Globalization reshaped the religious and cultural landscape of urban African spaces. Using a phenomenological qualitative approach, this study investigated how globalization shapes religious expressions and cultural identity and the role of religious leadership as a mediator in these processes. Participants (n = 28) were religious leaders, urban youth, and cultural practitioners recruited through a purposive and snowball sampling strategy in Antananarivo in 2025. Data from semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation were analyzed using conventional content analysis. A total of three key themes were identified, which included: (1) religious diversification and hybridity within the trends of growth in transnational movements as well as local syncretism; (2) the transformation in cultural identity with the erosion of traditions and the creative innovation of traditions; and finally, (3) media, technology, and religious leadership as mediating roles. Muslims specifically demonstrated selective glocalization, embracing technology while setting boundaries in religious doctrine. In leading positions, leaders become the primary cultural brokers who enable the community to negotiate the global influences that make their rounds while retaining local cultures. These findings point out the imperative of adaptive, reflective leadership for the nurturing of resilient identities within globalization in urban centers. It is against this background that the need arises to support such leadership toward sustainable cultural and religious coexistence.

Keywords: Globalization, religious leadership, cultural identity, Madagascar, qualitative research, hybridization, glocalization