We are proud to announce the 2026 cohort of Governors and Mayors in the AMALI City Leadership.
The AMALI City Leadership Programme provides tailored support to position city leaders to deliver ambitious initiatives with potential to dramatically improve the lives of their citizens. Participants work directly with former Heads of State, Ministers, Governors and Mayors who have delivered large-scale game-changing programs.
The 2026 cohort brings together 16 leaders from 11 African countries:
Jamie Cooper, AMALI Board Co-Chair and Chair and President of Big Win Philanthropy reflected on the 2026 AMALI City Leadership Forum’s purpose and the anticipated impact on participants:
“Well-planned urban centres are widely acknowledged as pivotal contributors to national well-being and economic prosperity. The vibrancy, ambition, and deep commitment of this AMALI cohort to improving their cities and bettering the lives of citizens is exceptional. Given the trajectory and pace of growth of its cities, this quality of leadership bodes well for the continent.”
James Anderson, who leads the government innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies and acts as an AMALI advisor, said: “We believe municipalities are where real progress happens. That’s why we invest in world-class leadership development and robust peer networks, like AMALI, so mayors have the tools, relationships, and confidence to deliver results for their communities.”
Reflecting on the diversity of the cohort, Edgar Pieterse – AMALI Board Co-chair and African Centre for Cities Director, said: “It is notable that a more youthful generation of city leaders are coming to the fore which bodes well for fostering responsive and developmental city governments able to address the pressing needs of Africa’s young people.”
The 2026 cohort is made up of 16 city leaders representing 11 African countries
AMALI City Leaders
Since its launch in 2022, AMALI has engaged 60 City Leaders, collectively representing approximately 80 million African citizens and leading cities such as Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dakar, and Johannesburg.
AMALI alumni have gone on to lead a wide range of transformative initiatives including: securing pledges of over US$90 million to construct a dam critical to the city’s long-term water security;implementing an early childhood development model that increased school readiness from 42% to 89% in just two year; and embracing a digitalization strategy that has enabled 85% of government services to be processed on-line, reduced traffic accidents by almost 50% and increased total revenue by 400 percent.
At the heart of AMALI is a mindset shift: the realization that Africa’s future is urban, that Mayors and Governors stand at the fulcrum of that future, and that big, bold action to respond to Africa’s projected urban growth will be a must for the continent to reap its demographic and economic dividend.
During the four-day forum, city leaders work with AMALI advisors and mentors to craft their visionary legacy goal
AMALI is a partnership of the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town, Big Win Philanthropy, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The programme draws on each organisation’s rich experience and expertise to support participating city leaders.