Networks that accelerate careers of impact

Africa Career Networks (ACN) transforms the lives of African youth with foundational leadership experience by bridging the gap between job seekers and employers. Our dynamic offering spans institutional capacity building for universities and employers, in addition to intensive cohort-based learning and fellowships. We ignite problem solving, ideation and sector specific interventions through initiatives such as hackathons, growth labs as well as design and innovation challenges. 

A person sits on a stage with a microphone in hand, speaking at a youth climate conference. Behind them, there are presentation slides on a screen related to climate action reporting. A table with a flower arrangement and conference branding is in the foreground.

Accelerating career pathways

Our commitment is to accelerate career pathways of young leaders who can address Africa’s grand challenges in key sectors such as agribusiness, education, healthcare, governance, infrastructure and the arts. Our high-impact approach has allowed them to not only secure dignified early-career opportunities in these sectors, but then actively build a sector-focused network that can shape further interest, enable collective impact and open new horizons. Our experience stems from a decade of enabling high-potential youth from programs such as African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. We do this in the following ways, always with a sector lens. 

  • Professional Development: Sharpen soft skills and increase employability in the job market. 
  • Matching and Placement: Connecting young Africans to career opportunities that are a best fit for their personal career goals. 
  • Networking Opportunities: Build connections that can open doors to career development opportunities with industry stakeholders, mentors, peers and partners. 
Rejoindre les réseaux de carrières en Afrique Devenir un employeur partenaire Accéder au portail des emplois et stages
Young leaders in the network, from 58 countries
Jobs and internships placed since January 2010
of our Earliest Graduates are currently engaged in work and projects in Africa

  • Nthati Mabena

    ACN Affiliates Program Associate
    Afrique du Sud

  • Barnabas Usman

    Director, Sector Networks
    Nigeria

  • Nwabisa Matyumza

    Program Manager, Arts
    Afrique du Sud
  • A man wearing a blue suit, white shirt, and black tie smiles at the camera. The background is outdoors with greenery and a blurred wall.

    Ahumuza Ignatius

    Senior Program Associate, Agribusiness
    Uganda
  • A woman with braided hair stands smiling with arms crossed in front of a wall featuring artwork of a face composed of text. She wears a blue and patterned top.

    Faridah Nalunkuuma

    Program Manager, Agribusiness
    Uganda
  • A woman with long braided hair wears a black blazer and a chunky gold necklace, standing in front of a bright red wall with a hint of green and white in the corner. She is smiling softly at the camera.

    Lesego Otlhabanye

    Program Manager, Governance
    Botswana
  • A person with curly black hair and glasses is smiling with arms crossed. They are wearing a colorful, patterned shirt over a dark top against a plain white background.

    Hanifa Mufaro Manda

    Senior Program Manager, ACN Affiliates Program
    Zimbabwe
  • A person with long hair is smiling and standing against a plain gray background. They are wearing a black shirt with white patterns and have their arms folded.

    Feliciana Nezingu

    Program Associate, Governance and Arts
    Angola
  • A person with a shaved head and a neutral expression stands in front of a dark background. They are wearing a plain black shirt, and their face is illuminated, creating a contrasting effect with the dark surroundings.

    Renatus Mshomba

    Program Associate, Agribusiness and Infrastructure
    Tanzania
  • A person with long braided hair is smiling and looking at the camera. They are wearing a red and purple patterned top. The background is blurred greenery.

    Pearl Utuk

    Program Manager, Professional Services
    Nigeria
  • A woman with short blonde hair smiles warmly at the camera. She is wearing a patterned top with vibrant colors and large, geometric earrings. The background is plain white, ensuring she is the focal point of the image.

    Val Wiggett

    Senior Director, Career Programs
    Afrique du Sud
  • A woman with long braided hair, wearing a teal collared shirt, smiles at the camera. She has a neutral background.

    Tinyiko Nyathi

    Program Associate, Health and Professional Services
    Afrique du Sud
  • A man wearing a white shirt and a red tie with white polka dots is smiling at the camera. He has a clean-shaven head and is standing against a plain white background.

    Sidoine Felix M Leudjie

    Senior Program Associate, Governance
    Cameroon

  • Miriro Matema

    Head of Marketing & Communications
    Zimbabwe
  • A woman with long black hair and red lipstick is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a red blazer and resting her chin on her hand. The background is plain white.

    Michelle Peters

    Program Associate: Employer Engagement & Partnerships
    Afrique du Sud
  • A woman with braided hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a patterned blouse with shades of yellow and blue against a plain white background.

    Lerato Kubuzie

    Senior Program Manager, Employer Engagement & Partnerships
    Afrique du Sud
  • Smiling man with close-cropped hair and a short beard, wearing a blue and orange plaid button-up shirt, poses in front of a plain white background.

    Jomo Erick

    Program Manager, Infrastructure
    Kenya
  • A woman with dreadlocks and glasses smiles at the camera. She is wearing red lipstick and a turquoise top. The background features a partially visible open door and wall decorations with nature themes.

    Faith Muange

    People with Disability & Inclusivity Lead
    Kenya
  • A person with long braided hair and a black shirt smiles at the camera against a plain background.

    Dr. Kedei Ibiang

    Program Manager, Health
    Nigeria

Partnering Employers

Central to our work is authentic relationships with employers across Africa and around the world. These employers share our enthusiasm for the future of Africa’s youth and invest with us to secure transition into employment and further career opportunities. Employers also partner with us to learn! Our employer engagement program supports organisations of all sizes to better make available opportunities and improve the quality of their early career experiences. 

Enabling Career Organisations

From 2024, ACN will pursue a new strategy by rapidly building a Network of Networks. A certified training program for career service professionals in Africa will provide a springboard for organizations in different career contexts (secondary education, tertiary education, youth organisations and career-sector startups) to access financial and other resources from ACN and our partners to build contextualised and localized career networks across Africa. 

Nos partenaires

Our work is made possible by the generous support of hundreds of partners who have invested in our mission to develop the next generation of leaders for Africa. Below are some of ALA’s long-standing and high-impact partners. For a full list of our partners, please see ALA’s Annual Report.

Partenaires financiers

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The image is the Mastercard logo, which features two intersecting circles, one red on the left and one yellow on the right. Below the circles, the word "mastercard" is displayed in a black, lowercase sans-serif font. Proudly associated with Africa Careers Network.
The image displays the word "FOUNDATION" in uppercase black letters, with the vertical word "SMALL" intersecting the larger word at the letter "U", reminiscent of how Africa Careers Network connects opportunities for growth and development.