The Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) continues to make significant strides in creating an environment where innovation thrives, and visionaries are empowered to shape Africa’s future.
With a powerful presence at the 2024 EPF Tech Awards, Joanna Govender, CEO of EPF Tech Fund and EPF, emphasised the organisation’s commitment to supporting young African innovators and expanding its footprint across southern Africa.
In her opening remarks, Govender drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s focus on youth empowerment and education, emphasising that “by investing in our youth, we invest in the future of Africa.”
This vision aligns with EPF’s broader mission to create opportunities for young entrepreneurs and tech talent, not only in South Africa but throughout the continent.
The EPF Tech Awards have become a crucial platform to recognise and celebrate exceptional talent within South Africa’s tech ecosystem.
The event also serves as a springboard for innovators to gain exposure, connect with industry leaders, and access resources for scalability and growth.
“We are more committed than ever to creating an environment where innovators are acknowledged, empowered, and supported as they pursue greater impact,” Govender said.
Govender reiterated EPF’s strategy to create meaningful partnerships that drive Africa’s tech landscape forward.
She quoted an African proverb to illustrate the foundation’s approach: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Over the last eight years, EPF has leveraged collaboration to drive impactful change across industries, proving that joint efforts can create lasting success.
2024 marks a pivotal year for EPF, as it expands its operations into southern African nations such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania, with a broader Pan-African vision extending into Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.
This expansion is a testament to EPF’s ambition to foster innovation and economic growth throughout the continent, providing young entrepreneurs with the tools they need to compete on a global stage.
“Africa is a land brimming with potential, driven by the youngest and fastest-growing population in the world, our youth, our greatest resource,” Govender said, reflecting on the immense promise held by the continent’s new generation of innovators.
EPF’s work ensures that this resource is nurtured, by equipping young people with essential tech skills and helping them realize their potential in a rapidly changing digital economy.
Through initiatives like the EPF Innovation Campus and the EPF Tech Fund, which incubates and accelerates youth-owned startups, the foundation plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Africa’s tech landscape.
Govender extended heartfelt thanks to EPF’s partners and teams for their continued efforts in advancing the EPF ecosystem and championing a Pan-African vision.
As EPF embarks on this new chapter of growth, expanding into more countries across Africa, it remains focused on its ultimate goal: empowering the next generation of innovators to lead Africa into a future defined by technological advancements, economic growth, and unity.
The future, Govender emphasised, is for Africans to shape together.
“Let’s rise beyond national boundaries and come together, not just as South Africans, but as one Africa, working in solidarity to chart our own destiny.”
