African ChangeMakers Fellowship Program. Developing Leaders Who Change Africa
African ChangeMakers Fellowship is one of the continent's most trusted leadership development program — built specifically for Africans, by Africans, with no apology for the ambition it takes to change a continent. Developing the next generation of AI-ready, Trade-Resilient African leaders.
A global fellowship program for African professionals, youth, women and leaders committed to driving change in communities, businesses, and careers. Three levels of excellence designed for every stage of your impact journey.
" What if the next breakthrough solution to Africa's biggest challenges is sitting in your mind right now? The African Changemakers Fellowship turns that 'what if' into reality."
African ChangeMakers Fellowship Program (#ACiFellowship) focus on Leadership Economic Resilience and AI-Enhanced Leadership visionaries, changemakers, game-changers, impact-makers, agent of change, movers and shakers of enterprise and innovations. We don't just train you; we move you into our professional network where you get consulting and global trade opportunities.
These committed changemakers have what it takes to transform businesses, careers, tech space and social issues– we only make it more possible here as catalyst and transformational agency.
Built for Africa. By Africans. For Change.
Every aspect of this fellowship is designed around real challenges and real opportunities of building a career, business and a legacy on this continent.
Join a verified network of changemakers across all 54 African countries and the diaspora. The connections you build here follow you for life — not just for the duration of the program.
Designed for Africa’s unique challenges and opportunities in the AI & AfCFTA era. Curriculum that does not pretend Africa is Europe or America. Case studies drawn from Lagos, Nairobi, Accra and Kinshasa. Frameworks built for AfCFTA, informal economies and cross-border complexity.
Every fellow is connected to members who have actually built, led and grown organisations across Africa. Not theory — lived experience, hard lessons and real-world strategy from the people who have done it. Direct guidance from senior African leaders and global experts.
An ACi Fellowship certificate carries weight because of what graduates go on to do and opens doors across Africa and beyond. Over 5,000 plus alumni across 54 countries have built reputations that make this credential mean something in any African professional room.
The Curriculum at a Glance
Every module is designed around the real challenges of African leadership in the new world order and beyond — not theory borrowed from Western business schools.
Today's entrepreneurs must master the art of strategic planning to create lasting impact in business and careers.
It’s a movement genuinely shifting how an entire generation approaches their own survival and relevance. We are helping everyday people continue their careers, businesses, and livelihoods confidently in the age of Artificial Intelligent (AI) – without starting over.
Enhance your project management with true African knowledge, pragmatic methods, and culture-adapted practices that succeed in our unique business environment.
From the Ubuntu philosophy of "I am because we are" to the palaver system of shared decision-making, our ancestors knew something fundamental: leadership is not about standing over others but about elevating them..
This isn't your typical "start a business" class where we tell you to develop a business plan and hope for investors.This is about building something real in the African environment, from "Hustle" to "Business"
This is about enabling you with the tools, strategies, and mindset to not only survive but also thrive in times of turbulence. So get that cup of coffee or tea, get comfortable, and let's dive in a new world order.
AfCFTA readiness, navigating regulatory complexity, informal market dynamics and building resilience into your growth strategy.
What AI means for African professionals and organisations — practical AI literacy, not theoretical speculation. Tools you can use starting Monday.
For Level 3 only — operating at board level, building institutional legacies, navigating succession, governance and the politics of power with integrity.
From Application to Alumni
Four clear steps from the moment you decide to apply, to the day you graduate as a recognised African ChangeMaker.
Complete the online application for the fellowship tier that matches your stage of leadership. Applications are reviewed within 7 working days. No lengthy essays — we want to understand your ambition, not your vocabulary.
Accepted fellows receive a welcome pack, access to the ACi digital resource hub, and an introduction to their cohort group. For Level 2 and Level 3, you are matched with a mentor in your field before the programme begins.
Attend live sessions, engage in peer discussions, complete your leadership project, and build relationships with your cohort. This is where the growth happens — in the doing, not just the watching.
Receive your ACi Fellowship certificate, join 5,000+ alumni in the ChangeMakers community, and unlock access to ongoing opportunities — events, awards nominations, BwB professional services, and more.
Where Do You Belong?
Three distinct programmes, designed for three different stages of leadership. Not a ladder — each tier is complete in itself. Find yours.
ONE WEEK ONLINE COHORT-BASED
Youth, students and aspiring leaders aged 18–35 who are ready to discover and develop their leadership potential.
- Leadership foundations curriculum — self-awareness, communication, community impact
- Weekly live group sessions with facilitators (recorded for flexibility)
- Peer learning groups — connected with fellows across Africa and diaspora
- Introduction to ACi's global community and alumni network
- Access to ACi digital resource library throughout the fellowship
- ACi Community Fellowship digital certificate upon completion
- Alumni community membership — ongoing access after graduation
Mid-career professionals, working executives and diaspora members seeking to amplify their impact on the continent.
- 3-weeks structured cohort programme — live sessions + self-paced modules
- Matched mentoring with a senior professional in your sector (bi-weekly 1:1 sessions)
- Strategic leadership project — developed with mentor guidance and peer feedback
- Cross-Africa peer cohort of 20–30 professionals — relationships that last beyond the programme
- Access to exclusive ACi alumni events, awards nomination priority and speaking opportunities
- Recognised ACi Professional Fellowship certificate with digital verification
- Introduction to Business Without Boundaries resources and community webinar
- Priority consideration for Level 3 Leadership Fellowship in subsequent cohorts
Application Closes July 15, 2026
4 WEEKs ONLINE COHORT-BASED
Senior executives, government officials, organisational leaders and changemakers operating at the highest levels of influence on the continent.
- 4 Weeks immersive programme — live sessions, deep dives and executive masterclasses.
- 1:1 mentoring directly with Lady Topsie — the founder and lead strategist of ACi.
- Executive leadership project — a real strategic challenge you present to a panel
- Close peer cohort of senior leaders from across Africa and the diaspora (max 15 per cohort)
- Graduation ceremony with certificate presentation and recognition
- Direct pathway to Business Without Boundaries consulting — discounted discovery call and priority intake
- ACi Advisory Board consideration for outstanding Level 3 graduates
- ACi Community Fellowship digital certificate upon completion
- Alumni community membership — ongoing access after graduation
Application includes a short video submission (90 seconds). Cohort is selective — max 15 participants.
The Fellowship Is Just the Beginning.
We are transparent about this: the ACi Fellowship is designed to develop you as a leader and connect you to a community — and for those who are ready to go further into professional business strategy, it naturally connects to Business Without Boundaries, our founder's commercial practice.
This is not a sales funnel in disguise. The fellowship stands on its own. But for the fellows who graduate from Level 2 and Level 3 and are ready to scale their organisations, build continental market presence or work with Lady Topsie directly — the pathway is clear, warm and already open.
No fellow is pushed toward BwB. The pathway simply exists — and those who want it will find it exactly when they are ready for it.
Click to Explore Business Without Boundaries
Receive a warm welcome into the ACi alumni community and are introduced to BwB's free resources — guides and tools they can use immediately in their careers.
Invited to a BwB community webinar or masterclass — their first real introduction to the commercial brand. No hard sell. Pure value, and an open door.
Offered a discounted BwB discovery call or priority cohort intake — for those ready to translate their leadership growth into real continental business execution.
Added to a curated email list receiving both ACi community stories and BwB business insights . Two worlds, one ecosystem, one community growing together.
"The African Changemakers Fellowship doesn't just develop leaders. We unleash the innovators who will rewrite Africa's story from the inside out."
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CAMEROON FELLOWS
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NIGERIA FELLOWS
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GHANA FELLOWS
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TOGO FELLOWS
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SOMALIA FELLOWS
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SOMALIA FELLOWS
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UGANDA FELLOWS
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MALI FELLOWS
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NIGERIA FELLOWS
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UGANDA MEET-UP
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NIGERIA FELLOWS
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ZAMBIA FELLOWS
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MAURITIUS FELLOWS
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Liberia, Sierra Leone & Uganda FELLOWS
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Hear It From the Fellows Themselves
Over 5,000 alumni. Here are just some of the voices from the ACi fellowship community.
"The ACi Fellowship gave me something no MBA programme ever did — a network of peers who actually understand the complexity of building something on this continent. Three years later, those connections are still the most valuable professional asset I have."
"I applied for level 1 as a recent graduate with big ideas and no map. The fellowship did not just give me tools — it gave me the confidence to use them. I went back for Level 2 two years later. The growth is real and it compounds."
"Lady Topsie mentored me through level 3 at a moment when 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."
"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."
Cameroon, Yaoundé
Cohort 7 · Level 3
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Three Steps to Your Fellowship
We have kept the process simple and human. No bureaucracy. No gatekeeping. Just a clear path from interest to acceptance.
Review the three fellowship level above and identify which one best matches your current stage of leadership — not where you want to be, but where you genuinely are right now.
Fill in the online application form below. It takes approximately 20–30 minutes. level 3 applicants also submit a 90-second video statement — we want to see your energy, not a rehearsed speech.
Upon acceptance, confirm your place, complete any applicable fee payment, and receive your onboarding materials. Your cohort begins within 2–4 weeks of your confirmation.
- African national or diaspora member (any country)
- Genuine commitment to leadership and community impact
- Stable internet connection for online sessions
- Commitment to full program duration and attendance
- Agreement to ACi Fellowship Code of Conduct
- Minimum 3 years of professional experience in a leadership role
- Currently leading a team, organisation, initiative or government function
- 90-second video application statement (self-recorded, unscripted)
- Two professional references (submitted after acceptance)
- Commitment to the executive project challenge deliverable
Apply for the ACi Fellowship
Take 20–30 minutes to complete this application. We review every submission personally and respond within 7 working days.
Sponsor a Fellow — Change a Life and Build Your Brand in Africa
Corporate sponsors fund fellowship places so that talented Africans who cannot afford the programme can still access it. In return, sponsors receive genuine brand visibility, community association and CSR value that lasts beyond a campaign.
- Brand logo on ACi Fellowship materials and certificates
- Sponsored fellow profile feature in ACi media
- Social media recognition across all ACi platforms
- Access to ACi alumni network for talent discovery
- Invitation to ACi annual summit and awards as VIP guest
- Africa-wide community brand association — 54 countries
(20–30 fellows)
with named recognition
with named feature
Questions? We Have Answers.
Absolutely. The ACi Fellowship is open to Africans everywhere — including the diaspora in the UK, USA, Canada, Europe and beyond. In fact, some of our most impactful fellows have been diaspora members who used the fellowship to reconnect with the continent and find their way back to contributing meaningfully.
The fellowship is delivered entirely online — live sessions via Zoom (or similar), peer group discussions via WhatsApp or Telegram, and self-paced modules on our digital platform. You do not need to travel. A stable internet connection and a commitment to showing up are all you need.
For Tier 2, partial scholarships are available thanks to corporate sponsors. You can apply for scholarship consideration directly on the application form. For Tier 3, fees are fixed — however, if you are a genuinely exceptional candidate with a compelling case, contact us before applying to discuss options. We never want the right person to miss out purely for financial reasons.
Tier 2 is the recommended path between Tier 1 and Tier 3 — but it is not mandatory if you clearly meet the Tier 3 eligibility criteria (7+ years in a leadership role, leading an organisation or initiative, etc.). In your application, simply explain your background and we will assess your fit for Tier 3 directly. Previous fellowship experience is never wasted — it typically makes Tier 3 even more valuable.
Business Without Boundaries (BwB) is the commercial consulting and training practice of ACi's founder, Lady Topsie. ACi and BwB are separate — the fellowship is a community and leadership development programme, while BwB focuses on high-ticket business strategy, AfCFTA execution and executive coaching. For Tier 2 and Tier 3 graduates who want to go deeper into business strategy, there is a natural, warm pathway to BwB — but nobody is ever pressured. The fellowship delivers its own complete value.
ACi Fellowship certificates are issued for life and are digitally verifiable via our alumni verification system. There is no expiry. Each certificate is linked to your fellowship cohort, tier and completion record. Over time, the weight of the certificate grows alongside the continued impact of ACi's alumni community.
Still have questions? We are happy to help before you apply.
Contact the Fellowship TeamAfrican ChangeMakers Fellowship 2027 · Applications open now
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.
Apply for the FellowshipRegister for Community changemakersTwo ways in. One path.
Start free with a week as commmunity changemakers. Join the Fellowship for the full six.
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
ACi Fellowship
6 weeks
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.
See
Understand the real problem and the system around it.
You leave with: A systems map
Think
Diagnose the problem and make the strategic decisions.
You leave with: A problem definition and decision map
Augment
Use AI as research partner and thinking partner. Build your own Human + AI way of working.
You leave with: Your Human + AI workflow
Build
Turn the problem into a prototype, with a mentor review.
You leave with: A solution prototype
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
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.
What you leave with
Real things you can show, not just a certificate.
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 challengesWho 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
How to apply
Attend Community Changemakers
Free and open to everyone. The best way to see if the Fellowship is right for you. Not required.
Send your application
It takes 20 to 30 minutes. No lengthy essays. We want your ambition, not your vocabulary.
Decisions
We review every application personally. You get a clear answer: accepted, waitlisted, or referred to a more suitable route.
Welcome and pre-work
A welcome call, your welcome pack, access to the ACi digital hub, your cohort group and mentor matching.
Fellowship begins
Six weeks, ending Friday 21 May.
Enroll for Community ChangeMakers
Free. Five days online, Monday 15 to Friday 19 March 2027. Register your place.
Apply for the ACi Fellowship
Monday 12 April to Friday 21 May 2027. Applications close Wednesday 24 March. We review every application personally.
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: $150
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 prospectusSponsor a Fellow
Fund a place, a cohort or a challenge. Tell us what you have in mind and we will come back to you. Nothing here is a commitment.
After the Fellowship
You finish the six weeks. You do not leave ACi.
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 Fellows
Fellows from across Africa and the diaspora.
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What Fellows say
"With proper guidance, support and mentorship, African youths are ready to make the difference any day any time."
Philip Kirme Velshik · ACi Fellow, Cohort 2 · Nigeria
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Questions
How long is the Fellowship?
How is it delivered? Do I need to travel?
How much time does it take?
Can I apply from the diaspora?
Do I need to be an AI expert?
Do I need to attend Harambee Week first?
Can I get a sponsored place?
What happens after I apply?
How often does the Fellowship run?
What is the connection with Business Without Boundaries?
Is there a certificate?
Are you ready to build something that matters?
See. Think. Augment. Build. Lead. Impact.
Apply for the FellowshipJoin Harambee Week, freeContact the Fellowship team
fellowship@africanchangemakers.org OR +234 813 899 7153