Leaders Africa

Leaders Africa is an eight-month, hybrid leadership journey for 35 leaders from across the African-continent, focused on exploring values-based leadership skills and building deep relationships with fellow cohort members.
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A woman with a deep skin tone holds a microphone and speaks to an unseen audience. She is smiling and has short black locs. In the background, a patterned sign reads, "Leader: Africa."

Meet the 2026-2027 Africa Leaders

About

The Leaders Africa program identifies exceptional trailblazers in public, civil society, and the private sector who have a clear issue-focus and who can illustrate the impact of their work. The program helps build a network of values-based leaders, who create positive, innovative change in their communities, throughout Africa, and around the world.

  • Weekly Group Learning Sessions

    Weekly virtual group sessions offer a mix of collective engagement including conversations on leadership frameworks, engagements with regional-based individuals in relevant subject areas, and interactive, small-group work in breakout spaces.

  • Monthly Community Groups

    Leaders work in learning groups with their other program participants that encourage deeper relationship-building and peer-learning, and offer opportunities to reflect on case studies of prominent African leaders and issues.

  • Individualized Leadership and Regional Coaching

    Each Leader is supported by a cadre of coaching engagements to help them gain self-awareness, clarify goals, brainstorm ideas, achieve their development objectives, unlock their potential, and dive into more specificity on issue-based area regional challenges and opportunities.

How to Apply

The application for the 2026-2027 Leaders program is now closed. Please check back here for updates on our 2027-2028 Obama Leaders application.

Two women and two men with deep skin tones gather around a table facing one another. They are talking. A projector screen is in the background. Paper is on the table.

  • Location

    Program participants must  reside in a country and/or territories in the continent of Africa.

  • Citizenship and Residency

    Program Participants must be: 

    • A citizen of an African country or territory OR 

    • A permanent resident of an African country or territory OR 

    • Have lived in an African country or territory for at least the last 5 years, regardless of citizenship or permanent residence status 

  • Geographic Focus

    Participants’ work must be  geographically focused on creating positive change for local communities, an African nation or territory, and/or the broader Africa region. 

  • Program Commitment

    The Leaders Africa program is currently scheduled to begin the week of September 1, 2026 and will conclude no later than May 1, 2027, with planned breaks throughout.

  • Language Proficiency & Age

    Participants must be  professionally proficient in English and be between 24 and 45 years of age during their time in the program.  

  • Political Campaigns

    Participants must refrain from participating in an electoral campaign as a candidate for political office from the time they are accepted into the program through its conclusion.

  • Leadership Experience

    Participants must demonstrate at least 3 years of relevant experience in their issue area. 

  • Jurisdiction and Ability to Participate in a U.S.-Based Program

    The Obama Foundation is based in the United States. Participants must be under no legal or regulatory restrictions that would limit their participation in virtual Foundation programming or travel to the U.S. for in-person programming (if any).

Don’t meet these eligibility requirements? Check out our other Leaders programs or the The Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service.

FAQs

For more information about the Obama Foundation Leaders Africa program and answers to some of the most frequently asked questions, visit our FAQ page .

See Leaders Africa FAQs

Stories Of Our Africa Leaders

“ The program created a strong balance between structured learning and relationship-building. The diversity of perspectives within the cohort, combined with intentional space for reflection, made the experience both intellectually engaging and personally meaningful.”

–2025-2026 Leaders Africa Participant

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Former Africa Leaders

2025

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2024

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2023

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2022

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2019

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2018

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