Technology. Entrepreneurship. Capital. Trade.
Africa — humanity’s cradle — is not merely a developing economy. It is a re-emerging civilisation, reshaping the world again, and faster.
China’s rise was led by young techpreneurs. Africa’s will be too — with better tools.
Africa is on course to surpass China in total population and, within a generation, to have several times its youth population. Just as China’s young entrepreneurs turned a few miles of copper wire into an internet powerhouse, Africa’s techpreneurs will lead the transformation of their continent.
They have more transformative and accessible technology than any generation before them: cloud, mobile, data, open source — and now AI. Applied to real pain points, as mobile money did in banking the unbanked, these tools can shapeshift Africa and the world.
Our commitment is personal as well as strategic: our President, Greg Shea, divides his time between Hong Kong, Beijing and Nairobi, and since 2014 has advised African and Chinese governments and businesses on ICT projects.
That potential will not be realised without effort. The private sector must lead in promoting entrepreneurship — the most effective way through the systemic barriers that traditional models have not overcome. Our mission is to help develop African entrepreneurship and power Africa’s re-emergence as a leading global economy.
Connect. Create. Change.
Connect
Connect Western innovation, enriched by Chinese experience, with the extraordinary potential of African entrepreneurs.
Create
Create a community of common interest and capability that grows the entrepreneurial contribution to Africa as a leading global economy.
Change
Realise the impact of the new African entrepreneur on the world — and with it, Africa’s re-emergence.
West, East and Africa.
As a change agent bridging three worlds, we combine technology development, advisory and investment with strategic investors from Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Build the ecosystem around the entrepreneur.
Private capital, public ambition, technology and local ownership all have a role to play.
Tech zones & digital infrastructure
Pan-African industrial and entrepreneurship zones, working with established hubs to develop products and services that raise productivity, create jobs and improve living standards.
Capacity building & AI skills
Training in technology — now including AI and agentic engineering — alongside entrepreneurship and industry-policy development.
Investment
Sourcing, due diligence, co-investment and investment-platform development for African ventures.
Ventures & joint ventures
Africa-centred businesses and special-purpose vehicles, normally majority African-owned, building entrepreneurial and technical capacity in Africa and with Africans.
Software, systems & services
Software delivery bridging China and Africa; market entry for producers and internet services; connecting African hardware start-ups with manufacturing partners in China.
Trade corridors
Trusted routes for goods, services and capital between Africa, Asia and the world.
A focal point for African entrepreneurship.
PEP brings public, academic, media and private-sector initiatives together through public–private partnership — with PEP initiatives, talks and awards, and ultimately a PEP Fund and PEP Enterprises — guided by an advisory board drawn from each partner community.
Government patrons
Leaders of African economies — with an initial focus on East African synergies across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, and innovation centres in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Egypt — plus regional bodies and national ICT agencies.
Co-promotion partners
Existing tech zones, incubators and entrepreneurship programmes, such as iHub in Nairobi, EthioICT Park in Addis Ababa, the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the AfriLabs network.
Financial partners
Global technology companies’ Africa offices, African and global funds and foundations, and Asian development and investment funds focused on Africa.
Education & training partners
Institutions building business and technology skills, from the African Leadership University to open-source and global policy institutes.
Build what Africa needs next.
We welcome governments, entrepreneurs, investors, educators and corporate partners.