Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan received the 2024 Africa Freedom Prize of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF)  for his exemplary leadership in advancing democracy and freedom in a Wednesday ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The award was presented by the regional director for the FNF, Inge Herbert.

In his address, Ramkalawan said that receiving the award is indeed an honour for him and that "to me, it means a lot. It also means that when we do what is right we are recognised."

The award was presented by the regional director for the FNF, Inge Herbert.

Ramkalawan spoke about his political journey, his election victory in October 2020, and the upcoming elections in September 2025.

"Elections will be held next year in my country. The people will decide whether they want me back for a second and final term or whether they want somebody else. But I can tell you if I lose I will leave quietly. [...] I will not take up arms and fight to try and get back into office," he added.  

Ahead of receiving the award,  Ramkalawan engaged with the press at a briefing hosted by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Sub-Saharan Africa at their headquarters in Johannesburg.

The event offered an opportunity for the President to discuss his leadership philosophy and the remarkable trajectory of Seychelles' economic and social transformation.

President Ramkalawan had the opportunity to discuss his leadership philosophy. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY

Ramkalawan said that leadership is about believing in principles and with those principles one can persist and go on.

"You can fall when you don't win an election but that doesn't matter because your principles are there and you will pick yourself up from where you fell and you will continue," he said.

"The vision was one of democracy, one where the country could go much further and people would be respected because the background from which I came is very important to understand. It was a one-party system where democracy was not allowed to function. [...] I felt duty-bound to help bring about the change. So we stood up against what was affecting the people and we did not choose any shortcuts. [...] I remained steadfast in what I believed and this is what I want you young leaders of Africa to stick to," he shared.

State House said in a press release that since its transition from a socialist one-party state to a multi-party democracy in 1993, Seychelles has emerged as a trailblazer in economic liberalization and sustainable development.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, is ranked first in governance on the African continent on the Mo Ibrahim Index.