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African ChangeMakers Fellowship · Catalyst for transformation and impact.

Six weeks. One real problem. Something you built.

The #ACiFellowship takes experienced and emerging Africans from seeing a problem to building, testing and presenting a solution, with mentors and AI beside them.

6 weeksProject-led
12 Apr to 21 May2027
OnlineLive sessions
Once a yearOne cohort

Two ways in. One path.

Start free with a week as commmunity changemakers. Join the Fellowship for the full six.

Step 1 · Free

Community Changemakers

Free -1 week

Mon 15 to Fri 19 March 2027 · Online

  • Five days with the ACi community
  • Learn the See, Think, Build way of working on a real problem
  • Leave with a first problem statement
  • See if the Fellowship is right for you
Step 2 · Selective

ACi Fellowship

6 weeks -$99.99

Mon 12 April to Fri 21 May 2027 · Online

  • A real problem, taken from diagnosis to prototype
  • Live sessions, mentors and a practical AI week
  • A capstone you present and defend
  • ACi certificate and alumni status

This is a project-led fellowship.

You will not spend six weeks collecting PDFs and certificates.

You will work on a problem.
You will use AI.
You will work with people.
You will build something.
You will defend your thinking.

And you will leave with evidence of what you can do.

Built for Africa. By Africans.

Designed around the real challenges and opportunities of building a career, a business and a legacy on this Africa continent.

A pan-African community

Fellows from across all 54 African countries and the African diaspora. The connections follow you long after the six weeks.

Rooted in African reality

Case studies from Lagos, Nairobi, Accra and Kinshasa. Frameworks built for AfCFTA, informal economies and cross-border complexity.

Mentors who have done it

People who have built, led and grown organisations across Africa. Lived experience, not theory.

A certificate with a record behind it

Tied to your cohort and completion record, and backed by what you built.

The six weeks

Before week 1: orientation and a short starting-point assessment, Monday 5 to Friday 9 April.

0112 to 16 Apr

See

Understand the real problem and the system around it.

You leave with: A systems map

0219 to 23 Apr

Think

Diagnose the problem and make the strategic decisions.

You leave with: A problem definition and decision map

0326 to 30 Apr

Augment

Use AI as research partner and thinking partner. Build your own Human + AI way of working.

You leave with: Your Human + AI workflow

043 to 7 May

Build

Turn the problem into a prototype, with a mentor review.

You leave with: A solution prototype

0510 to 14 May

Lead and measure

Plan implementation, mobilise people and decide how you will know it worked.

You leave with: A 90-day plan and impact measures

0617 to 21 May

Capstone

Present and defend your work. Panels run Wednesday to Friday.

You leave with: Your capstone and ACi alumni status

Time needed: about 4 to 5 hours a week alongside work or study. Sessions are online.

What you will learn

Topics from the ACi curriculum, woven through the six weeks.

Strategic planning from an African perspectiveAI for your career: continue, do not start overAfrican project managementLeadership in the African context: Ubuntu and the palaver systemEntrepreneurship in Africa: from hustle to businessStrategy and execution in African markets: AfCFTA and informal economiesTurning struggle into strengthAI, technology and the future of work

What you leave with

Real things you can show, not just a certificate.

01Systems map
02Problem definition
03Human + AI workflow
04Solution prototype
0590-day implementation plan
06Impact measures
07Capstone presentation
08ACi certificate and alumni status

Real problems. Real mentors. Real limits.

Your problem: depending on your place, you work on your own challenge, an #ACichallenge or a partner challenge. Every problem becomes a Challenge Brief you research, build against and defend.

Your mentors: four planned moments across the six weeks: an introduction in week 1, a solution review in week 3, a prototype review in week 4 and capstone feedback in week 6.

To be clear: mentoring is not unlimited access to one person. It is offered according to mentor capacity.

See the challenges

Who should apply?

Apply if you

  • care about a meaningful problem
  • want to build something, not just learn
  • are willing to be challenged
  • want to use AI responsibly
  • can collaborate with others
  • can give about 4 to 5 hours a week
  • want an African and global view

This is probably not for you if

  • you only want a certificate
  • you expect passive learning
  • you don't want your ideas challenged
  • you want AI to do all the thinking
  • you don't intend to finish a real project
Eligibility. African national or member of the diaspora, from any country. Aged 21 to 45 years. A genuine commitment to leadership and community impact. A stable internet connection and a device. Commitment to the full six weeks. Agreement to the ACi Fellowship Code of Conduct. For the leaders' project track: at least 3 years leading a team, organisation, initiative or function.

How to apply

15 to 19 Mar

Attend Community Changemakers

Free and open to everyone. The best way to see if the Fellowship is right for you. Not required.

By 24 Mar

Send your application

It takes 20 to 30 minutes. No lengthy essays. We want your ambition, not your vocabulary.

2 Apr

Decisions

We review every application personally. You get a clear answer: accepted, waitlisted, or referred to a more suitable route.

5 to 9 Apr

Welcome and pre-work

A welcome call, your welcome pack, access to the ACi digital hub, your cohort group and mentor matching.

12 Apr

Fellowship begins

Six weeks, ending Friday 21 May.

Go to the application

Apply Community ChangeMakers - Free

Free. Five days online, Monday 15 to Friday 19 March 2027. Register your place.

01Your details

Takes about two minutes.

This helps us shape the week.

Apply for the ACi Fellowship - $99.99

Monday 12 April to Friday 21 May 2027. Applications close Wednesday 24 March. We review every application personally.

01About you

So we know who you are and where you are.

02Why you, and what you want to work on

This is the heart of your application. No long essays. We want your ambition, not your vocabulary.

Be specific. You may refine it with your mentor.

Which project track fits you better? *
Do you have a challenge from your organisation that you could bring?
03Your commitment

The Fellowship runs Monday 12 April to Friday 21 May 2027, with pre-work from 5 to 9 April.

Can you give about 4 to 5 hours a week for six weeks? *
Do you have a stable internet connection and a device for live online sessions? *
Have you attended, or will you attend, Community ChangeMakers?

Attending is not required.

Self-recorded and unscripted. We want your energy, not a rehearsed speech.

04How your place will be funded

Fellowship places are funded in three ways. Choose the one that fits you.

Funding route *
05A last few things

Places and cost

Sponsored place

A company or individual funds your place. Tell us in your application that you want to be considered. We never want the right person to miss out purely for financial reasons.

Employer-sponsored place

Your employer funds it, and we invoice them.

Self-funded place

Fee: $99.99

Sponsor a Fellow

Sponsors fund places so talented Africans who cannot afford the program can still join. In return:

  • Brand logo on African ChangeMakers Fellowship materials and certificates
  • Sponsored Fellow profile feature in African ChangeMakers media
  • Recognition across all African ChangeMakers platforms
  • Access to the African ChangeMakers alumni network for talent discovery
  • VIP invitation to the annual event and awards
  • Association with a community across 54 countries and African Diaspora.

Package prices for the six-weeks Fellowship.

Become a Fellow sponsorDownload the prospectus

After the Fellowship

You finish the six weeks. You do not leave ACi.

01Alumni network
02Alumni events
03Awards nominations
04Speaking opportunities
05Path to becoming an ACi mentor
06Ongoing opportunities from the network

Transparent about Business Without Boundaries: ACi and BwB are separate. The Fellowship stands on its own. Graduates who want to go deeper into business strategy will find a pathway to BwB, and nobody is pressured.

Our journey in pictures.

African ChangeMakers Fellows across Africa and the diasporas.

CAMEROON
GHANA
SOMALIA
TOGO
UGANDA
KENYA
LIBERIA
MAURITUS
NIGERIA

What Fellows say

"The ACiFellowship gave me something no MBA program ever did — a network of peers who actually understand the complexity of building something on this Africa continent. Three years later, those connections are still the most valuable professional asset I have."

Adaeze Okonkwo
Social Entrepreneur
Nigeria ★★★★★

"I was a government official who had never been part of a peer program that actually included Africa at the centre of every conversation — not as a problem to be solved, but as a continent full of leaders solving problems. That shift in framing alone changed how I show up in every room I walk into."

Fatima Nkemdirim
Ministry of Education Cameroon ★★★★★

" My organisation was at a crossroads. The strategic clarity I got from those sessions redirected us completely — and saved us from a very expensive mistake. Worth every penny and more. Proper guidance, support and mentorship, African youths are ready to make the difference any day any time.

Tendai Moyo
Investment Analyst
Zimbabwe ★★★★★

Read more testimonials

Questions

How long is the Fellowship?
Six weeks: Monday 12 April to Friday 21 May 2027, with a week of pre-work beforehand.
How is it delivered? Do I need to travel?
Entirely online. Live sessions on Zoom or similar, peer discussions on WhatsApp or Telegram, and self-paced material on a digital platform. You do not need to travel. A stable internet connection and a commitment to show up are all you need.
How much time does it take?
About 4 to 5 hours a week alongside work or study.
Can I apply from the diaspora?
Absolutely. The Fellowship is open to Africans everywhere, including the diaspora in the UK, USA, Canada, Europe and beyond.
Do I need to be an AI expert?
No. We teach you how to work with AI.
Do I need to attend the Community ChangeMakers First?
No, but it is the best way to find out if the Fellowship is right for you. You can apply for fellowship directly.
Can I get a sponsored place or Slot?
Yes. Some places or slots are funded by sponsors on first come first serve basis. Tell us in your application that you want to be considered.
What happens after I apply?
We review every application personally. You get a clear decision: accepted, waitlisted, or referred to a more suitable route.
How often does the Fellowship run?
Once a year. Community ChangeMakers is the free way in.
What is the connection with Business Without Boundaries (BwB)?
BwB is the commercial consulting and training practice of ACi's founder. ACi and BwB are separate. The Fellowship delivers its own complete value while using Learn by BwB and Growth by BwB platforms for learning.
Is there a certificate?
Yes, linked to your cohort and completion record. Your portfolio and capstone matter more.

Are you ready to build something that matters?

See. Think. Augment. Build. Lead. Impact.

Apply for the FellowshipApply for Community ChangeMakers

Contact the Fellowship team
fellowship@africanchangemakers.org