The African Natural Capital Alliance (ANCA) Nature Executive Fellowship is a strategic initiative to develop Africa’s next generation of nature finance leaders. Combining world-class teaching with a hands-on project, it equips senior leaders with the skills, knowledge and networks to drive meaningful impact across the continent’s natural capital landscape.
Delivered in collaboration with the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, the University of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and the London School of Economics, the Fellowship combines academic excellence, leadership development and real-world application. It is designed for executives committed to advancing nature-positive economies across Africa.
Over twelve months, you will take part in three in-person residential modules, receive group coaching and expert guidance, and advance the nature-based solutions project you bring to the programme. On completing the Fellowship, you will join an active alumni community and remain connected to ANCA’s network of financial institutions, regulators, investors and technical experts.
The Fellowship is designed to fit alongside a senior role, but it does require your time commitment. You should expect:
As a Fellow, you will gain:
Insights from leading global institutions, applied to Africa’s most pressing nature and biodiversity challenges.
The acumen and confidence to influence and drive strategic nature-based initiatives at the highest levels of your organisation.
Lasting relationships with peers, alumni and international experts who continue to open doors for you and your project well beyond the Fellowship.
Dedicated support to advance your own real-world nature-based solutions project towards implementation and capital mobilisation, positioning you as a key voice in the continent’s nature finance ecosystem.
A certificate of completion signed by all programme partners.
By the end of the Fellowship, you will be able to:
Cape Town, South Africa · 21–27 February 2027
A week of immersive residential learning at the UCT Graduate School of Business. This module introduces Fellows to the core concepts, frameworks and actors shaping Africa’s nature finance landscape. Fellows will explore:
Oxford and London, United Kingdom · 10–14 May 2027
A five-day residential module at two of the world’s leading academic institutions. Fellows receive specialised training on nature-based solutions, ecological principles, nature data and nature-aligned financial instruments, deepening their expertise in resilience, development and the strategic role of natural capital in sustainable economies.
African project location to be confirmed · 9–13 August 2027
One week of hands-on experience with nature and biodiversity finance projects in a selected African country. Further details will be shared with Fellows once the host country has been confirmed.
There will be several scheduled online touchpoints across the year
Programme costs, accommodation and some meals are provided during the three residential modules, and are fully funded by the Fellowship. Fellows are responsible for their own travel and visa expenses. Further details will be shared with successful applicants.
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own flights, visas and travel and medical insurance for all three modules.
Many Fellows will need a visa for South Africa, the United Kingdom or both. UK visa processing in particular can take several weeks, so we strongly encourage you to apply as soon as your place is confirmed. We will provide a letter of invitation to support each visa application.
A requirement for acceptance
Your nature-based solutions (NbS) project is central to the Fellowship, so we need to be confident that you have a suitable project we can help you advance through to implementation. It should be a clearly defined opportunity, within your organisation or wider ecosystem, that you are in a position to lead. It must be real, relevant to and supported by your institution, and able to demonstrate its potential to advance nature-positive outcomes in Africa.
Over twelve months, you will develop, test and refine your project, supported by a structured programme of academic, practical and leadership coaching. Group coaching sessions and expert guidance provide a forum for rigorous challenge and peer learning, helping to ensure that your project is strategically sound, grounded in context and aligned with how decisions are really made in your institution. By the end of the programme, you will be expected to have a credible, actionable plan that mobilises capital into nature in Africa.
As a member of the alumni community, you will remain part of a growing group of Fellows across the continent and stay connected to ANCA’s network of financial institutions, regulators, investors and technical experts. This gives your project access to the partnerships, expertise and visibility it needs to keep moving.
We recognise that your project may be commercially sensitive. The information in your application is seen only by the selection committee and the ANCA Secretariat. During the programme, project details are shared with your cohort, the partners and coaches supporting you. There may also be an opportunity for you to share your project with potential investors. If you would not like your project details to be shared with any of these groups, please indicate this in your application.
The Fellowship is designed for executives and senior leaders with a proven track record in sustainability, resilience and leadership. You are an ideal candidate if you are:
The selection committee assesses every application against the following criteria:
You hold a senior position, with the authority to implement strategic nature and biodiversity initiatives within your organisation.
Your proposed project aligns with the goals of the Fellowship and with ANCA’s mission, and addresses a real nature or biodiversity challenge.
Your employer backs both your participation and your project.
Your organisation has a credible, demonstrated commitment to sustainability and nature, and the desire to make change happen.
All required documents are submitted, and your motivational statement is clear, concise and well structured.
We build each cohort to reflect a diversity of gender, geography and sector, spanning financial services, ecology and conservation, technology and community organisations, and including perspectives from under-represented groups. Preference is given to candidates from ANCA member organisations, although non-members who demonstrate exceptional potential and relevance are also considered.
Fellows from every cohort form a growing, pan-African alumni community of leaders mobilising finance for nature. Filter by cohort year to see who joined when.
The African Natural Capital Alliance (ANCA) is an African-led alliance of financial institutions, regulators, project developers and other key stakeholders in the nature finance ecosystem working to mobilise finance for nature in Africa. The ANCA Secretariat is hosted by FSD Africa.
The Nature Executive Fellowship is delivered in collaboration with the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, the University of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and the London School of Economics, and is funded by The United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Preference in selection is given to candidates from ANCA member organisations. Find out about membership.
Applications close on 22 October 2026.
