Who we are
As a part of its commitment to working internationally, CISL has made a substantial commitment to extending its work in Africa. CISL Africa is built on an existing South Africa office in Cape Town with a mandate to grow geographically and operationally across Africa. CISL Africa’s work now extends beyond Executive Education to encompass Foresight, Convening and Innovation work across Africa. It reflects CISL’s mission to enable individuals and organisations to take leadership to respond to critical economic, social and environmental challenges and opportunities.
What we do
CISL Africa is working to recruit and convene, educate and enable, and support and accelerate the leadership capability necessary to achieve five impacts that are mission-critical to a just and sustainable economic transition in Africa:
- Development: Navigate the next phase of Africa’s energy transition through green industrialization.
- Governance: Govern this ‘whole economy’ transition with ‘collaboratory’ governance processes and institutional innovations.
- Finance: Transform African risk assessment to lower the cost of capital needed to finance the transition.
- Society: Change the narrative by winning the argument in favour of a just and sustainable transition and by demolishing false dichotomies that prop up vested interests.
- Trade: Engage the global trade landscape to strike a grand strategic bargain in support of a just and sustainable economic transition in Africa.
Our people
Our staff provide strategic and operational support services to deliver impact and excellence to our clients and network.
Our work draws upon an expert group of Fellows and Senior Associates, comprising business leaders, academics and other influential thinkers who have direct experience in working to address sustainability challenges.
Convening
CISL Africa convenes two Corporate Leaders Group (CLG) Africa chapters in Southern and Eastern Africa. The Corporate Affairs Leadership Forum (CALF) is a CLG Africa chapter in Johannesburg, serving as a thought leadership platform to exchange and drive private sector transformation for South Africa’s sustainable development. The Sustainability Leadership Forum (SLF) is a CLG Africa chapter in Nairobi and is a thought leadership forum to promote partnership and innovation in policy to meet East Africa’s sustainable development goals.
Education
CISL Africa currently runs four executive education programmes, namely, the Business & Sustainability Programme (BSP), the Sustainability Practitioner Programme (SPP), Climate Finance Leadership Programme (CFLP) and Customised Programmes.
BSP Africa, part of CISL's flagship executive education programme’s suite of global BSPs, helps senior executives understand the complex global trends and implications shaping the future of business and to develop business strategies to respond.
SPP South Africa is designed to equip middle to senior managers of organisations with a high-level understanding of the role of sustainability in future-proofing their organisations. SPP is held in South Africa.
CFLP builds the knowledge and capabilities of national and local policy and government leaders and prepares service providers and financial institutions in Africa to support a climate-resilient economic development trajectory. It is funded by FSD Africa and held in various cities across Africa.
CISL’s tailored training helps organisations across multiple sectors frame a response to sustainability trends. An example of this is the Anglo American: The GameChangers Programme.
Foresight
Our latest thought leadership and research aims to inform and equip decision-makers across business, finance, and policy to lay the foundations for a sustainable economy.
Research
- Gas isn’t a good alternative to coal – South Africa should focus on solar, wind and green hydrogen
- Africa’s Gas Road to Nowhere: South Africa’s Policy Debate on Using Gas to Accelerate the Energy Transition
- Global Leadership in the Age of Turbulence
- Financing Africa’s Low Carbon Transition
Opinion
Innovation
CISL Africa is working to achieve systemic innovation governance across Africa, financial innovation, and just and defensible transitions, resulting in emblematic sustainability.
Fellows & Senior Associates
We believe in harnessing the insights and expertise of world-leading experts and practitioners. CISL works with Fellows who contribute to key areas of CISL’s work. Our Senior Associates also bring a wealth of practical insight to CISL from their own experience in business, government and civil society.
Find out more about our Senior Associates
Find out more about our Fellows
Advisory Group
CISL Africa is supported by an advisory group that includes:
Dr Mao Amis, CEO, African Centre for a Green Economy
Ylva Lindberg, Executive Vice President, Strategy & Communication, Norfund
Prof. Carlos Lopes, Professor Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town and Visiting Professor at Sciences Po
Nompilo Morafo, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, MTN Group
Dr. Melanie Müller, Senior Associate: Africa & Middle East, SWP - German Institute for International & Security Affairs
Dr. Nomfundo Ngwenya, Executive Director representing South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho, African Development Bank
Victoria Puxley, Founder, Puxley ESG
Theo Sibiya, Partner & Managing Director, Africa, Kearney
Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist, Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa
Prof. Imraan Valodia, Pro Vice Chancellor: Climate, Sustainability & Inequality, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Akhona Xotyeni, Sustainable Cities Programmes Officer, Embassy of Denmark in South Africa
