Where did the idea of Leadership Lab Yetu come from?
Leadership Lab Yetu (Yetu) was formed in response to the urgent need to prepare our leaders for Africa’s unprecedented demographic shift. We recognized that more forward-thinking, collaborative leadership and proactive governance systems are needed to reflect the ambitions of our young and rapidly growing population so that it can become a source of prosperity and innovation.
Through a distinguished career in public life, law, and advocacy, our Founder, Monica Geingos, the former First Lady of the Republic of Namibia, developed an appreciation for the kind of leadership Africa needs to strengthen governance and build prosperity in a time of major transformation. This understanding was poured into the design for Leadership Lab Yetu, a space for cross-generational imagination and leadership.
Yetu – meaning “ours” in Swahili – represents a collective vision for an inclusive space where African leaders across generations, borders, and sectors can collaborate. It speaks to two shared beliefs: that Africa must shape its own destiny and that leadership must be shared across generations.
Did you know that Yetu means the same in Swahili as it does in Zulu? We love how this word – common across many Bantu languages – captures our ethos: that Africa’s incredible potential is realized when leaders from across the continent collaborate, work together, and exchange ideas. It’s this spirit of shared growth that inspired us to launch in Kigali, where a supportive leadership ecosystem is already in place to help foster pan-African exchange.
Why does Africa need an initiative like Yetu?
We are at a pivotal moment in our history. More than 60% of Africa’s population is under 25, and it’s expected to double to 3 billion by 2070. This youthful and fast-growing population is already demonstrating an aptitude for meaningful economic and political engagement and leadership .
No other region in the world has such a unique demographic youth advantage. But our institutions must rise to match their energy and ambition, so we can harness this edge and continue shaping the future on our own terms.
Africa needs an initiative like Yetu to bridge the intergenerational gap in governance and decision-making at the top levels. Our approach is crucial for developing more proactive and forward-thinking systems and policies that are tailored to the needs and aspirations of young people, while integrating the wisdom and experience of established leaders.
How is Yetu achieving its goals?
At the heart of our innovative approach is the Intergenerational Leadership Accelerator (ILA) – a unique Fellowship program that brings together changemakers aged 25 to 45 from across the continent, who have proved their commitment to a career in public service and social impact.
Our first cohort of Fellows includes top-level government leaders, parliamentary advisors, lawmakers, and sustainability innovators. These inspiring and ambitious changemakers hail from across the continent.
Through the ILA, Fellows can jointly prototype and test reforms in cutting-edge spaces we’re calling “leadership labs”. There, our incredible Fellows can interrogate critical areas like sexual and reproductive health (SRH), education, job creation, and the care economy. This provides the real-life experiences they need to tackle complex, contentious, high-stakes policy environments with agility and integrity.
We’re also very excited about Yetu’s research arm, which will produce actionable, evidence-based insights that anticipate trends in governance and youth inclusion. By sharing these learnings in an open-access, pan-African knowledge hub, we also aim to inform decision-making across the continent.
However, we recognize that changing the narrative is key to embedding our approach in institutions and shifting public mindsets. That’s why we’re hosting a periodic summit to reframe what effective leadership looks like and elevate new voices through discussion, debate, and storytelling.
Could you tell us about your role at Yetu and your own experience as a leader?
As CEO of Leadership Lab Yetu, a big part of my work is sharing our vision with partners, policymakers, and citizens across the continent, inviting them to join us in reimagining African leadership. Day-to-day, I work with my team and our Board of Directors to guide the design and implementation of our programs and continuously refine how Yetu delivers on its mission.
Before Yetu, I served as founding Director of Programs at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, where I established the Amujae Initiative to inspire and prepare African women for the highest levels of public leadership. Before this, as Program Manager at the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), I helped launch the MINDS Scholarship Program for Leadership Development and led the MINDS Youth Program on Elections and Governance. I also currently serve on global advisory boards and provide leadership coaching.
For me, leadership was shaped from childhood. I was born and raised in Zimbabwe, as a first-generation “born free,” and taught early on that we are stewards of this continent. In primary school, we learned the capital cities and flags of African nations and memorized the names of their presidents. Long before I had the language for it, and before I ever imagined travelling beyond Zimbabwe, I was being prepared to serve this continent and to understand that my success would only endure if my brother, my sister, or my neighbour succeeded as well.
This inheritance of responsibility is part of a much older African tradition, one in which each generation is called to build on the sacrifices of the last while preparing the ground for those who come next. My story is simply one link in that chain, shaped by those before me and accountable to those after me. That belief has guided every chapter of my career, from the private sector to social entrepreneurship and civil society, and it continues to drive my service at Leadership Lab Yetu.
What is the vision for Leadership Lab Yetu and its future impact?
In the long term, we see Leadership Lab Yetu playing a pivotal role in shaping a future where African leadership is intergenerational and responsive to the continent’s demographic realities.
By supporting cohorts of cross-generational, cross-border, strategically placed leaders, we envision an impactful leadership ecosystem adapted to local contexts and strong enough to outlast electoral cycles. It will lead to Africa asserting its place globally.
We believe that the leaders who emerge and the quality of decisions taken by African leaders in the next decade can significantly change the prospects of the people of our continent. Our work at Yetu is to support leaders who share this vision with the tools, skills, and networks they need to turn this audacious dream and challenging pursuit into reality.
We see leadership capacity strengthened and transformation driven by inclusive, evidence-based policy systems.
Leadership Lab Yetu is an invitation to leaders of all generations to come together, collaborate, and exchange knowledge and experiences so we can build a bright and prosperous future for Africa.