Skip to content

South African Ideas Festival – Leading for Lasting Change

Launched in 2025 by Lubanzi Mhlonishwa Tsabedze, Anotidaishe Chinyadza, Abigail Maina, Elvis Chacha, Marwa Kriraa, Catherine Delight

Since 2011, the Bezos Scholars Program has cultivated a committed partnership with the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, South Africa. ALA draws students from across Africa, and every year, they select a small team of students and one educator to plan the annual South African Ideas Festival (SAIF). Each year, the team chooses a theme to focus on their efforts and impact on.

Community Need: Youth need accessible, practical platforms that nurture their leadership and entrepreneurial potential by equipping them with the skills and resources necessary to turn their ideas into sustainable projects or ventures.

Target Audience and Location: Youth aged 16-21 years old from different socio-economic backgrounds, generations and societal backgrounds residing in Johannesburg.

Vision: Generating a prosperous Africa driven by empowered young African leaders.

Mission: To train young changemakers to create a positive impact in their communities through entrepreneurial skills and mentorship so they can lead projects that transform their communities.

Project Description: Scholars Lubanzi Tsabedze, Anotidaishe Chinyadza, Abigail Maina, Elvis Chacha, and Marwa Kriraa, along with their educator Catherine Delight, hosted a series of festival events at their school, designed to engage youth from nearby townships, providing food and transportation to support participation. Working alongside a team of ten student interns, the group developed this year’s festival around the theme “Leading for Lasting Change,” facilitating workshops that build leadership and social entrepreneurial skills paired with mentorship and structured support, so young people can begin to see themselves as changemakers, developing an idea that meets an urgent need in their community.

As student leaders, the ALA Scholar team is most proud of “deciding to trust the process, learning that an idea only seems too big to accomplish until you try it out.” Every participant will pitch their idea, and five will receive start-up funding to bring their projects to life.