We are proud to announce the 2026 cohort of Governors and Mayors in the AMALI City Leadership Program.
The AMALI City Leadership Program positions city leaders to deliver ambitious initiatives that have the 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 city leaders from 11 African countries:
1. Oarabile Motlaleng – Mayor of Gaborone (Botswana)
2. Aloys Ndayikengurukiye – Governor of Bujumbura (Burundi)
3. Alemayehu Asefa – Mayor of Bishoftu (Ethiopia)
4. Mesfin Menza Mamo – Mayor of Arba Minch (Ethiopia)
5. Goshu Endalamaw Wondimagegn – Mayor of Bahir Dar (Ethiopia)
6. Etagegn Hailemariam Sisay – Mayor of Wolaita Sodo (Ethiopia)
7. Michael Kpakpo Allotey – Mayor of Accra (Ghana)
8. Alhaji Adam Abubakari Takoro – Mayor of Tamale (Ghana)
9. Wavinya Ndeti – Governor of Machakos (Kenya)
10. Peter Alex Banda – Governor of Lilongwe (Malawi)
11. Luís Madubula Giquira – Mayor of Nampula (Mozambique)
12. Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma – Governor of Khomas (Namibia)
13. Evelyne Tchichellé – Mayor of Pointe-Noire (Republic of the Congo)
14. Nasiphi Moya – Mayor of Tshwane (South Africa)
15. Nurdin Bilal Juma – Mayor of Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania)
16. Kamal Abdulsatar Haji – Mayor of Zanzibar (Tanzania)
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 centers 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 Africa's 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.”
AMALI City Leaders
Since its launch in 2022, AMALI has engaged 60 City Leaders, collectively representing approximately 80 million African citizens and 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 years; 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 demographic and economic dividends.
AMALI is hosted by the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town, in partnership with Big Win Philanthropy and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The program draws on each organization’s rich experience and expertise to support participating city leaders.
