In a move to unlock the potential of South Africa’s innovative economy, the Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) has officially partnered with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) to launch a Venture Building Programme designed to support high-impact, early-stage startups.
This initiative is more than just a business accelerator, it’s a comprehensive, hands-on venture building journey that nurtures entrepreneurs from concept to execution, equipping them with the tools, mentorship and networks they need to thrive in South Africa’s fast-evolving tech and innovation landscape.
“Our mission is to empower a new generation of problem-solvers who can drive inclusive economic growth through technology,” says Amber Williams, EPF, Head of Marketing. “Through this partnership with DSTI, we’re laying down the infrastructure to build businesses that matter, and last.”
The EPF Tech Fund is far more than a capital provider, it’s a Black-led venture builder that embeds strategic investment, hands-on support, and ecosystem integration into every stage of growth.
It focuses on the following:
- The early-stage tech ventures founded by South African youth and Black entrepreneurs.
- Selecting startups addressing vital sectors like water, energy, healthcare, education, transport, agriculture, housing, public safety, rural development, and unemployment.
- Investing in solutions that can be deployed across Africa, not just South Africa.
- Active, Long-Term Support
- Through its Incubation Hub, EPF Tech Fund offers ongoing support without imposing typical VC time pressures
- Offers a full suite of resources, capital, business advisory, go-to-market strategies, mentorship, back-office infrastructure, digital marketing, software services and tech support – under one roof.
- Impact & Metrics-Driven Approach
- Monitors metrics such as:
- 3 Tech Hubs established,
- 50+ graduate tech enterprises,
- 750+ jobs created,
- Presence in 30 industries and 9 provinces
- R300+ million invested across 17 ventures, generating a wide-reaching economic impact
- Under The Ecosystem Building & Collaboration
- It Hosts national hackathons and innovation events, fostering synergies among startup cohorts and institutions.
- Through EPF Tech Hub, startups gain centralized access to finance, design, software, digital marketing, business analysis, and tech operations—enhancing efficiency and collaborative potential
- Demonstrated Success
- Helped scale this fintech to 100,000+ tap-and-go payment points nationally.
- Built an API-enabled IoT analytics platform integrated with 20+ IoT devices
- Boosted industrial IoT deployments, delivering a 40% efficiency gain, and now valued at R75 million.
- Pay Point
EPF’s investment helped scale Pay Point’s tap-and-go payment technology to over 100,000 retail locations nationwide. Additionally, PayPoint is now offering digital donation solutions in partnership with organizations like the SPCA - SmartView Technologies
Initially supported by EPF in 2018, SmartView has developed a dynamic, API-ready IoT analytics platform integrated with over 20 IoT devices. - Visio Soft
With EPF Tech Fund backing, Visio Soft has achieved a remarkable 40% increase in industrial efficiency, and its business valuation has surpassed R75 million.
The Venture Building Programme has two phases, that will run for 6 months each: Months 1–3 (Foundation Phase) lay the groundwork—defining vision, success metrics, timeline, tools, team, workspace, onboarding mentors, launching founder outreach, and selecting the inaugural cohort; Months 4–6 (Discovery Phase) deepen venture readiness through SWOT analysis, in-depth market validation, business model and finance workshops, personalized 1:1 mentor sessions, and the refinement of investor-ready plans presented to expert panels—ensuring startups emerge with a solid foundation, validated strategies, and clear execution roadmaps supported throughout by expert guidance .
The programme is designed to bridge the gap between ideas and execution, helping startups not only launch, but thrive. With EPF’s deep commitment to digital transformation and DSTI’s backing for scientific advancement, the program stands to create a new wave of African startups equipped to address challenges in education, healthcare, energy, fintech, agriculture, and beyond.
By pairing government support with grassroots innovation, this partnership demonstrates a scalable model for how public-private collaboration can fuel a stronger startup ecosystem across the continent.
“When innovation meets intention, we build more than businesses, we build futures” Amber Williams further says.
For more information, partnership inquiries, or to follow the journey of the cohort, visit:
www.empirepartnerfoundation.org
[email protected]
011 084 1100
