As Oprah cut the ribbon to the entranceway of her new $40 million Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy located on a 50-acre site just outside the city of Johannesburg, not only did celebrities like Mariah Carey, Sidney Poitier, Spike Lee, and Tina Turner attend, but for a moment the worldwide media shifted their attention from the battlefields of the Middle East to the craddle of humankind.

In the opening speech, it became clear that this school is a realization of Oprah’s dream to do something significant for those who have not. It was built in response to former South African President Nelson Mandela‘s request. When she met Mr. Mandela several years ago, Oprah asked him what was the most pressing need in his country, and he explained that it was education. Oprah’s response is certainly more than impressive, and its purpose is to offer the girls maximum opportunity for scholarly success in an environment that is not only conducive to learning but also provides them with every amenity. While this bothers some, Oprah's goal is to make the experience not just a daily respite from real life but about altering their lives forever.

Comments African Leadership Expert Dr Nikolaus Eberl: "This is possibly the single most pertinent event in repositioning Brand South Africa from a follower to a thought leader in leadership education. African leadership models have been largely ignored by the business community for application in a world dominated by Western rolemodels. African leaders like King Shaka, and African Leadership Models like The IziCwe Code are only now finding their way into business schools around the world, and Oprah's Leadership Academy is a great testimony to this development."

Dr Nikolaus recently introduced a uniquely South African innovation model, called The IziCwe Code, at the Global Leaders Africa Summit in Johannesburg, sharing the stage with world renowned leadership gurus Tom Peters, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Porter. Based upon the innovation strategies of the legendary Zulu King Shaka, The IziCwe Code is about inspiring employees to question the tried and tested and search for new ways to deliver world-class service. In anticipation of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, large South African organisations are calling upon The IziCwe Code to engage their employees in Iklwa Innovation (so called after the revolutionary new weapon introduced by Emperor Shaka) and align employee commitment to President Mbeki\'s 2010 Promise.

Dr Nikolaus' forthcoming book is called "BrandOvation™ – How Germany won the World Cup of Internal Branding" (contributors Timothy Maurice Webster and Herman Schoonbee). An in-depth analysis of how Juergen Klinsmann built a winning team from scratch within less than two years and how Germany re-invented the world’s biggest sporting event into a nationbuilding success story, by activating BrandOvation™ and turning spectators into brand ambassadors.

Contact Details:
Dr Nikolaus Eberl
Chairman: IziCwe Academy
Internal Branding™ Division
Tel:    +27 (0) 83 270 6009 / 10
Direct: +27 (0) 83 270 6011
Fax:    +27 (0) 86 500 1800
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