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Join the global network for young African leaders

Two ways in. Fellow Membership opens the network, the training and the fellowship year. Executive Fellowship adds a guaranteed seat at the table, a mentor of your own and your place at the Summit.

Apply to become a Member → From USD 105 / year · Ages 18 to 45

Fellow Member $150 Living in Africa $105 Executive Fellow $600

The Baobab Framework

How a YGLN Fellow grows

The baobab stands for centuries and shelters a whole village. Every benefit of membership feeds one part of the tree, so you grow as a person, a leader, a citizen and a builder.

Roots

Character and values

The people and principles that hold you steady when leadership gets hard.

The Fellows' Pledge, made by every member on joining New
Six months of group mentorship, matched to your focus
A mentor of your own, six sessions a year Executive
The Executive Roundtable with the President Executive

Trunk

Leadership

The skills and credentials that carry your weight as you rise.

CLDP certification, Certified Leadership & Diplomacy Practitioner
Study abroad applications, two a year or four as an Executive Fellow
YGLN events and masterclasses, and 10% or 20% off UK leadership events

Branches

Service and reach

How far your leadership reaches beyond yourself.

One community service project a year, recorded on your digital badge. Executive Fellows lead theirs New
The Young African Leaders Summit
UN sessions through our ECOSOC status, and country chapter leadership Executive

Fruit

Enterprise and opportunity

What your growth produces: work, ventures and openings for others.

Kickstart venture clinic for members building a business or social enterprise New
Career clinic, scholarship database and a jobs, internships and fellowships board
A featured directory profile and speaking places Executive

Fellow Member $150 a year, $105 in Africa Executive Fellow $600 founding rate

Where do you live? Outside Africa In Africa

Membership benefits

Everything a Fellow receives

Certified Leadership & Diplomacy PractitionerTrunk

Seven modules online, ending in an assessed practical in a live online assembly. Members attending the Young African Leaders Summit can take the practical and graduate there instead. Curriculum by the European School of Business & Diplomacy.

CLDP included

Attend UN Sessions in New York, Geneva and ViennaBranches

Join YGLN's delegation to United Nations sessions through our ECOSOC Special Consultative Status, with a nomination letter and a briefing before you travel. Each Executive Fellow chooses one session a year.

Executive Fellows only

Study Abroad ApplicationsTrunk

Programme matching, checklists, statement review and submission support. University, test and courier fees are not included.

Two a year

MentorshipRoots

Matched by focus area, with regional and global bootcamps and a profile in the Global Member Directory.

Six months, group

Career and Skills DevelopmentFruit

CV and LinkedIn clinic, interview preparation, and a jobs, internships and fellowships board that marks the roles sponsoring work visas.

Included

Young African Leaders Summit 2027Branches

Accra, 25 to 27 November 2027. Three days with heads of state, founders and the wider network. The 2027 delegate rate is already reduced for every delegate. The Executive pass covers the registration fee, and flights and accommodation are paid by the member.

The 2027 delegate rate

UK Leadership EventsTrunk

Conferences, executive briefings and leadership weeks run in London and across the UK, open to members at a reduced rate.

10% off every UK event

Executive RoundtableRoots

A closed session with the President and invited guests, four times a year, twenty seats a session allocated by rotation.

Executive Fellows only

Recognition and StandingFruit

A featured profile in the member directory, eligibility to lead a country chapter, and consideration for speaking places at YGLN events.

Executive Fellows only

Community Service ProjectBranchesNew

Every Fellow completes one project a year that serves their community: a workshop, a mentoring scheme, a clean-up, a campaign. Plan it, deliver it and record it in the Impact section of the portal. Completed projects appear on your digital badge. Executive Fellows lead theirs.

Take part in one a year

Kickstart Venture ClinicFruitNew

For members building a business or social enterprise. A small group clinic each quarter on your idea, your model and your pitch, with feedback from founders in the network.

Included

Four of the benefits above are Executive Fellow only. UN session nominations, the summit registration pass and a mentor of your own are where the difference goes. Switch to Executive Fellow →

Fellow Membership

$150 / year

Renews annually. Cancel any time.

CLDP certification, Certified Leadership & Diplomacy Practitioner
Six months of group mentorship
Scholarship database, matching and deadline alerts
Jobs, internships and fellowships board, with visa sponsorship marked
Two study abroad applications a year
Career clinic and directory profile
10% off UK leadership events
Discounted YGLN events and masterclasses
One community service project a year, on your digital badge
Kickstart venture clinic

Join as a Fellow Member →

Partnering with us? Universities and employers can request a code that reduces the fee for their people. Email membership@yglnetwork.com.

Side by side

The difference in full

Benefit	Fellow Member · $150$105 for residents of Africa	Executive Fellow · $600
Attend UN sessions in New York, Geneva and Vienna	Not included	One session a year of your choice
YALS 2027, Accra	The 2027 delegate rate, already reduced for everyone	Registration fee covered by your delegate pass. Flights and accommodation are yours
Mentorship	Six months, group	Group, plus a mentor of your own, six sessions a year
Leadership certification	CLDP included	CLDP and every future certification
Study abroad applications	Two a year	Four a year
Member directory	Standard profile	Featured profile
Career clinic	CV, LinkedIn, interview preparation	Plus recommendation and nomination letters
UK leadership events and conferences	10% off	20% off
YGLN events and masterclasses	Discounted	All included
Executive roundtable with the President	Not included	Four a year, twenty seats by rotation
Country chapter leadership	Not included	Eligible
Community service project	Take part in one a year, on your digital badge	Lead one a year, on your digital badge
Kickstart venture clinic	Included	Included

UN session attendance is always subject to accreditation by the United Nations, which YGLN does not control. The YALS 2027 delegate pass covers the registration fee only. Flights and accommodation are paid by the member. Fellow Members resident in Africa pay $105 a year. The application asks for your country of residence and a copy of your passport or national ID bio data page to confirm it. Fees are in US dollars, and the portal shows what the fee comes to in your own currency. The Executive Fellow founding rate of $600 runs until 31 December 2026, after which the rate is $800.

How it works

Your application journey

Submit your application

One form, about six minutes, including the group project you want to join.

Acknowledgement

An automatic confirmation by email, then a review within two weeks.

Offer and payment

A welcome email with your card link, bank transfer details and a deadline.

Payment clears

Your membership year begins the day the payment lands.

Portal access

Eligibility

Aged 18 to 45
A professional, entrepreneur or leader, or passionate about leadership
Able to pay the annual membership fee

You are

Self-motivated and ambitious
Passionate about change and youth development
Committed to gender equality and women's empowerment
Ready to make the Fellows' Pledge and complete a community service project each year

Your impact

Poverty alleviation and women's empowerment
Scholarships and capacity building
A sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem