Eight dynamic South Africans were selected this week by the World Economic Forum to become part of the prestigious Forum of Young Global Leaders. Established in 2004, Young Global Leaders is a unique, multi-stakeholder community of the world's most extraordinary leaders under the age of 40 who are chosen for their professional accomplishments, their commitment to society and their potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

This is the largest group to be chosen from South Africa to date and of interest is the fact that six of the eight are women leaders. In the programme's inaugural year, 2005, seven were chosen, and last year, five more South Africans were asked to join this group. This year's group brings South Africa's total to 20 out of a total of 416 YGLs, which include the likes of Larry Page and Sergery Brin, co-founders of Google; Mikheil Saahashvili, President of Georgia; and Taddy Belcher, CEO of South Africa's CIDA City Campus.

The group comprises business leaders, as well as leaders from governments, academia, media and society at large from nearly 70 countries.

 The South African Young Global Leaders 2007 are:

• Airports Company of South Africa managing director Monhla Hlahla;
• Leslie Maasdorp, vice chairman of Barclays Capital and Absa Capital and the first African to be appointed as International Advisor to Goldman Sachs International;
• Managing Director of leading black owned and managed investment company Shanduka Energy, Phuti Malabie;
• the general secretary of the Treatment Action Campaign, Sipho Mthathi;
• Christine Ramon who is CFO and executive director of the fuels and chemicals group of Sasol;
• internet entrepreneur and Afronaut Mark Shuttleworth, who chairs the Shuttleworth Foundation which funds innovative projects in education and entrepreneurship in Africa;
• Natalie Simons, the youngest female priest in the Church of the Province of Southern Africa; and
• Sindi Zilwa, chief executive officer of Nkonki Sizwe Ntsaluba, the first national black accounting firm in South Africa.

Drawn from a pool of over 4000 candidates, the Young Global Leaders nominated in 2007 have been chosen by a selection committee of 34 eminent international media leaders such as New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger and Reuters UK CEO Tom Glocer.

These Young Global Leaders are called upon to dedicate a part of their time to jointly address global challenges by devoting part of their knowledge and energy to collectively working towards a better future.

That nearly 5% of the world's Young Global Leaders (YGLs) are South African is remarkable given the country's relative size in the global economy and gives South Africa reason to anticipate a bright future.

Source: Marisa Berndsen, SA Good News


Molo says: "Read more stories about South Africa's development in all spheres. Amongst the latest in news that's inspring young and old are the Soweto Gospel Choir winning at the recent Grammy Awards; the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town been rated as one of the top 10 in the world; and the larger South African wine harvest which is to bring more excellent SA Wine.

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