Privacy Policy

The Nelson Mandela Leadership Institute ("MLI," "we," "us," or "our") is a leadership organization that operates programs, membership, speaking engagements, and community initiatives dedicated to advancing ethical leadership across generations.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect through this website and our programs, how we use and protect it, and the rights you have over it. It applies to visitors, applicants, members, speakers, partners, and anyone who otherwise engages with us.

We collect information you provide directly to us — for example, when you submit a contact form, apply for membership, request a speaking engagement, subscribe to updates, or communicate with our team. This may include your name, email address, phone number, organization, professional background, country of residence, and the content of your messages.

We also collect limited technical information automatically when you use the site, including device and browser type, IP address, referring URL, pages viewed, and interactions. This is used to operate, secure, and improve our services.

We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 16 without appropriate consent from a parent or guardian.

We use personal information to:

• Respond to inquiries and provide the services or information you request.
• Review and process membership, program, and speaking applications.
• Send updates about our programs, events, and community when you have opted in.
• Operate, maintain, secure, and improve the site and our programs.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms and policies.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising by third parties.

Where applicable law (such as the EU/UK GDPR or the POPIA in South Africa) requires a legal basis for processing, we rely on: your consent (which you may withdraw at any time), the performance of a contract with you, compliance with legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in operating and improving our programs in a manner that is balanced against your rights.

We share personal information only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards, including with:

• Trusted service providers that host our infrastructure, send email, process forms, or provide analytics, under contractual confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
• Program partners and event hosts, where you have applied to or opted into a specific joint initiative.
• Legal, regulatory, or governmental authorities when required by law or to protect the rights, safety, and property of MLI, our community, or the public.

If we ever undergo a merger, acquisition, or reorganization, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the commitments in this policy.

We operate globally. Your information may be processed in countries other than the one in which you reside, including South Africa, the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards — such as standard contractual clauses — to protect your information when it is transferred across borders.

We keep personal information only for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, to comply with legal, tax, accounting, or reporting obligations, or to resolve disputes. When information is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymize it.

We apply administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include encryption in transit, access controls, and continuous monitoring of our systems. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a portable copy of your personal information; to object to or restrict certain processing; and to withdraw consent at any time. You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@mandelaleadership.org. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.

We use a minimal set of cookies and similar technologies to keep the site functioning, to remember your preferences, and to understand how the site is used in aggregate. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect the functionality of the site.

Our site may link to third-party websites, resources, and partner organizations we do not control. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, and we encourage you to review them before providing any personal information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we do, we will update the effective date above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice.

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, write to us at info@mandelaleadership.org or by post to the Nelson Mandela Leadership Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa.