Applications are now open for the 2026 WomenLift Health Southern Africa Signature Leadership Journey. The fully funded, 12-month WomenLift Health Southern Africa Leadership Journey is designed to provide talented women leaders in health with the safe space to explore their authentic leadership through vulnerability and reflection, an inclusive and diverse network which fosters a strong sense of belonging, tools and strategies for enhancing their voice, presence, and influence – all the while being supported by a powerful group of peers, mentors, and coaches. The program imparts contextualized tools and frameworks to address the individual, organizational, and societal challenges that women leaders in global health face today.
Participants engage in two in-person experiential learning residencies (Immersion and Lift-Off), in addition to virtual learning touchpoints, virtual group mentoring, virtual one-on-one coaching sessions, and importantly, a self-directed Health Leadership Project – all the while being supported by their Leadership Journey community and experts in the health sector.
The Leadership Journey is a transformational learning and development experience that brings together mid-senior career women working across multiple disciplines, fields, and sectors in health. This Journey is aimed at creating the mindset shift needed to solve complex challenges that we are facing in global public health today.
The 2026 WomenLift Health Southern Africa Leadership Journey will include 30 women leaders in health working in Southern Africa.
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible for consideration if you meet all of the following criteria:
- Identify as a woman
- Mid-Career Leader: has 10-25 years of work experience and/or identifies as someone in mid-career in their institutions
- Are a citizen who resides and works within the following 10 countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, eSwatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
- Work in a role that focuses on public health policy, practice, and/or research (your work and partnerships serve populations at the national level in your country of residence or Southern Africa regional level and may include practicing public health in hospitals and health centers, producing research and innovation, creating or implementing policy, and managing teams/departments or projects/grants.)
- Demonstrate fluency and confidence in both written and verbal English communication
- Program Duration: March, 2026 – February, 2027
- Format: Hybrid (both virtual and in-person elements)*
- Cost: Free (all program costs, including travel and lodging, are covered)
Benefits
Hybrid Learning
Learning Touchpoints are facilitated, virtual and in-person group sessions. Cohort members explore leadership frameworks, research & tools in highly interactive learning touchpoints and workshop-style sessions focused on dynamic practice.
Virtual Mentorship
Effective women leaders are championed by a network of strong supports, including that of mentors.
Virtual Coaching
Having a personal leadership coach is critical in helping navigate change and adapting to new challenges on the path towards leadership roles.
In-Person Sessions
The ‘Leadership Immersion’ is a 3-day experiential convening that takes place a few months into the Journey. Through dynamic discussions and hands-on exercises, cohort members enhance their skills, apply them to real-world examples, and reflect on lessons learned.
Program Dates
The 2026 Southern Africa Leadership Journey will take place from March 2026-February 2027. All touchpoints are mandatory to attend while the JourneyPLUS events are optional. The in-person residences involving travel include the 3-day Immersion (26-28 May, 2026) and the 2-day Lift-Off (17 & 18 February, 2027).
Application Process:
Please allow 2–3 hours to complete the application in one sitting. You may save your progress and return at any time. A complete application must include:
- A current CV or resume,
- A letter of recommendation,
- A description and outline of a health leadership project you plan to pursue during the program, should your application be successful.
Application Timeline:
- Open Application Period: Application period closes on 18 September, 2026 by 11:59pm CAT
- Notification Period: We will notify applicants of their acceptance status in January 2026.
- Acceptance & Pre-Orientation Period: The 30 accepted candidates will be asked to confirm their participation by February 2026, after which we will begin pre-Journey onboarding.
- Leadership Journey Launch: Orientation commences the week of 04 March, 2026.
For More Information:
