Barloworld, the international industrial brand management company based in Johannesburg, has agreed to provide long-term corporate support for establishing the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) in South Africa, including hosting the official launch event in July of 2003.

Already underway in Ghana, Mozambique and East Africa, the Africa Leadership Initiative is a joint program of TechnoServe and the Aspen Institute in cooperation with in-country partners like Isaac Shongwe, Chairman of the Letsema Foundation of South Africa and a 2002 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. (Click here to read the full press release.)

ALI is designed to foster a new generation of community-spirited business leaders in Africa and to encourage them to play a more active role in promoting equitable social and economic development in their countries. Over the next four years, Barloworld has agreed to host the Africa Leadership Initiative’s annual seminar in South Africa each September; to donate the use of its conference facilities; and to provide transportation to and from Johannesburg for each of the 20 business, government and non-profit sector leaders in South Africa who will participate. Barloworld has also agreed to sponsor an event to launch ALI in South Africa in July of 2003, for a total in-kind donation of approximately $160,000.

Barloworld joins the West Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (whose grant reflects the partnership between TechnoServe and the Leadership Regional Network for Southern Africa — LeaRN), the Databank Foundation of Ghana and others in supporting the Africa Leadership Initiative. In-country partners include Infotech Investment Group of Tanzania and CETA Construcao e Servicos of Mozambique.

To learn more about the Africa Leadership Initiative, click here to visit TechnoServe’s web site or visit the new ALI web site at www.africaleadership.net.