Young Leaders

Developing tomorrow’s DA leaders

Introduction

The Young Leaders Programme (YLP) is a prestigious and highly selective programme, the aim of which is to create a pool of knowledgeable, articulate and emotionally intelligent leaders who can one day lead the party at a national level. The components of the programme include a leadership project, public speaking, written communication, personal development, coaching & mentoring and political knowledge.

VIEW THE COURSE OUTLINE HERE >>

VIEW THE APPLICATION FORM HERE >>

Selection Criteria

The Programme will be limited to twenty-five participants who will be chosen by a selection panel from a group of individuals from across South Africa. These 25 will attend five weekend workshops in different South African locations and must be available for all workshops. They should also be prepared to commit time out of normal work hours to tasks required to be completed between the workshops.

Preferred candidates are people, who, by their actions and achievements, and the values and principles by which they conduct their affairs, have demonstrated their potential to be a leader. They will be between 18 and 35 years of age. Candidates can come from any sector of society – business, government or civil society. Candidates selected for the programme must demonstrate many of the following characteristics:

-  High level of interest in South African politics and current affairs

-  Past /current involvement with DA (not mandatory)

-  Good knowledge of DA principles and policies

-  Alignment with the DA’s vision of an open opportunity society for all

-  Proven track record of having successfully held leadership positions in the past

-  Initiative – evidence of having stepped outside normal roles to start something new

-  Good reasoning & critical analysis skills

-  Intellectually curious

-  Articulate

-  Motivated to be actively involved in politics

-  Confident, optimistic, with high expectations and high energy

-  Assertive

-  Self Aware

Candidates must be currently living in South Africa, or temporarily placed abroad by their employer or completing further education abroad (returning to South Africa in time for the start of the programme). They should be willing to commit to the Democratic Alliance and to actively contributing to its long term success. We are committed to making each year’s class diverse in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, geography and home language.

Prospective candidates need to complete an application form, which they can obtain from Marike Groenewald (marikeg@da.org.za). Applications generally close in October of each year, with the interview and testing process taking place in November.

FAQs

What can I expect to learn during the course of the year?

There are three main areas of learning during the year: political knowledge, communication skills and emotional intelligence.

Are there any costs involved?

The full cost of the programme is borne by the Democratice Alliance, including transport and accommodation at the retreats.

How is the year structured?

There are five workshops during the year, each of which is on a weekend. In between these workshops participants are expected to keep up with a reading programme, a writing programme, and to carry out a practical community project.

What will be expected of me?

You will be expected to prepare for and attend all of the retreats, to do the reading assigned to you, to carry out the writing assignments and to initiate and carry out a practical project in your community.

What are you looking for when selecting the Young Leaders?

We look for people between the ages of 18 and 35 who share the DA’s principles, who have a track record of leadership in the past and display high levels of motivation to lead in the future. Beyond that we also look for ability or potential in the areas of written and spoken communication, and a good grasp of South African politics.

Must I currently be involved in politics?

It is not necessary that you be currently involved in politics, but you must be able to convince the selection panel that you share the DA’s principles.

When does the programme start?

The programme will run from February - October of each year.