Abstract
Talent Management (TM) scholarship remains dominated by universalist, Global North assumptions that overlook the socio‑cultural and institutional realities of African organisations. This conceptual paper examines how leadership identity orientations shape the meaning, recognition, and management of talent in African contexts. Drawing on African leadership scholarship and contextual analyses, it argues that talent is interpreted through identity frameworks rooted in communal, relational, hierarchical, and hybrid logics. The paper proposes a multi‑layered framework integrating leadership identity, identity‑mediated talent experiences, and culturally shaped talent conceptualisation. African socio‑cultural dynamics, such as communal values, informality, historical legacies, and institutional complexity, are positioned as moderators influencing how talent is defined and enacted. Identity dynamics such as belonging and community obligations are theorised as mediators shaping inclusion and access to opportunities. By reframing Talent Management as culturally embedded, the paper advances theory, challenges dominant paradigms, and offers guidance for culturally congruent talent practices across African organisations.