Studies
African studies is the study of Africa, especially the continent's cultures and societies (as opposed to its geology, geography, zoology, etc.). The field includes the study of Africa's History of Africa, history (pre-colonial, Colonisation of Af ...
, Writing, Rhetoric and
Entrepreneurial Leadership, as well as the usual academic core subjects.
History
Around 2004, the founders of ALA, launched
Global Leadership Adventures
Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) offers high school study abroad programs where students engage in service-learning in Belize, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador (Galápagos Islands), Fiji, France (Guadeloupe), Ghana, Gu ...
, a summer program that would be a precursor to ALA.
In 2006, Swaniker and Bradford were recognized by Echoing Green, who described them as ''two of the 15 best emerging social entrepreneurs in the world''. In 2007 the initial campus was confirmed, and
Christopher Khaemba was announced as the inaugural Dean of the School. The current dean of African Leadership Academy is Derek Smith.
ALA campus
The campus is located in Honeydew, on the outskirts of
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
. Students share a
dormitory
A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...
, and there are modern facilities including a sports field, a 450 seater auditorium, classrooms and a dining hall. In 2016, ALA renovated its dormitories, allowing the school to increase the number of students in each class by 30%.
Admission process

The African Leadership Academy receives several thousand applications during the first round, where approximately 400 are selected to attend finalist events held across the continent. The finalists then write entrance exams, participate in group activities and are interviewed. 120 students are selected annually to attend the Academy. Admissions status is usually finalized by mid-April.
Selection criteria
The African Leadership Academy uses four criteria for admitting students annually. African Leadership Academy uses:
* Intellectual Readiness
* Courage & Perseverance
* Ownership
* Interdependence
Curriculum
Two Year Pre-University Program
The academic core combines a two-year pre-university program based on the
Cambridge A Levels and Entrepreneurial Leadership, African Studies and Writing and Rhetoric.
Entrepreneurial Leadership and African Studies
ALA's primary entrepreneurial leadership curriculum is a cornerstone of the student experience that creates opportunities to practice leadership and entrepreneurship skills through simulation and project-based learning. Students are encouraged to work on team building and original thinking. In the interdisciplinary African studies curriculum, students study
hunger
In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs for a sustained period. In t ...
eradication,
health care
Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
provision,
economic growth
In economics, economic growth is an increase in the quantity and quality of the economic goods and Service (economics), services that a society Production (economics), produces. It can be measured as the increase in the inflation-adjusted Outp ...
, and
conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of Conflict (process), conflict and Revenge, retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively co ...
.
Faculty
Dean of African Leadership Academy
Inaugural Dean
Christopher Situma Khaemba was previously Principal of Alliance High School on the outskirts of
Nairobi
Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
, Kenya. Khaemba received his MBA from Kenyatta University in Nairobi.
The current Dean of the Academy is Derek Smith.
Student life
Sports
Students are encouraged to participate in a fitness activity. Current competitive sports include soccer, basketball, and volleyball.
Student clubs and organizations
Students participate in a variety of clubs, and each student is expected to create or run either a "Student Enterprise," an "Original idea for Development," or a "Community Service Project."
Student Enterprise Programs (SEPs)
The student-run businesses only operate on campus and include:
*''Affordable Housing for Africa'' – This enterprise aims to research and develop prototypes for affordable housing for lower-middle-class families.
*''Artribution'' – This enterprise will work on creating an online connection platform for African artists and their stakeholders.
*''BEAM'' – This enterprise will be incubated to research and develop eco battery power.
*''Greenlink'' – This enterprise will focus on creating environment based innovations, projects, campaigns, and/or clubs at ALA.
*''Footprints'' – merchandising – T-shirts, coffee mugs, etc.
Original Ideas for Development
Original Ideas for Development (OIDs) are projects that have a wide scope and run beyond the students' time at ALA. Current OIDs include:
*''GSIE''
GSIE site
/ref> – Global Strategy on Inclusive Education – helping children with disabilities gain access to education
*''HACA'' – cancer awareness campaign
*''Baobab'' – capturing oral histories
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from
people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...
online to preserve and facilitate cross-cultural understanding
*''Greendorm'' – environmentally friendly living on campus (internal)
*''Almas'' (formerly Nique) – using a beauty creme to fund the creation and distribution of an anti-malarial creme
*''MathmaHelp'' – production of educational math DVDs
*''Oyama'' – A crowd-sourcing platform for young African entrepreneurs
*''African Baccalaureate'' – Africa's own curriculum design
*''Cyca'' – A social networking platform to alleviate misleading preconceptions about the African continent
Global Scholars Program
Global Scholars Program is a three-week, global leadership summer program for teens aged 13–19. Students from other countries around the world get the chance to come to ALA, and they learn more about the continent as well as skills related to leadership and entrepreneurship.
Catalyst Term
A study abroad experience for secondary students from around the world to develop as social innovators. Students can choose to take a trimester or a full year at ALA, where they can take the core subjects and engage in different activities on campus.
Model African Union
MAU is a four-day conference where participants from secondary schools around the world debate and discuss some of the most complicated issues on the continent. Participants also attend presentations by African Union officials and foreign policy experts.
Global Advisory Council
As well as the Board of Trustees, the Academy's Global Advisory Council is composed of African and global luminaries in business, leadership development, secondary education, and social entrepreneurship. The Global Advisory Council provides strategic input and guidance to the ALA management team.
African Leadership Foundation
The African Leadership Foundation is a USA 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that supports the African Leadership Academy and the next generation of African leaders.
References
External links
African Leadership Academy website
Media Club of South Africa
MV Gazette
McKinsey
The Daily Show
Steve Spengler
Inaugural African Leadership Indaba
{{Authority control
Education in Johannesburg
Private schools in Gauteng
Cambridge schools in South Africa
Educational institutions established in 2004
2004 establishments in South Africa
Pan-Africanist organizations in Africa