Reimagining Africa Through Creative Education Lens
From Coding to Creativity
Born with a curious mind and a passion for problem-solving, Dr. Puleng Makhoalibe’s academic journey began with a BSc in Computer Science and Statistics. But her thirst for knowledge and impact didn’t stop there. She went on to earn an MBA and a PhD in Business Management from the University of Cape Town, and later completed an executive program on exponential technologies at Singularity University and a neuroscience for business certificate from MIT. She also holds a coaching certificate from Henley UK. This unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen laid the foundation for her life’s mission: to empower individuals and organizations to innovate boldly and think differently.
In a world where narratives about Africa often lean toward the challenges, Dr. Puleng is crafting a different story—one of creativity, innovation, and boundless possibility. A scientist, business strategist, and global thought leader. “Dr P.”, as she is fondly known, is not just changing the game—she’s redesigning the entire playing field.
A Global Voice for African Innovation
She is the founder and CEO of Alchemy Inspiration, a start-up that helps organizations unlock their creative potential. Through leadership development, coaching, and consulting, she has inspired thousands of leaders to embrace innovation as a mindset, not just a tickbox. With 25 years of experience spanning the private sector, government, and academia, Dr. P. has worked across the globe, in Africa, Europe, UK, USA, and the Middle East. Her work focuses on design thinking, creativity, and innovation—tools she believes are essential for Africa’s transformation. She lives in the intersection of science, creativity and business to weave an alchemy that moves the businesses and individuals forward.
Dr. P. is part of a growing movement of African innovators who are shifting the global narrative from one of dependency to one of ingenuity. She believes that Africa’s greatest resource is its people—and that by nurturing creativity and innovation, the continent can solve its own challenges and lead on the global stage. She has sat on panels, given keynotes in various international conferences.
Project artistry
The Creative Core of Dr. P.’s Work
At the heart of Dr. P.’s transformative impact lies her signature methodology: the Project Artistry framework. Developed over more than a decade in her PhD, this framework blends design thinking, creative problem-solving, and human-centred leadership to help individuals and organizations navigate complexity with imagination and purpose.
Originally introduced in 2011, Project Artistry was initially met with scepticism—particularly in corporate environments where creativity was often misunderstood as unstructured or impractical. But as the world has shifted into an era defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), the need for imaginative yet rigorous approaches have become undeniable. This holistic model allows teams to move from ambiguity to clarity, from fragmentation to co-created vision. In 2023, she wrote her white paper on this methodology and it can be downloaded in the link below. Download the paper at: https://content.henleysa.ac.za/white-paper-project-artistry-framework-to-optimise-executive-education_dr-puleng-makhoalibe
The Alchemy Inspiration used the Project Artistry framework in their 3 pillars of their offering, which is strategy and consulting, leadership development and executive coaching
In strategy and consulting
The Alchemy Inspiration often gets asked to facilitate strategy sessions for corporates and NGO’s. Whether it is organisation-wide or boards, EXCO, or teams at work, at the heart of the facilitation is tapping into the creative genius of individuals by creating a psychologically safe space for engagement. “Play” plays a major role in creating this psychological safety. The process of facilitation is always well thought to engage play and creativity to ensure that participants’ engagement is optimal.
Some of the organisations that have engaged Alchemy Inspiration for strategy facilitation are Metropolitan, ABSA, FNB, Standard Bank, Alliance Lesotho, Central University of Technology, Zutari (Previously Aurecon), Accenture, Deloitte and many others.
The application of design thinking in strategy facilitation allows for a more bottom up approach in strategy than a top down. This is known as open strategy and is becoming more popular as an approach in strategy as increasingly, organisations realise that the customer-facing parts of the business knows more about the customer and could give better insights in crafting future strategies. At the same time, technology is playing a major role in defining organisational strategy, so is ESG becoming critical in any organisational strategy. Hence a multidisciplinary approach to co-creation of the strategy helps with cross-pollinating ideas to create more robust strategies. One of the major strategy facilitation projects was with South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) in 2023, where Alchemy Inspiration was tasked with facilitating strategy sessions in their bold initiative to open their strategy to multiple stakeholders to gain insights and input that informs their strategy. From the board, to EXCO, MANCO, Teams, employees, and external stakeholders, Alchemy Inspiration facilitated sessions to harness these insights.
Leadership: Empowering Africa’s Research Pioneers
One of Dr. P.’s most impactful contributions is her involvement in the African Science Leadership Programme (ASLP), an initiative by the University of Pretoria and the Global Young Academy. ASLP is designed to empower early- to mid-career scientists across the continent with leadership skills that go beyond the lab—fostering collaboration, systems thinking, and societal impact.
Through the facilitation and mentorship of Maggie Dugan and Dr. P., the programme has helped scientists become not just researchers, but visionary leaders who can tackle Africa’s grand challenges—from climate change to public health. Her work ensures that African science is not only globally competitive but also deeply rooted in local relevance. The use of art and reflection proved to be fundamentally paradigm shifting for the scientists who come into the programme expecting a conventional leadership programme, but find themselves painting, sharing, drumming, singing, journaling, connecting beyond boundaries.
The structure of the programme was strategically designed to work them out of the stage as the fellow stepped into the forefront and were enriched with tools and mentorship to drive the programme forward independently. The programme is now fully in the fellows’ hands and satellite programmes are being launched across the continent in various countries including Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Morocco, Liberia, Madagascar, Egypt, Botswana and many other countries independently.
From a single spark, the programme has touched the minds of over 1,500 researchers across the continent. Yet, only 180 have journeyed through the ASLP path at Future Africa — a crucible of transformation. Guided by a powerful mentorship model, the programme has gathered a momentum of its own, now unfolding like a tide, expanding ever outward.
The programme is a true testament of the power of coaching and mentoring. A model she believes is the answer for leadership in the continent. During the fellowship year, the fellows are equipped with tools to drive innovation in their universities, but also propelled to start leadership initiatives to shift the African science landscape through deliberate collaboration across disciplines and countries. Some of the stories of scientists coming out of this programme have been documented and they continue to thrive beyond the programme to shape the future of the continent through science. It was due to this initiative, that Dr. P. and the facilitation team received honorary African Science Leadership Fellowship in November 2024 at Future Africa, in Pretoria.”
“Her work is a testament to what’s possible when science meets soul, and when innovation is driven not just by profit, but by purpose.”
Creative Industries: Empowering Storytellers in creative industries
Dr. P. also brings her innovation expertise to the creative industries. For about eight years she has been working closely with the Multichoice Talent Factory – a CSI initiative by Multichoice to reach young creatives from more than forty count[ries] in Africa. Dr. P. is responsible for the design and delivery of personal and social mastery and business acumen for creatives modules delivered by Henley Business schools and has been traveling to various African countries to deliver the programme for East, West and Southern region of the continent. The aim of the programme is nurturing the next generation of African filmmakers and creatives. Here, she works with emerging storytellers to unlock their creative potential using design thinking and entrepreneurial tools. Through equipping creatives with the mindset and methods to innovate, she is helping to amplify authentic African narratives—stories that reflect the continent’s diversity, resilience, and brilliance. The programme trained over 350 youth in Africa in the film industry.
Dr. P. has also been appointed to deliver in the Botswana Ignite programme on personal and social mastery. The programme is meant to ignite the Botswana creative industries and build film skills in the youth. Alchemy Inspiration has been a partner in the programme and in the last three cohorts kicked off the programme with tools to create strong connections among the cohorts but also self-awareness and personal mastery.
Dr. P. was also invited as a facilitator in the Nigeria Creative Enterprise Support Programme by the British Council, which aims to stimulate UK-Nigeria collaboration in fashion and film. This involves connecting individuals and institutions in these creative sectors. She delivered programmes on personal mastery and business acumen for creatives.
She was also involved in the launch of the Henley Africa Creative universe in 2024.
Enterprise and Supply development programmes for corporates supporting entrepreneurs in the continent.
Dr. P. has often been assigned to design, deliver and direct programmes by corporates in South Africa aimed at developing and empowering small and medium enterprises (SMME’s). The journey started in 2018 when Accenture knocked on the doors of Henley Business School to partner in the delivery of such a programme. Dr. P. was assigned as a programme director in 2019, and the programme made a huge impact on the SMMEs’ leaders with an intensely experiential design, digital transformation exposure, and creative approaches that got business owners to immerse themselves in the learnings but also be challenged to think beyond their companies’ strategies and be engaged in economic, social-political landscape they operate in, and solve for the wider enterprising landscape. Later, Coca Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) reached out for the SME offering and Dr. P. as appointed to lead the Post Graduate Diploma in the CCBA ESD programme for the last three years which made its unique mark on Business School Education that was not only relevant to the delegates’ businesses, but thought provoking and challenging with models to help business owners to think through their own contexts and the wider economic issues facing the continent.
Other programmes that Dr. P. was involved in the SMME’ space through the Alchemy Inspiration were Allan Gray Makers Programme, Zikhule Seed of Change Programmes, and World Bank Entrepreneurs Programmes that involved various countries including her home country, Lesotho. She has been part of several incubations in the continent in the start-up space. And supported the South African Innovation Summit for ten years and Afrilabs platform that have taken off as leading SMME platforms in the continent.
Women in Leadership programmes
In 2011, Dr. P. was selected for the HERS academy programme which attracts women making waves in the academic space. And later-on joined as a facilitator in the programme invited by the founder, Dr. Sabie. Because of her love and passion for growth, and giving back, she went back to deliver in the programme on creativity and innovation for academic women leaders in subsequent cohorts. In 2014 she received an excellence award from the African Creativity community for selflessly serving for five years at the Africa creativity conference. In 2015, she was named among women leading in creativity in the world at a creativity conference in Buffalo, New York. In 2019, she was also chosen for the sort-after Women Leaders of the World programme, where she spent a week in the silicon valley with like-minded women making social impact in a year-long fellowship. She became the cohort-representative and led in her most natural flow and joined the council after the fellowship. She helped the programme transition to virtual in 2020 and became a co-facilitator who propelled the course forward during lock-downs. In 2020, she was selected as Top Woman Young Achiever Finalist by Standard Bank Top women awards. In 2020, she became one of the fifty Top Inspiring Women in Stem Winners.
She had never taken this recognition for granted and always went back to give back and make this a possibility for the next woman especially in male-dominated spaces. She is involved in several Women in Leadership Programmes in the continent to help shape the new narrative for women in STEM and tap into feminine leadership, which she believes is the future. She has written an “un-book” on the Alchemy of Feminine Leadership, which she shares in her Women in Leadership work.
“She is involved in several Women in Leadership Programmes across the continent to help shape the new narrative for women in STEM and tap into feminine leadership, which she believes is the future”.
Corporate Leadership: Transforming Leaders Across the Continent
Across Africa’s corporate landscape, Dr. P. is a maverick facilitator, programme designer and director in the corporate space. Through her company, Alchemy Inspiration, and in collaboration with top business schools such as Henley Africa and the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business and other business schools, she designs and delivers leadership development programs that blend creativity with strategy. Her approach is transformative: she helps executives and leaders move from being stuck in logic and analysis to engaging imagination, creativity and intuition in their leadership styles. Whether in banking, telecoms, mining, engineering, education, or any industry, her work is shaping a new generation of African business leaders—ones who are purpose-driven, future-focused, and globally relevant. Her stella, self-less work in the corporate space has earned institutions she worked with awards for disrupting, transforming and empowering their people on a global stage competing with other well-recognised global business schools.
The following awards stick out as her major successes in the executive education space:
Dr. P. was a Design Thinking Coach (2020) and a Programme Director (2022) in European Foundation of Management Development (EFMD) Global Award-winning executive programmes—a prestigious recognition in the world of business education.
- EFMD Award-Winning Programmes: Redefining Executive Education in Africa
One of the standout initiatives she contributed to is the #unTAP programme, a 10-day pan-African executive development experience co-created by Henley Business School Africa and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) for Standard Bank. This programme was designed to unlock leadership potential across the continent by blending design thinking and creative leadership. These programmes didn’t just teach innovation—they embodied it. Dr. P.’s projects coaching ensured that creativity was not an afterthought but a strategic pillar of leadership development.
- EFMD Excellence in Practice Award-winning “Acceleration” programme
Dr. P. also played a pivotal leadership role in the EFMD Excellence in Practice Award-winning “Acceleration” programme, a collaboration between Henley Business School Africa and Standard Bank Group. This programme received a Silver Award in the Talent Development category in 2022, recognizing its innovative and impactful approach to leadership development across the African continent.
The Acceleration Programme: A Vision for African Leadership
The Acceleration programme was designed to support Standard Bank’s future-ready transformation strategy, aiming to evolve the organization from a traditional bank into a platform business. The programme focused on:
- Developing local leadership pipelines in 14 African countries.
- Promoting internal talent, especially women and underrepresented groups.
- Equipping leaders with future-fit skills to navigate complexity and drive innovation.
As Programme Director, Dr. P. described the programme as:
“A truly African programme uniting leaders to take the bank and the continent forward. The depth of thinking and engagement, the relationships built through laughter, the cultural curiosity and sharing were epic.”
Inclusive Innovation Global community
In addition to her global facilitation work, Dr. P. Makhoalibe is a facilitator Inclusive Innovation (II), a global team dedicated to advancing innovation in developing countries. This organization focuses on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by ensuring that those who are often excluded from traditional innovation ecosystems—such as rural communities, women, and youth—are actively involved in the co-creation process.
Through Inclusive Innovation, Dr. P. facilitates workshops and innovation labs that bring together diverse stakeholders to solve real-world problems. Her work emphasizes equity, access, and participation, using tools that are culturally relevant and adaptable to local contexts. These sessions are not just about generating ideas—they are about empowering communities to take ownership of their futures.
The recent II project she facilitated is the Africa-UK physics projects to drive collaboration and innovation to Physicists from the UK and sub-Saharan Africa as they collaborated and co-created ambitious projects to address critical scientific and technological challenges, including climate resilience, sustainable energy, and healthcare. 13 of the projects were funded. More info can be found on this link: https://www.inclusiveinnovation.org/post/scoping-africa-uk-physics-projects-for-collaboration-innovation-with-ukri
The Alchemy Inspiration partners with Inclusive Innovation in an initiative to unlock Africa’s brilliance through collaboration and innovation. We combined the best practices of the two organisations to create an inclusive alchemy to facilitate in initiatives that make a difference. Contact us to tap into the magic of collaboration.
A New African Renaissance
Dr. P.’s work is a powerful reminder that Africa’s future lies not in imitation, but in imagination. By bridging science, creativity, and leadership, she is helping to birth a new African renaissance—one where innovation is indigenous, inclusive, and inspiring.
The driving force behind her work is grounded in her belief that her work serves God, and a higher purpose than her. She often introduces herself as a Wife of 1, a mother of 2, and sister of 3. At the core of her values is spirituality, family and purpose. “I have only one life. I must show up for that one life fully. If I don’t, I would let myself down.,” she says. She also points out that the education she has received places a responsibility on her to show up. It is a rare gift in Africa. “My mentor, Jon Foster Pedley says we shouldn’t confuse education with intelligence, many Africans are brilliant, even if they never had access to education.”, says Dr. P.
“Our continent’s richness is in its people, I have had the honour over the last 10 years to serve many leaders. I am in awe of what I have observed when you liberate those minds, get Africans to be in-touch with their contexts, but be globally minded and digitally savvy, the possibilities are endless, innovation beyond boundaries. This is my passion, my purpose, to live to see this powerful unfolding of creatives, scientists, business leaders who will not settle for less and activate others to not be afraid to be their authentic selves while being globally relevant.”
“I try to wear my Lesotho Blanket in global stages as it represented my country, my hashtag; #leparakobo, and my passion for my country – the Switzerland of Africa that I wish people could be curious about, because it is a diamond in the rough with its people and beauty. The blanket raises curiosity about my country, and gets me into conversations about this gem hidden inside another country.” concludes Dr. P. about her personal brand.
What is your dream?
The Alchemy Inspiration is born out of the culmination of science, art and creative leadership. “I have researched., tested and continue to be curious of what happens when you empower the ultimate computer between our ears – our brain. Give it the right belief systems, frame of mind, provide psychological safety, courage, power, tools, for it to think for itself. Find its own alchemy in navigating life and its complexity, within its own context, this is the heart of the Alchemy Inspiration.
Africa is not short of intellect. It is how we define it. We were born creative problem solvers of note; navigating tough conditions, and innovating beyond human understanding. All we need is to believe in ourselves, unite, and trust that we are the future. In 2030, Africa will be the youngest continent in the world. What defines greater wealth than that… our own people, their minds, and innate problem solving ability. Join me in creating, documenting, and spreading the African Alchemy.
The world is moving at an unprecedented pace, and Africa stands at a crossroads. Will we lead, innovate, and define the future—or will we watch as others shape it for us? Dr. P. refuses to accept anything less than bold, transformative leadership for Africa’s youth. And now, she’s building the platform that will ignite an unstoppable movement.
The African Youth Leadership Programme is more than an initiative—it is the catalyst for a new era of innovation, science, and entrepreneurship. Inspired by the renowned African Science Leadership Programme, this program is designed to cultivate visionary leaders who will not only thrive as individuals but change the world.
This is the moment. Africa is brimming with talent, ingenuity, and resilience. Yet, without investment in leadership, we risk losing the very minds that will drive our industries, solve our toughest challenges, and position Africa as a global leader. Dr. P.’s vision for the program is to ensure that the next generation doesn’t just dream about change—they create it. Through hands-on learning, mentorship, and cross-sector collaboration, young leaders will gain the knowledge, networks, and skills to drive Africa forward.
If you believe in Africa’s future, now is your chance to act. This isn’t about charity—this is about impact. Supporting this program means investing in real, tangible change. The leaders nurtured here will shape economies, influence policy, and spark innovation across every sector.
One Life to Live
Dr. P.’s vision is clear: Africa will lead, and its youth will be the force behind it. The only question is—will you be part of this movement?
Dr. P. Makhoalibe: Africa’s Innovation Ambassador to the World
In a world increasingly shaped by creativity, technology, and transformative thinking, Dr. P. stands out as a beacon of innovation and leadership. A trailblazer with a global footprint, Dr. P. has become a powerful voice representing Africa on international platforms, championing the continent’s creative potential and reshaping how innovation is understood and applied across sectors.
