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.
This is not a generic leadership program with an African flag stuck on it. Every aspect of this fellowship is designed around the real challenges and real opportunities of building a career 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 mentors 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.
Built for Africa. By Africans. For Change.
This is not a generic leadership programme with an African flag stuck on it. Every aspect of this fellowship is designed around the real challenges and real opportunities of building a career and a legacy on this continent.
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.
Who are you as a leader? What drives you? Clarifying values, voice and vision before you try to lead anyone else.
African public speaking, cross-cultural communication and the art of influencing without authority in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
How to build teams, culture and structure in complex, cross-border African contexts — from informal to institutional.
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 Tier 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 Tier 2 and Tier 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.
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 Tier 2 and Tier 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.
Explore Business Without BoundariesReceive 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.
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
15 June 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 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 Team