Growing Leaders: The African Leadership Institute

The Lithon Foundation, which is a registered section 21 company and welfare organisation, is dedicated to “bringing love and hope to people and organisations through networking and collaboration.” 

An excellent example of this type of collaboration is the Foundation’s involvement with the Namibia-based African Leadership Institute (ALI). Founded in 2005, ALI’s mission is to inspire and enable powerful individuals to lead Africa’s transformation. Their belief is that Africa has everything it needs to solve its own challenges. This mission translates to a range of academic and non-academic programmes on transformational leadership, entrepreneurship and mentorship.

While the Institute’s head office is in Windhoek, the main training campus is at The Rock Lodge in the Okahandja district, which offers training facilities among the peaceful Namibian bush.

A holistic approach to leadership development

ALI offers a number of training programmes that are “unique and specifically designed to meet needs within a Southern African context.” The Institute’s accredited courses include a certificate and diploma in transformational leadership as well as certificates in entrepreneurship and SME development. There are also plenty of courses and seminars on subjects including transformational team building, finance, marriage enrichment, and parenting. 

In partnership with The Rock Lodge, ALI also runs a gap year programme for post-Grade 12 learners who are unsure about their next steps. The programme focuses on developing their time and priority management skills, provides work experience with experienced staff members, and prepares them for adult life and leadership.

A Lithon sponsorship: The Municipal Academy

In 2012, Lithon partnered with ALI by sponsoring a Municipal Academy to empower and upskill senior municipal management. The course entailed three weeks of training, several assignments and a final exam. It covered topics ranging from record keeping and archiving to town planning. Seventy-seven municipal leaders went through the Academy in its five-year run. And during this time, Lithon provided N$2.38 million in funding, with Lithon’s Director Frikkie Holtzhausen being a lecturer at the school.

Find out more about ALI

ALI is accredited with the Namibia Qualifications Authority and registered with the Namibia Council for Higher Education and the Namibia Training Authority. To find out more about the Institute and its academic and non-academic programmes, visit ali.com.na.