By Gemma Thompson
With the loss in recent years of great leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, many South Africans – and Africans – are lamenting the erosion of ethical leadership in our society. I believe the opposite: given my experiences with a cohort of bright young African leaders, I think our continent’s future is in safe and highly capable hands.
As head of development for Good Work Foundation (GWF), a rural education non-profit operating in Mpumalanga and the Free State, I was selected for last year’s Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship programme, hosted by the African Leadership Institute and Oxford Saïd Business School.
We gained keen insights into how to lead ourselves, how to lead others and how to lead effectively on our multifaceted continent with its boundless possibilities.
Seeing opportunities for Africa to thrive
Some doomsayers are worried about the “youth bulge” – young Africans are projected to make up 42% of global youth by 2030. However, the Tutu fellows see this as an extra motivation to work to expand education, development and employment opportunities for our continent’s young people. They say: challenge accepted!
These emerging young leaders look for ways for all Africans to flourish, not just the elites at the top. This focus on social justice 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. They have to search hard for mentors to listen to their hopes and dreams.
Empowering young people to lead
Especially in areas with few economic opportunities, it’s easy for young people to fall through the cracks. Many feel hopeless and overlooked. But sometimes simply listening to them, and giving them the opportunity to work or study, can open up entire new worlds of possibility.
We’ve seen this in action at GWF. For instance, one of our hospitality graduates who waits tables at a lodge puts in extra unpaid time staffing the reception desk to improve her skill set. Every small act of self-improvement, no matter how small, is meaningful. Who knows what this young woman may yet achieve in her personal leadership journey?
Others step up with quiet authority when called upon. We have trained incredible young leaders as our campus and programme managers. They lead through example – both on our digital learning campuses and in their respective communities.
They know true leadership is about empowering others to lead themselves. And education is unlocking these doors for them.
All of this gives me hope for the future of leadership on our continent – for Africans, by Africans.
I emerged from the Tutu fellowship programme feeling buoyed about our future. There is no leadership vacuum in Africa. We just need to be receptive to these new, youthful leaders and their fresh ideas. Can we somehow bottle their energy and harness it for the greater good?
