The WomenLift Health 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey is a fully funded leadership development opportunity for mid-career women working across health and interconnected sectors in Southern Africa. The 12-month programme is designed to help women leaders strengthen their voice, influence, leadership capacity and ability to create meaningful and sustainable health impact.

Through a combination of virtual learning, mentoring, one-on-one executive coaching, experiential learning and a self-directed Health Leadership Project, participants will gain practical tools for addressing complex health challenges while building a powerful regional network of women leaders.

The programme is offered at no cost to selected participants, with WomenLift Health covering programme costs, including travel and lodging for the required in-person experiences.

Application deadline: 18 September 2026 at 11:59 PM CAT.

Key Details of the WomenLift Health Southern Africa Leadership Journey

• Programme: WomenLift Health 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey
• Duration: Approximately 12 months
• Format: Hybrid, combining virtual and in-person learning
• Programme cost: Free
• Programme learning commitment: Approximately 4–8 hours per month
• Total learning hours: Approximately 87 hours
• Cohort size: 35 women leaders in health
• Application deadline: 18 September 2026 at 11:59 PM CAT
• Region: Southern Africa
• Eligible countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, eSwatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe
• Target participants: Mid-career women leaders with 10–25 years of professional experience in Health++
• Language: English
• Time-zone requirement: CAT, plus or minus one hour, for at least 75% of the programme
• Funding: Fully funded, including programme costs, travel and lodging for required in-person experiences

What Is the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey?

The WomenLift Health Leadership Journey is a transformational leadership and learning experience created for professional women working across the health sector and related fields.

The programme provides participants with a structured environment in which they can reflect on their leadership journeys, strengthen their ability to influence others, develop new leadership strategies and work on complex health challenges.

The Southern Africa Leadership Journey is specifically designed for women leaders working in countries across Southern Africa.

Rather than focusing exclusively on technical health knowledge, the programme takes a broader approach to leadership. It recognises that improving health outcomes requires leaders who can work across sectors, understand complex systems, build coalitions and influence institutions.

Participants therefore explore both personal leadership development and systems-level health challenges.

What Makes the 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey Different?

The programme combines several complementary elements rather than relying on traditional classroom-based training.

Participants will have access to:

1. Intensive leadership learning
2. Virtual learning touchpoints
3. Group mentoring
4. Individual executive coaching
5. Leadership assessments
6. In-person experiential learning
7. A Health Leadership Project
8. A diverse regional network of women leaders
9. Opportunities to collaborate across sectors
10. Continued engagement through a lifelong community

This combination is intended to help participants translate leadership concepts into practical action.

The programme also provides a safe environment for participants to reflect on their experiences, vulnerabilities, strengths and aspirations while learning alongside peers facing similar leadership challenges.

Programme Duration and Format

The 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey is structured as a 12-month programme with both virtual and in-person components.

Participants should expect to dedicate approximately 4–8 hours each month to the Journey.

Across the programme, the estimated total learning commitment is approximately 87 hours, including learning touchpoints and work associated with the Health Leadership Project.

The hybrid structure allows participants to remain engaged with their professional responsibilities while participating in carefully designed leadership-development experiences.

However, participants should understand that the required sessions are considered important components of the programme and that attendance is expected.

Cost: A Fully Funded Leadership Opportunity

One of the most significant advantages of the WomenLift Health Southern Africa Leadership Journey is that it is offered free of charge to selected participants.

WomenLift Health states that programme costs are covered, including:

• Programme participation
• Travel associated with required in-person experiences
• Lodging associated with those experiences

This funding structure is intended to make the leadership-development experience accessible to qualified women leaders without requiring participants to personally finance the programme’s major participation costs.

Because the programme involves live, interactive learning and in-person residencies, selected participants are expected to make the necessary time available for participation.

Who Is the Programme Designed For?

The Southern Africa Leadership Journey is designed for mid-career women leaders working in health and related sectors.

WomenLift Health takes a broad view of what constitutes health leadership.

Rather than limiting participation to physicians, nurses or public health professionals, the programme recognises that sustainable health improvements depend on action across multiple interconnected areas.

Participants may therefore come from different professional sectors and disciplines that influence health outcomes.

These can include:

• Public health
• Healthcare
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Health policy
• Education
• Agriculture
• Food systems
• Climate
• Water and sanitation
• Technology
• Gender equity
• Economic policy
• Non-governmental organisations
• Academia
• Philanthropy
• Private-sector organisations
• Public-sector institutions

The programme calls this broader approach Health++.

Understanding the Health++ Concept

WomenLift Health defines Health++ as the recognition that sustainable improvements in health require coordinated action across interconnected fields that shape and enable health.

These include areas such as:

• Climate change
• Food systems
• Agriculture
• Water and sanitation
• Education
• Economic policy
• Gender equity
• Technology

The Health++ approach is based on the understanding that health challenges cannot always be solved within the boundaries of the health sector alone.

For example, health outcomes can be influenced by whether people have access to nutritious food, clean water, safe environments, education, economic opportunities, technology and equitable services.

The Leadership Journey therefore seeks leaders who can think beyond professional silos and work across interconnected systems.

Why Health++ Matters

The programme identifies several important relationships between health and other sectors.

Health and Climate

Climate change can influence disease patterns, nutrition, environmental conditions and people’s ability to access healthcare.

Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and pollution can create additional health risks and increase pressure on health systems.

Women leaders working at the intersection of climate and health can therefore contribute to solutions that address both environmental and health challenges.

Health and Agriculture

Agriculture and food systems have direct implications for nutrition, livelihoods and health.

Food systems can influence problems ranging from malnutrition to obesity while also affecting rural communities and economies.

Cross-sectoral leadership can help address these challenges more effectively.

Health and Gender

Gender influences access to healthcare, health decision-making and leadership.

Understanding power dynamics and gender-related barriers is therefore important for developing health systems that are more equitable.

Women leaders can play a significant role in identifying and addressing these structural challenges.

Health and Technology

Technology is increasingly changing healthcare delivery, diagnostics and access to services.

Digital health tools can create new opportunities while also raising questions about accessibility, equity and inclusion.

Leaders who understand both health systems and technology can help ensure innovation contributes to better and more equitable outcomes.

Developing Women Leaders Across Health++

The programme seeks to develop leaders who can:

• Collaborate across sectors
• Think beyond traditional professional boundaries
• Build coalitions
• Understand complex systems
• Identify catalytic leverage points
• Influence institutions
• Strengthen their leadership presence
• Create sustainable health impact

This approach is intended to prepare women leaders to address complex problems that require cooperation between multiple sectors and stakeholders.

Core Elements of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey

The programme consists of several interconnected components.

1. Health Leadership Project

The Health Leadership Project (HLP) is a central component of the Journey.

Participants enter the programme with an idea for a project that addresses a health-related challenge.

The project gives each participant an opportunity to design and lead an initiative that draws upon their:

• Expertise
• Professional network
• Passion
• Creativity
• Leadership capabilities

The goal is to turn leadership learning into practical health impact.

Developing the Health Leadership Project

Participants work on several components of their project, including:

• A Theory of Change
• Stakeholder constellation mapping
• An implementation plan

They receive guidance from:

• A mentor
• An HLP reviewer
• Global health experts within the WomenLift Health team and network

The implementation phase begins during the latter part of the Leadership Journey.

Participants present their project’s development and early outcomes during the Lift-Off event.

The project does not have to be fully completed by the end of the Journey. Participants are expected to continue implementation beyond the programme where appropriate.

Three Principles for the Health Leadership Project

WomenLift Health identifies three major guidelines for HLP projects.

1. Improve Health Outcomes

Projects should focus on improving health outcomes and incorporate gender considerations into interventions, policies and systems.

Participants should consider differences in:

• Health burdens
• Risks
• Access to care
• Experiences
• Outcomes

2. Strengthen Leadership

The project should provide an opportunity for participants to apply and strengthen their leadership capabilities.

Participants are encouraged to balance:

• Personal control
• Influence
• Collaboration
• Resource mobilisation
• Sustainable impact

3. Address Health Challenges Through a Systems Lens

Participants should channel their passion into addressing a public health challenge while considering:

• Structures
• Policies
• Stakeholders
• Root causes
• Systems
• Long-term sustainability
• Scalability

This approach is designed to move projects beyond short-term interventions toward sustainable change.

2. Learning Touchpoints

Learning Touchpoints are facilitated virtual and in-person group sessions.

They use interactive and workshop-style approaches rather than relying exclusively on lectures.

Participants explore:

• Leadership frameworks
• Leadership research
• Practical leadership tools
• Personal development
• Professional growth
• Health leadership priorities
• Relevant sector issues
• Health Leadership Projects

The sessions also create opportunities for participants to learn from one another.

The cohort’s diversity is therefore an important part of the learning experience.

3. Mentoring Touchpoints

Participants will also receive group mentoring from experienced senior leaders.

WomenLift Health identifies mentors from different:

• Professional backgrounds
• Health sectors
• Disciplines
• Career trajectories

Mentoring groups consist of several cohort members and a mentor.

Mentors are matched with participants based on complementary backgrounds, professional trajectories and, in some cases, Health Leadership Project topics.

The mentor serves as a technical and career resource throughout the Journey.

4. One-on-One Executive Coaching

Individual coaching is another major feature of the programme.

Each participant is paired with an executive coach who works with her individually.

The coaching relationship helps participants:

• Identify strengths
• Understand areas for development
• Navigate change
• Respond to new leadership challenges
• Strengthen leadership effectiveness
• Prepare for future leadership responsibilities

Leadership-style assessments, including a 360-rater evaluation, are used to inform coaching conversations.

This provides participants with structured feedback about their leadership capabilities and helps them identify areas they may wish to strengthen.

The combination of mentoring and coaching gives participants both:

• A broader professional support network; and
• Personalised leadership-development guidance.

5. In-Person Leadership Immersion

The Leadership Immersion is a three-day experiential learning event held several months into the Journey.

The Immersion gives participants the opportunity to move beyond virtual learning and engage directly with their cohort.

Activities include:

• Dynamic discussions
• Practical exercises
• Real-world leadership examples
• Reflection
• Peer learning
• Application of leadership concepts

The 2027 programme schedule identifies the Immersion as taking place from 13–16 April 2027, with travel days on 12 April and 17 April.

The specific location will be communicated to selected cohort members closer to the event, but it will be somewhere in Southern Africa.

6. Leadership Lift-Off

The Leadership Lift-Off takes place toward the end of the Journey.

It is designed to celebrate the cohort’s development and prepare participants for the next stage of their leadership journey.

The programme describes both public and private Lift-Off experiences.

Public Lift-Off

Participants reflect on their leadership development throughout the year and present their Health Leadership Projects to:

• Fellow cohort members
• Other health audiences
• Relevant stakeholders

Private Lift-Off

The private Lift-Off is a two-day event focused on celebrating the cohort’s growth and preparing participants for the next phase of their leadership.

The programme information provided lists the Lift-Off as 14–15 March 2028, with travel days on 13 March and 16 March.

Applicants should carefully review the official programme calendar because the dates provided extend beyond the stated February 2026–March 2027 programme-duration description on the webpage.

Lifelong Leadership Community

Completing the Leadership Journey does not mark the end of participants’ relationship with WomenLift Health.

Those who successfully complete the Journey become Global Fellows and join a lifelong network of women leaders.

The network provides continuing opportunities for:

• Peer support
• Professional collaboration
• Regional networking
• Global networking
• Mentorship
• Leadership exchange
• Advocacy for women’s leadership

Participants therefore become part of a community that continues beyond the formal programme.

Diversity, Inclusion and Representation

Inclusion is a central value of WomenLift Health.

The organisation states that transformative leadership should:

• Advocate for women
• Give women a voice
• Represent women with diverse lived experiences

WomenLift Health encourages applications from:

• Minorities
• Historically marginalised communities
• Underrepresented communities

within the countries served by the programme.

The organisation also seeks diversity across:

• Sectors
• Disciplines
• Cultures
• Professional backgrounds
• Lived experiences

This means the Southern Africa Leadership Journey is not designed around one narrow professional profile.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet all of the stated eligibility requirements.

1. Applicants Must Identify as Women

The programme is specifically designed for women leaders.

Applicants must identify as women to qualify for consideration.

2. English Fluency

Applicants must demonstrate confidence and fluency in both written and verbal English.

This is important because participants are expected to:

• Express emotions and personal experiences
• Participate in reflective conversations
• Engage in complex interpersonal discussions
• Understand and apply leadership-development concepts
• Participate actively in group sessions

3. Citizenship, Residence and Employment

Applicants must be citizens who reside and work in one of the following countries:

• Angola
• Botswana
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• South Africa
• eSwatini
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Applicants outside these countries do not meet the stated country eligibility requirement for the 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey.

4. Time-Zone Requirement

Applicants must live within CAT, plus or minus one hour, for at least 75% of the Leadership Journey.

WomenLift Health considers time-zone compatibility essential because participants need to attend scheduled learning touchpoints and interact with their peers.

5. Professional Experience

Applicants must be mid-career leaders with between 10 and 25 years of work experience in Health++.

This requirement distinguishes the Leadership Journey from programmes aimed at students, recent graduates or early-career professionals.

The programme is intended for experienced professionals who are ready to deepen their leadership influence.

What Does “10–25 Years of Experience in Health++” Mean?

The requirement should not necessarily be interpreted as requiring 10–25 years of work exclusively within hospitals, medical institutions or traditional public health organisations.

WomenLift Health’s Health++ definition is intentionally broad.

Relevant professional experience can involve interconnected sectors such as:

• Climate
• Agriculture
• Food systems
• Water and sanitation
• Education
• Economic policy
• Gender
• Technology

The important consideration is the relationship between the applicant’s work and health impact.

Professional Diversity Within the Cohort

WomenLift Health intends to create a diverse cohort representing different sectors, including:

• Public sector
• Private sector
• Academia
• Non-governmental organisations
• Philanthropy

This diversity is intended to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and expose participants to perspectives outside their immediate professional environments.

Application Requirements

A complete application must include a letter of recommendation.

The preferred recommender is the applicant’s supervisor.

However, if an applicant cannot obtain a recommendation from her direct supervisor, she may submit a letter from:

• A senior leader within her current organisation; or
• A leader in the health community who has experience working with her.

The letter should address the applicant’s:

Leadership Contributions

The recommender should describe significant contributions the applicant has made to her professional field that demonstrate leadership capacity.

Distinguishing Personal Qualities

The recommendation should identify the applicant’s strongest personal quality and explain how that quality distinguishes her as a candidate.

Leadership Development Potential

The recommender should explain how participation in the Leadership Journey could help the applicant strengthen her leadership knowledge and skills.

The recommendation letter must be uploaded as part of the application by the application deadline for the application to be considered complete.

The Health Leadership Project Is Particularly Important

Applicants should pay close attention to the Health Leadership Project component when preparing their applications.

WomenLift Health states that the project and its description carry significant weight in the application review process.

Strong applicants are expected to demonstrate:

• Original thinking
• A clear mission
• Leadership potential
• Understanding of the health challenge
• Systems thinking
• Practical ambition
• Potential for meaningful health impact

Applicants are therefore encouraged to review the official Health Leadership Project materials before beginning the application.

Using Artificial Intelligence in the Application

WomenLift Health acknowledges that applicants increasingly use artificial intelligence tools when preparing applications.

The organisation does not prohibit thoughtful use of AI, but it emphasises that application responses should remain:

• Specific
• Contextualised
• Rooted in the applicant’s actual work
• Connected to genuine interests
• Based on realistic goals
• Reflective of the applicant’s own thinking

Applicants should avoid submitting generic responses that could have been written for anyone.

The organisation notes that vague responses or applications that appear substantially similar to those of other applicants may receive lower ratings in a highly competitive selection process.

Applicants may therefore use technology as a support tool, but their application should demonstrate their own experience, ideas, leadership journey and goals.

Participation Commitments and Expectations

The Leadership Journey offers extensive support at no cost to participants, including:

• Mentoring
• Coaching
• Assessments
• Virtual learning
• In-person experiences

Because the programme receives hundreds of applications and has limited places, selected participants are expected to take their commitment seriously.

Accepting a place means agreeing to participate fully.

The programme’s virtual and in-person sessions are designed as live, small-group learning experiences.

Each participant’s presence contributes to the experience of the entire cohort.

Participants should therefore plan their schedules carefully and make every reasonable effort to attend all required sessions.

If an absence becomes unavoidable, participants are expected to inform WomenLift Health as soon as they know they cannot attend.

Applicants should also review the official Terms of Acceptance covering attendance and data policies.

Programme Schedule

The programme includes several major learning milestones and touchpoints.

Applicants should review the official calendar carefully before applying because participation in the required sessions is mandatory.

The programme information states that participants should ensure they can attend all scheduled touchpoints and in-person residencies.

The in-person components involve travel within Southern Africa.

The published calendar identifies:

Leadership Immersion

13–16 April 2027

Travel days:

• 12 April 2027
• 17 April 2027

Leadership Lift-Off

14–15 March 2028

Travel days:

• 13 March 2028
• 16 March 2028

The exact locations of the in-person residencies will be communicated to selected cohort members closer to the events and will be in Southern Africa.

Why Apply to the WomenLift Health Southern Africa Leadership Journey?

The programme provides an unusual combination of leadership development, professional networking, coaching, mentoring and practical health impact.

Selected participants can benefit from:

Leadership Development

Participants gain frameworks and tools to strengthen their leadership effectiveness.

Executive Coaching

One-on-one coaching provides personalised support for understanding strengths and areas for growth.

Mentorship

Participants learn from experienced leaders working across different health sectors and disciplines.

Peer Network

The cohort provides a community of women leaders who can exchange knowledge, perspectives and professional experiences.

Health Leadership Project

Participants develop and lead a project addressing a real health challenge.

Regional Exposure

The programme brings together women leaders from across Southern Africa.

Long-Term Community

Successful participants become part of a lifelong WomenLift Health network.

Fully Funded Participation

The programme is free, with programme costs and required travel and lodging covered.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should first confirm that they meet every eligibility requirement.

They should then review the programme’s official resources, particularly:

• Leadership Journey Framework
• Health Leadership Project Guidelines
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Programme Calendar
• Terms of Acceptance

Applicants should also identify an appropriate recommender and ensure that the recommendation letter can be submitted before the deadline.

The official WomenLift Health application page should be used to submit the application.

Application deadline: 18 September 2026 at 11:59 PM CAT.

APPLY HERE!

Applicants with questions about eligibility can contact:

southernafricajourney@WomenLifthealth.org

Who Qualifies for the 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey?

Category of eligible people

The programme is designed for mid-career women leaders working in health and interconnected Health++ fields.

Eligible applicants must:

• Identify as women.
• Have 10–25 years of work experience.
• Work in Health++ or an interconnected field affecting health.
• Be citizens of an eligible Southern African country.
• Reside and work in that eligible country.
• Demonstrate strong written and spoken English.
• Live within CAT, plus or minus one hour, for at least 75% of the programme.
• Be willing and able to participate fully in the programme.
• Submit the required recommendation letter.

Eligible countries

Applicants must be citizens who reside and work in:

1. Angola
2. Botswana
3. Lesotho
4. Malawi
5. Mozambique
6. Namibia
7. South Africa
8. eSwatini
9. Zambia
10. Zimbabwe

Race, ethnicity and continental eligibility

The programme does not specify a race or ethnicity restriction in the eligibility criteria provided.

However, WomenLift Health explicitly encourages applications from minorities and historically marginalised and underrepresented communities in the countries it serves.

Geographically, the programme is specifically targeted at Southern Africa, rather than being open to applicants from all African countries or all continents.

Visit HERE to learn more about the WomenLift Health 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey.

 

Important Deadline

The application deadline is:

18 September 2026 at 11:59 PM Central Africa Time (CAT).

Applicants should ensure that the complete application, including the required recommendation letter, is submitted before the deadline.

Because the programme is highly competitive and places are limited, applicants should avoid waiting until the final hours to complete their application.

APPLY HERE!

Conclusion

The WomenLift Health 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey offers a comprehensive leadership-development opportunity for experienced women leaders seeking to increase their influence and create meaningful health impact across Southern Africa.

The programme goes beyond conventional professional training by combining leadership education, mentoring, executive coaching, peer learning, experiential residencies and a practical Health Leadership Project. Participants are given the opportunity to reflect on their leadership journey, develop new skills, build influential relationships and apply their learning to a real-world health challenge.

Its Health++ approach is particularly significant because it recognises that sustainable health improvements require collaboration across sectors such as climate change, agriculture, food systems, education, technology, gender equity, economic policy and water and sanitation.

For eligible women with 10–25 years of professional experience, the programme provides an opportunity to strengthen leadership capabilities while joining a diverse network of women leaders from across Southern Africa.

Participation is free, and programme costs, including required travel and lodging, are covered. However, selected participants must be prepared to make the necessary time commitment and attend the required virtual and in-person sessions.

Women who are citizens, residents and workers in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, eSwatini, Zambia or Zimbabwe, meet the professional-experience requirement, are confident in English and satisfy the time-zone requirement should consider applying.

The application deadline is 18 September 2026 at 11:59 PM CAT. Prospective applicants should carefully review the official programme calendar, eligibility requirements, Health Leadership Project guidelines and application instructions before submitting their applications.

For women leaders ready to deepen their leadership influence, expand their regional network and translate their expertise into sustainable health impact, the WomenLift Health Southern Africa Leadership Journey offers a significant platform for professional and personal transformation.

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