25 June 2025 - Against the backdrop of an increasingly complex and fragmented world, the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) convened the 32nd Sustainability Practitioner Programme (SPP) in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from 22-25 June 2025. Hosted over four days, this immersive learning experience brought together sustainability professionals from eight African countries across various sectors and disciplines united by a common imperative: to rethink their roles and how they can deliver the needed transformation in their organisations.
Contextualising Complexity
Opening the programme, Richard Calland, Director of CISL Africa, set the tone with a powerful framing of the dual inflexion points facing today’s leaders.
“Today’s sustainability practitioners and leaders are navigating two critical inflexion points. The first is a turbulent shift in geopolitics and geoeconomics that is reshaping the global order and redefining how we govern, trade, and collaborate. The second is a reckoning within the sustainability field itself. A growing recognition that the current ESG paradigm is not only falling short based on the scientific evidence available, but in some cases, doing more harm than good. In this context, the question is no longer whether to act, but how and with what values, frameworks, tools, and partnerships.”
This theme of interdependence ran through the opening day, as delegates explored the current sustainability context through a systems lens. Anton Cartwright provided a data-driven briefing on “The World in 2025”, setting the stage for a deeper interrogation of sustainability challenges and global megatrends.
From Insight to Application
The second day shifted focus from analysis to actionable frameworks. Led by faculty including Malcolm Gray, Nicola Robins, and David Farrell, sessions invited delegates to reframe their perspectives before introducing tools for systems thinking, value creation and strategic backcasting. Delegates engaged in case-based learning, examining corporate responses to sustainability pressures and mapping these against indicators of leadership maturity and systemic alignment.
The highlight of the day was the Power Game, an experiential simulation that revealed the often-unspoken dynamics of influence, resistance, and value negotiation that leaders routinely navigate. One delegate reflected on the experience of the day as great, “with high-quality contributions, meaningful discussions, and the Power Game to wrap it all up.”
Catalysing Innovation and Collaboration
Day three explored how sustainability and ESG can be embedded meaningfully within core business strategy. Led by Jonathon Hanks, this session unpacked the interplay between corporate purpose, stakeholder accountability, and long-term value.
Complementing this strategic lens were guest insights from Claire Conroy of Flamingo Sanitation Solutions and Himkaar Singh from The Compost Kitchen, entrepreneurs working at the frontier of social and environmental innovation. Their contributions underscored the potential for locally grounded, high-impact models that scale through systems alignment rather than extractive growth.
One delegate observed, “These sessions were eye-opening and sparked a few ideas for me to implement.”
The day ended with a fireside dialogue hosted by Tshidi Ramogase and Thabani Mlilo, offering delegates a candid reflection on the lived experience of leading change inside complex institutions. One delegate described it as “simply profound and insightful”.
From Learning to Leadership
The final day was devoted to consolidating personal insights into action. Delegates presented individual strategy pitches or “courageous conversations” they intend to lead within their organisations.
The closing session, facilitated by Khanyi Mlambo, revisited the central proposition of the programme: that sustainability leadership is not merely about technical knowledge or positional authority, but about the capacity to navigate paradox, inspire collaboration, and stay purposefully engaged amidst uncertainty. She closed out with leadership lessons from her mountaineering experiences.
As delegates presented their final action plans, a shift was palpable. “I’m leaving inspired and empowered to take on the challenge differently,” shared one delegate. “I definitely feel less stuck. Ideas are flowing again and something has been shifted in my mindset.”
A Continuing Journey
Delegates left with more than just a new set of tools, they departed with a network of peers, a sharper strategic lens, and a deeper commitment to double down to raise their ambition and deliver the transformation necessary for an economy-wide transition that is just, sustainable and leads to a prosperous future. As one participant succinctly put it: “I am challenged and inspired to do more.”