News
The latest news from the African Leadership Institute and its Fellows. AFLI Fellows are leaders and change-makers, so this section has a lot of news. All text in all of the posts is fully searchable.

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2009 Tutu Fellow James Mwangi connects the dots between climate change and climate action in his TED Talk from June 2022 in New York. He argues that with the planet missing the IPCC emissions goals that negatively impact climate change, it will be necessary to both push harder on that front, and then also remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere at a massive scale. He says that estimates suggest that the world will need to remove 5-16 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every single year by 2050.
The Rift Valley, he says, provides a scalable way to remove carbon from the air - and end energy poverty.

- Hits: 1340

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2008 Tutu Fellow Elsie Kanza PhD, the Tanzanian Ambassador to the United States, has met US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House. Elsie was appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in May 2021 as one of 22 ambassadors, and in August of that year, assigned to the Embassy in Washington DC, one of the top postings in the diplomatic hierarchy. She met President Biden on 24 June 2022.
Elsie was formerly Head of Africa and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum. She has worked in various capacities in the government of Tanzania, including in the Office of the Presidency, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank. In her role at the Embassy, she is also responsible for diplomatic connections in Mexico.
- Hits: 897

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2015 Tutu Fellow Zukie Siyotula has been appointed as a Chairperson of the Board by York Timber Holdings Limited. York Timber Holdings is a Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed company that is the largest solid wood processor producing lumber and plywood in South Africa with a wholesale distribution network as well. Their clients include truss engineering manufacturers, corporate and independent retailers, remanufacturers, furniture manufacturers and construction contractors.
Zukie serves on a number of other Boards including African Bank, Bidvest Group, Toyota, Ogilvy & Mather, Salungano Group and Conduit Capital Limited.
- Hits: 947

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2017 Tutu Fellow Mimi Kalinda recounts how the big story that revolved around Archbishop Desmond Tutu as she was growing up was courage, and really being fearless. And also timely leadership. Leadership is contextual and time-sensitive, she says. In this Tutu Talk, hear how Mimi dedicates herself to building a critical mass of African stories that need to be told. Mimi is a communications professional and entrepreneur.
TutuTalks are a series collaboration between the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and the African Leadership Institute, and it is a platform for African leaders who embody the values and ethics displayed by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu throughout his life of service.
- Hits: 2752

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
The Class of 2022 attended the first workshop of the Tutu Leadership Programme in Mont Fleur in April, returning AFLI to its normal programmatic year after a year in hiatus due to COVID.
- Hits: 841

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
In this TutuTalk in the series collaboration between the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and the African Leadership Institute, Hopewell Chin'ono, a 2008 Tutu Fellow and award-winning Zimbabwean journalist explains how he switched his goals from law to journalism and the ethical underpinning beneath that decision.
In his Tutu Talk titled "The Journalist's Calling - Exposing the truth in the face of oppression", Hopewell says journalists must be driven by a clear understanding of what is right and just to be able to report resolutely on the truth and endure the oppression that ensues.
- Hits: 3032

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
The first Tutu Talk of 2022 - in partnership with the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation - features Aidan Eyakuze, a 2006 Tutu Fellow and Executive Director of TWAWEZA East Africa. Hear how this Tanzanian activist unpacks the essence of courageous leadership and the humility needed to do what is just.
Aidan says that “I took that courage of conviction and action from the Arch. It’s not about you. Humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself. It is about thinking of yourself, less. Understanding you have a deep worth as a human being, talents and skills. Humility is employing those skills for the greater good. From there comes a great strength.”
- Hits: 2962

- Details
- Written by: Jackie Chimhanzi PhD
- Category: News
- Published:
The African Leadership Institute is pleased to announce the Associates who have been selected for the 2022 Class of the Tutu Leadership Fellowship. As has been the case with previous cohorts, the people selected are exceptional emerging African leaders. AFLI received more than 330 nominations of outstanding quality from across Africa, from which the cohort was selected. They are from the following countries: Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
A few candidates are included this year who were selected in 2020 but who could not attend that cohort due to COVID restrictions. The selected candidates demonstrate the incredible wealth and breadth of leadership talent that exists in Africa’s young people, which bodes well for Africa’s future.
- Hits: 2015

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has re-appointed 2012 Tutu Fellow James Mworia to a second term as the Chancellor of Machakos University. James is the CEO Centum Investment Company, the largest listed investment company in East Africa, with approximately $1.8 billion USD in direct and third party assets under management.
Machakos University was founded in 1957 as a Technical Rural Training School by the then colonial Government. It was converted into Machakos Technical and Trade School in 1958, Machakos Technical School in 1967, Machakos University College in 2013, and chartered to Machakos University in October 2016.
- Hits: 987

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2014 Tutu Fellow Ada Osakwe has been appointed to the board of AGRA - the Alliance for a Green Africa. AGRA is an African alliance with roots in farming communities across the continent that is seeking uniquely African solutions to meet its specific environmental and agricultural needs to sustainably boost production and gain access to rapidly growing agriculture markets. Ada joins five others on AGRA's board to bolster the organization even further in accomplishing its mission. The other new board members are Binta Touré Ndoye, who has a distinguished career in banking; Ambassador David Lane, a former US diplomat with experience in policy reform in food security and development; Delphine Traoré Maidou, the CEO of Allianz Africa; Mallika Srinivasan, who brings farm machinery manufacturing experience; and Dr. Roy Steiner, who is a leader in enhancing access to nourishing food across the world.
- Hits: 855

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2015 Tutu Fellow Wiebe Boer has been selected as the next President of Calvin University, a private evangelical university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The university is his alma mater and he has close ties to the university. Wiebe graduated in 1997 as a second-generation Calvin student and is married to Joanna Bachew, who graduated from Calvin in 2003. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution based on the Calvinist tradition, and named after John Calvin, the 16th-century Protestant Reformer.
Born and raised in Jos, Nigeria to Dutch missionary parents, Wiebe earned his Ph.D. in African History from Yale University.
- Hits: 777

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2019 Tutu Fellow Ronak Gopaldas has been appointed a 'Global South African' brand ambassador by Brand South Africa. Brand South Africa was established in 2002 to help create a positive and compelling brand image for South Africa. Its mandate is to develop and implement a proactive marketing and communication strategy for the country, promote economic competitiveness, drive trade and investment, and develop pride, patriotism, social cohesion and active citizenship among South Africans.
- Hits: 726

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2018 Tutu Fellow Adebola Williams has been appointed a Patron for Malaria No More, the UK-based charity organisation. In a recent announcement, Malaria No More officially welcomed Adebola to its family of global spokespeople.
In the role, he joins founding patrons Simon Fuller, Peter Chernin, and Ray Chambers, as well as Global Leadership Council members David Beckham, Andy Murray, and Eliud Kipchoge. Malaria No More has as its goal a world in which no one dies from a mosquito bite.
- Hits: 700

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2019 Tutu Fellow Samson Itodo has joined the board of the Kofi Annan Foundation. The Chair of the Board, Elhadj As Sy, said that at a time when half of the world’s population was younger than 30, Samson's expertise and commitment to the inclusion of young people in politics and effective leadership would bring great value to the work of the foundation. Founded in 2007 by the late former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan the foundation is an independent, nonprofit whose mission is to help build peaceful, democratic and resilient societies.
Samson is a lawyer from Nigeria and Founder of Yiaga Africa, an NGO with the mission of promoting democracy in Africa.
- Hits: 732

- Details
- Written by: Norman Smit
- Category: News
- Published:
2017 Tutu Fellow Rosy Fynn has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of First National Bank GH. First National Bank traces it's roots back to Eastern Province Bank, which started in 1838 in South Africa, but over time evolved and changed ownership and in 1998 started being active in Ghana. It has commercial banks in nine African countries and the Ghana bank offers a wide range of banking products with a focus on digital banking.
Rosy has extensive experience in the technology, financial services, consulting, and insurance industries, has been a senior executive at three major telecommunications companies, and heads a leading ISP in Ghana.
- Hits: 831
- Netflix promotes Fellow to Director Africa Originals
- Africa and Russia's war in Ukraine
- Litigation restores internet in Zambia
- Jacqueline Musiitwa joins board of Bushveld Minerals
- "Got Millet?" - Marketing for the African farmer
- WHO nominates Fellow to join their global advisory group on vaccines
- Fellow to head renaming body
- Tutu Fellows and AFLI mourn the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu
- Tutu Talks: Catherine Constantinides on being active citizens
- The Class of 2020 first workshop - 20 months delayed