2021 DIPLOMA PROGRAM

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

Applications to ALA's selective, two-year pre-university program will reopen in June 2021 for the class of 2022.

Download our prospectus to learn more about the program

Interested in the Two Year Program?

Complete the form below to download the Two-Year Diploma Program Prospectus and find out how you can join Africa's future changemakers and help transform the continent.

African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks to enroll the most outstanding young leaders, aged 15 - 18, from across Africa and around the world. Only the most passionate and brilliant young leaders can transform the future of our continent. Are you one of them?

Watch our video if you would like to learn more.

Do you have what it takes to be part of Africa's next generation of future leaders?

When you apply to ALA, you will be asked to think critically about your role in our changing world. Click on the links below to read more on the selection process and admission criteria.

SELECTION PROCESS

ADMISSION CRITERIA

FEES & FINANCIAL AID

Read about ALA alumni making an impact on the continent and around the world.

In Memoriam: Margaret Ishiyama Raffin

ALA celebrates the life and leadership of Ms. Margaret Raffin, a steadfast supporter who passed away peacefully on 3 April 2021. Margaret was a friend and counsel to ALA’s founders from the earliest days of the ALA journey. In Margaret, we saw a model our values of integrity, humility, curiosity, compassion, diversity, and excellence. She…

Tough Times Make Tough Minds – Living Emmanuel Manirakiza’s Lessons as an Entrepreneur

In July 2012, one of my greatest teachers, Emmanuel Manirakiza ’10, passed away shortly before he was due to depart to the University of Rochester. Emmanuel had lived an extraordinary life. Orphaned by the Rwandan genocide, he had survived on the streets until the age of nine. As he wrote in an essay about his…

The Power of Moonshot Thinking – Lessons from Google X

ALA’s Networks Team ran an insightful digital speaker series this past month aimed at addressing various topics of the “Future of Work”. This series, made especially relevant due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the job market, saw a range of experts share insights on how our young leaders can best prepare for…

Cote D’Ivoire’s Daryl Adopo ‘14 clinches Outstanding Finance Student Award

Congratulations to Ivorian alumnus Daryl Adopo ‘14 who recently took home the 2020-2021 Outstanding Finance Student Award. This is one of the highest academic distinctions in the Economics, Finance, and Insurance & Risk Management Department at the University of Central Arkansas, USA. The honour is awarded to the student who not only achieves an impressive…

How Do We Unlock Job Creation for Africa’s Largest Workforce?

Calling all schools, universities, accelerators, individuals, and youth organisations that are invested in reducing youth unemployment on the African continent. For the past 10 years, the Anzisha Prize has worked at the intersection of the established secondary education sector and an emerging entrepreneurship ecosystem, and we have found a clear gap – transition support from…

E-Fest: A Day of Innovation and Competitive Spirit

We were inspired and excited by the innovation and passion showcased by the winners and all participants in ALA’s annual Entrepreneurial Festival (E-Fest) competition. The five finalists presented creative solutions to problems on the continent in the arts (Arthub), mental health (Bluespace), women’s safety (Safespace), education (Enlight), and sustainable energy (Fairy). This year’s winning team,…

Student Research Exhibits Collaborative Solution-Building at Zaha 2021

Our annual Research Symposium, newly renamed Zaha, a Malagasy word meaning to explore, examine or research, produced an impressive catalogue of research projects earlier this month. This year’s conference saw over 40 students present their research in one of four research courses: Creativity Research, Humanities Research, Scientific Research and Model African Union (MAU) Research. The…

The AL Group Network Unite Through the Creative Arts at Open Mic Night

In a completely unprecedented year, the ALA community has been brought together virtually numerous times. However, one of the most impactful community gatherings occurred around the Arts. At the very beginning of the lockdown In March 2020, the alumni engagement team hosted the very first Open Mic Night. The event was attended by over 300…

Cape Town Fires: Reflections from Keabetswe Zondi ‘17

South African Keabetswe Zondi graduated from ALA as part of the class of 2017. She is currently a student at the University of Cape Town’s Upper Campus pursuing a Bachelor of Social Science – majoring in Psychology. In 2015, students across the country became conscientized by the task of rebuilding a country that has been…

Netflix Film Star Maxwell Simba ’19 Opens Production Company for African Talent

Maxwell Simba ’19, Kenyan star of the Netflix film, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, has launched his very own production company, Young Blak and Talented Vision Studios (YBTVS). The studio is the final product of Maxwell’s hard work during his ALA journey and his desire to create a space to support African creatives on…

ALA Admissions

Email: apply@africanleadershipacademy.org

Tel: +27 11 699 3077

Whatsapp:+27 78 422 9509

ALA ADMISSIONS NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

The Academy is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities. The Academy’s policy in respect to admissions is consistent with African Leadership Academy’s policy on non-discrimination. As such, in accordance with our value of diversity and in compliance with South African law, ALA does not discriminate on the basis of gender (identity or expression), race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity (or tribal affiliation), wealth or income.