Global nonprofit Heifer International has named Safia Boly as its new Senior Vice President for Africa, to boost agricultural impact across the continent.
Boly, a seasoned policymaker, development strategist, and international executive, steps into the role with a career spanning over two decades across government, multilateral institutions, and pan-African initiatives. Her appointment comes at a pivotal time as Heifer scales its work with smallholder farmers, one of the most critical yet underserved segments of Africa’s economy.
Speaking on her appointment, Heifer International President and CEO Surita Sandosham emphasised Boly’s track record in building collaborative ecosystems across governments, donors, and private sector actors, an approach seen as essential for scaling agricultural transformation across Africa.
A Career Rooted in Policy, Reform, and Agricultural Transformation
Safia Boly’s professional journey reflects a rare blend of high-level governance experience and grassroots development insight. She most recently served as Executive Director of the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative, a Nairobi-based platform that works with African governments to design and implement inclusive agricultural transformation strategies. In this role, Boly collaborated with multiple countries to align national agricultural priorities with sustainable development goals, focusing on food security, climate resilience, and farmer inclusion.
Before transitioning into regional development leadership, Boly held two influential cabinet positions in Mali. As Minister for Reform and Transparency of Public Life, she spearheaded governance reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and institutional integrity. She later served as Minister for Promotion of Investments, where she worked to attract both local and international investment into Mali’s economy, with a particular emphasis on agriculture and agribusiness as engines of growth.
Her government service was complemented by an extensive career within the United Nations system, where she spent nearly 20 years working across Africa and the United States. During this time, she contributed to development programming, policy advisory, and capacity-building initiatives, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between global development frameworks and local implementation realities.
Academically, Boly holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Mali’s Ecole Nationale d’Administration and an MBA from Florida State University—credentials that underpin her strategic and operational leadership across sectors.
Driving Heifer’s Vision for Africa
In her new role, Boly will oversee Heifer International’s programs across 12 African countries, guiding strategy, partnerships, and program delivery. The organisation currently works with hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers, supporting value chains such as dairy, poultry, horticulture, and staple crops.
Her mandate includes strengthening locally led development models, expanding market access for farmers, and accelerating innovation through initiatives like AYuTe NextGen, which supports young African agritech entrepreneurs building solutions for smallholder farming communities.
Boly, in turn, highlighted agriculture as a cornerstone of Africa’s economic future, noting its central role in poverty reduction, job creation, and food security. She expressed commitment to advancing Heifer’s mission through co-creation with farmers and partners, leveraging both innovation and policy alignment.
Since its founding in 1944, Heifer International has supported nearly 60 million smallholder farming households globally. Its Africa operations, which began in 1974, remain central to its mission of building sustainable livelihoods and resilient food systems.
With Safia Boly at the helm of its Africa programs, the organisation is poised to deepen its influence, bridging policy, investment, and community-driven solutions to unlock the full potential of Africa’s agricultural sector.
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