The AFC Fellowship — delivered through Common Purpose’s Climate Challenge Leadership Programme — is a leadership-development initiative run by the not-for-profit Common Purpose together with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). Each annual cohort brings around 40 emerging leaders from Africa, the wider global South, and the global North together fully online to develop Common Purpose’s “Leading Beyond Authority” approach and to work on a shared climate challenge: how to reform carbon markets so they reward protecting and expanding forests, grasslands, peatlands, and mangroves across Africa and the global South. Now in its third year, the fellowship has involved more than 90 fellows; the 2025 cohort chose 45 leaders from over 700 applications across 29 countries.
Benefits & funding
- Fully sponsored by AFC: selected fellows pay no programme fee, and because the fellowship runs entirely online there are no travel or accommodation costs.
- Four months of structured leadership development (November to February), built around Common Purpose’s experiential, design-thinking “Innoventure” process.
- Practice in “Leading Beyond Authority” — influencing and collaborating across boundaries, sectors, and borders.
- A cross-border cohort of roughly 40 leaders drawn from around 29 countries, plus access to the wider Common Purpose Fellows community afterwards.
- Collaborative work on a live climate challenge, ending in a final presentation to senior decision-makers.
- No salary or living stipend is provided.
Eligibility
- Aimed at emerging leaders, who typically have around five or more years of professional experience — but there is no fixed minimum; motivation and leadership potential matter most.
- Open to applicants from across Africa, the wider global South, and the global North; there is no nationality restriction.
- Suited to people committed to positive change who can show leadership potential and articulate what they would bring to the climate challenge.
- Interest in climate issues and in addressing the imbalance between the global North and South.
- No specific degree is required.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Apply online through the Common Purpose website once the annual cycle opens (the 2025 cycle opened in early August).
- 2Set out your leadership experience, your interest in the climate challenge, and what you would contribute to the cohort.
- 3Selected applicants are accepted onto the Climate Challenge Leadership Programme and join the AFC Fellowship cohort.
Program timeline
6 August 2025
Applications opened for the 2025 cohort
21 September 2025
Application deadline (2025 cohort)
November 2025 – February 2026
2025 cohort ran online over four months, closing with a final presentation to senior leaders
August 2026 (estimated)
Applications for the next cohort expected to reopen, following the 2025 pattern
Likely application deadline for the next cohort
September 2026 (estimated)