More than 100 promising young leaders from 14 countries will gather to debate and collaborate on the issues affecting the Southern Africa region

PRETORIA, South Africa, June 6, 2017/APO/ -- 

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), is hosting the Southern Africa Regional Conference for Mandela Washington Fellows in Johannesburg, South Africa from June 7-8, 2017. More than 100 promising young leaders from 14 countries will gather to debate and collaborate on the issues affecting the Southern Africa region. They will be joined by some of Africa’s most notable leaders in the private sector, representatives of the United States Government, and international and local organizations.

USAID and IREX support Mandela Washington Fellows with continuing professional development opportunities in Africa, to advance their leadership trajectories. The Southern African Fellows include participants from Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 

Members of the media are invited to cover the following sessions on June 7 & 8, 2017:

Wednesday, June 7
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM:  Opening Session, including remarks by:
•    Jessye Lapenn, Chargé d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy Pretoria
•    Lebohang Chaka, CEO, AfroVisionary Legacy 
        
11:00 AM – 12:20 PM:  Panel on Internet connectivity as a human right, featuring representatives from the African Union and the International Telecommunications Union
3:30 PM – 4:50 PM:  Plenary Workshop, “Failing Fast - helping Fellows find their 
solutions.” 

Thursday, June 8
9:15 AM – 10:30 AM: Plenary Workshop on leadership 
•    RSVP:  Members of the media may register in advance by contacting Alex Cole at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Journalists must present credentials upon arrival.  Attending journalists must be seated 30 minutes prior to the start of each session. 
•    All events are at the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo.  
•    Please remain in the auditorium if you would like to conduct one-on-one interviews at the conclusion of the formal program. 

Distributed by APO on behalf of U.S. Embassy Pretoria, South Africa.