WomenLift Health has opened applications for its 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey, a fully funded leadership development programme designed for mid-career women working across the health sector and related fields in Southern Africa. The programme seeks to strengthen the leadership capabilities, networks, influence, and impact of women working to address complex health challenges. It brings together women leaders from multiple disciplines and sectors while providing access to leadership training, mentoring, executive coaching, peer learning, and a Health Leadership Project. The programme is free of charge, with programme costs, including travel and accommodation for eligible in-person components, covered by WomenLift Health. Applications close on 18 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central Africa Time (CAT). About the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey The WomenLift Health Leadership Journey is a transformational learning and development experience for women leaders working across health and interconnected sectors. The 2027 Southern Africa cohort will comprise 35 women leaders working in the region. Participants will receive approximately 87 hours of learning and development, including virtual sessions, mentoring, coaching, experiential learning, and work on an individual Health Leadership Project. Participants are expected to commit approximately four to eight hours per month to the programme. The Journey is delivered through a hybrid format, combining virtual learning with in-person experiential sessions. Who Is Eligible to Apply? The programme is specifically intended for women who are already established in their careers and have significant professional experience in health and related fields. Applicants must: Identify as a woman. Demonstrate fluency and confidence in written and spoken English. Be a citizen residing and working in one of the eligible Southern African countries. Reside and work in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, or Zimbabwe. Be able to live within the CAT time zone, plus or minus one hour, for at least 75% of the Leadership Journey. Have between 10 and 25 years of professional experience. Be a mid-career leader working in the broader Health++ ecosystem. Understanding Health++ WomenLift Health uses the term Health++ to recognise that sustainable improvements in health depend on coordinated action across multiple interconnected sectors. The programme therefore welcomes women whose work intersects with areas such as: Climate change. Food systems and agriculture. Water and sanitation. Education. Economic policy. Gender equity. Technology. Public health and healthcare. This approach encourages participants to move beyond traditional sectoral boundaries and develop systems-thinking approaches to complex health challenges. What the Programme Offers Selected participants will gain access to a comprehensive leadership development experience combining several learning components. The programme includes: Virtual and in-person learning sessions. Group mentoring with experienced senior leaders. One-on-one executive coaching. Leadership assessments and reflective learning. Peer networking and collaborative learning. A Health Leadership Project. Experiential leadership development. Membership in a lifelong global network of WomenLift Health Fellows. Participants who successfully complete the Leadership Journey become part of a continuing network of women leaders and allies at local, regional, and global levels. Health Leadership Project A central component of the programme is the Health Leadership Project (HLP). Each participant enters the Journey with an idea for a project designed to address a public health challenge. With support from mentors, reviewers, and health-sector experts, participants develop a Theory of Change, map stakeholders, and establish an implementation strategy. The project should: Improve health outcomes. Integrate gender considerations into policies, systems, or interventions. Strengthen the participant’s leadership capabilities. Address a public health challenge through a systems perspective. Consider structures, policies, stakeholders, and root causes. Aim for sustainable and scalable impact. The HLP carries significant weight in the application assessment, and applicants are encouraged to develop their project concept carefully before submitting an application. Mentoring, Coaching and In-Person Learning Participants will be matched with experienced mentors who can provide technical, professional, and career guidance. Mentoring groups will bring together participants with complementary backgrounds and professional trajectories. Each participant will also receive individual executive coaching to help identify strengths, address areas for development, and strengthen leadership effectiveness. The Journey includes experiential in-person components, including the Leadership Immersion, where participants engage in practical leadership exercises, discussions, and reflection, as well as the Leadership Lift-Off, which marks the transition into the next stage of their leadership journey. Funding and Programme Commitment The WomenLift Health Leadership Journey is fully funded and free to participants. Programme costs are covered, including travel and accommodation associated with the applicable in-person components. Participants should nevertheless review the programme calendar carefully before applying because attendance at the required sessions and in-person residencies is mandatory. The programme requires participants to make a sustained commitment to learning, peer engagement, coaching, mentoring, and development of their Health Leadership Project. Application Deadline and How to Apply Applications for the 2027 Southern Africa Leadership Journey are currently open. The application deadline is 18 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CAT. Prospective applicants should review the eligibility requirements, programme calendar, Health Leadership Project guidelines, and application guidance before submitting their applications. Apply through WomenLift Health Important Date Clarification The supplied programme information contains apparent inconsistencies in the stated programme dates. It describes the programme duration as February 2026–March 2027, while separately listing the Leadership Immersion for April 2027 and the Lift-Off for March 2028. Prospective applicants should therefore verify the official calendar and dates directly with WomenLift Health before making commitments. The opportunity is particularly relevant to experienced women leaders in Southern Africa seeking to strengthen their leadership capabilities while developing solutions to complex health challenges through cross-sector collaboration. VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) shares  jobs, internships, fellowships, grants, scholarships, and other opportunities for informational purposes only. GSO does not participate in the recruitment or selection process. Applicants should verify the vacancy details, eligibility requirements, application process, and deadline through the official organisation before applying.