A number of schools in South Africa appear to be struggling with the changes that the government is introducing to improve the quality of education and lay a strong foundation for the country's societal transformation. Leadership has been found to be one of the factors that are associated with how schools cope with change and its complexities. This article focuses on a conceptual examination of the national Advanced Certificate: Education (School Management and Leadership) programme's capacity for promoting sustainable leadership in schools. The findings from the critical analysis of the qualification's documentation suggest that the current formulation of this school leadership development programme does not address the complexities of leadership and change, and is thus unlikely to adequately contribute towards leadership effectiveness or its sustainability in schools. It may, however, contribute to short- term school improvements, policy compliance, management effectiveness or economy and/or administrative efficiency.