Name

Empire Partner Foundation

Legal name

Empire Partner Foundation NPC

Website

https://empirepartnerfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Innovation Ecosystem / Youth and Technology Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ), Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI)

Keywords

• Youth skills development
• Technology incubation programs
• Social impact monitoring
• Corporate social investment
• AI and IoT solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandown

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Funding: As a registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) with Section 18A status, EPF receives tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Donations can be made online via credit card, EFT, or recurring debit order, or directly to their FNB account.
2. Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Partnerships: EPF partners with corporations to deliver CSI initiatives, providing technology-driven solutions for community upliftment, skills development, and social impact programs.
3. Sponsored Programs and Initiatives: Sponsorships for specific programs like Mi Desk (school desks), WiFi installations, bursaries (30 awarded), and micro-enterprise development partnerships with organizations like CHIETA.
4. Free Educational Programs: Free online courses like the GBA+ course (5.5 hours, Certificate of Completion) delivered in partnership with government, creating reach and impact rather than direct revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Empire Partner Foundation is a South African non-profit innovation ecosystem that runs hackathons, bootcamps, incubation, mentorship, and field programs to train African youth, incubate startups, and apply AI/IoT solutions to public-sector challenges in water, energy, housing, safety, healthcare, agriculture and smart cities. It also operates the Visible Social Impact (VSI) real-time impact-monitoring platform, an AI Campus for STEM/AI education, the EPF Tech Fund for startup investment, an EPF Product House for media production, and an annual Tech Awards program.

Product overview

Empire Partner Foundation operates as Africa's most practical and impact-driven innovation ecosystem, organized as a platform-plus-programs architecture. The portfolio centers on the Visible Social Impact (VSI) platform for real-time impact measurement and IoT monitoring, complemented by Solve for X for youth skills development, the Production House for media solutions, Trust Us for strategic technology implementation, and Enterprises Development for micro-enterprise support. These are supplemented by the AI Campus for AI/STEM education, the EPF Tech Fund for startup investment, the GBA+ Course for leadership training, and the annual Tech Awards. The ecosystem is interconnected through shared data infrastructure, with VSI aggregating IoT and project data across all initiatives for transparent impact tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Visible Social Impact (VSI): A platform providing real-time data, automated M&E, and verifiable proof of contribution to future-proofing Africa. Provides real-time dashboards, automated monitoring and evaluation workflows, and transparency tools for corporate investors, government, and NGOs.
• Solve for X
• EPF Product House
• CSI
• PBO

Products and services

• Visible Social Impact (VSI) Platform Real-time data platform providing automated M&E, IoT-based monitoring for water, safety and infrastructure, and transparent tracking of social impact for corporate investors, government departments and NGOs across Africa.
• Solve for X Youth skills development and innovation program combining hackathons, ideation events, skills gap analysis, and market research to drive tech innovation with sustainable impact for businesses and communities.
• EPF Product House Media and digital solutions hub delivering interviews with young leaders, podcasts, webinars, and video content creation to elevate brands and document innovation stories across the EPF ecosystem.
• Trust Us Impact-driven technology initiative delivering inclusive digital solutions through strategic management, innovation, and community development for African beneficiaries.
• Enterprises Development Micro-enterprise development program creating sustainable livelihoods through tech-enabled job creation, economic empowerment, and community upliftment in townships and rural areas.
• AI Campus AI education and training academy offering STEM and AI Academy programs that use smart algorithms and AI-driven evaluation to personalize learning and align skills with future jobs.
• EPF Tech Fund Investment arm funding high-potential tech startups and youth-led ventures across Africa through the EPF ecosystem.
• GBA+ Course Free online Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) course providing decision-making and leadership skills for South Africa's public, social, and development sectors, with Certificate of Completion issued by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
• Annual EPF Tech Awards Annual technology awards celebrating innovation, dedication, and excellence in the technology sector, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and visionaries across Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000+ youth trained through digital skills and tech programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature17 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• MTNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor telecommunications partner supporting EPF's technology and innovation initiatives across Africa
• Financial Sector Conduct AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African regulatory body partnered to support financial technology innovation and inclusion initiatives
• HuaweicoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing expertise and solutions for smart infrastructure and digital transformation initiatives
• Department of Science and InnovationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African government department supporting science, technology, and innovation programs through EPF ecosystem
• Switzerland (Swiss Embassy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership supporting innovation and development initiatives in Africa
• The Good People - Data CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationData company partner providing data analytics and intelligence solutions for EPF programs
• National Youth Development Agency (NYDA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency supporting youth development programs and entrepreneurship initiatives in South Africa
• AI CampusflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated entity focused on AI education and training, part of the EPF ecosystem of programs
• REdimensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting innovation and development initiatives
• WIB GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting EPF programs and initiatives
• 919fmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner (Ferguson Media 919) providing youth-led storytelling and visibility for EPF initiatives
• ICT SMME ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization empowering South Africa's ICT SMMEs to grow, compete, and participate in the digital economy
• Better BondminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting affordable housing and smart infrastructure initiatives
• DigicationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing skills development and training through structured programs designed to build practical, job-ready skills
• SALGAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African Local Government Association supporting municipal and local government technology initiatives
• VAAGHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting EPF programs and initiatives
• MettusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting innovation and development initiatives
• TDMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting EPF programs and technology initiatives
• ProBono.OrgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDynamic NGO working with the private legal profession to deliver pro bono legal services to vulnerable communities, partnered with EPF for digital transformation
• CHIETAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemical Industries Education and Training Authority partnership for micro-enterprise development programs, empowering local entrepreneurs with tools, resources, and skills
• Dignity DreamsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative focused on menstrual health and providing essential sanitary products to young women in underserved communities, supported through Kilimanjaro Hike sponsorship

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MEST Africa: Pan-African training program and seed fund for technology entrepreneurs, combining 12-month incubator training with pre-seed investment. Closest comparable to EPF's AI Campus + EPF Tech Fund combination targeting African tech founders.
• Anzisha Prize: African Leadership Academy initiative supporting very young African entrepreneurs through prizes, training, and mentorship. Comparable focus on youth-led African entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem building.
• African Leadership Academy: South Africa-based college and pan-African youth leadership institution developing entrepreneurial and technology talent across the continent. Comparable mission of African youth leadership and innovation pipeline development with similar pan-African ambition.
• Co-creation Hub (CcHUB): Nigeria-headquartered technology and innovation hub running incubation, acceleration, and ecosystem programs with strong corporate and government partnerships across Africa. Operates an analogous model of hackathons, incubation, and applied AI for public-sector challenges.
• Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator: South African nonprofit solving youth unemployment through skills training, employer matching, and work-seeker support. Directly comparable target beneficiary segment (unemployed South African youth) and skills-development model.
• Injini Africa: Pan-African edtech accelerator and think tank focused exclusively on African education technology ventures. Comparable in mission to combine edtech acceleration, impact measurement, and donor-backed venture support.

Broad incumbents

• Mastercard Foundation: One of the largest foundations globally running Africa-focused education, skills, and youth employment programs (including Young Africa Works). Similar philanthropic mandate targeting African youth employment and digital skills at massive scale.
• Tony Elumelu Foundation: Pan-African philanthropy and entrepreneurship empowerment foundation running large-scale entrepreneur training, mentorship, and seed funding programs across Africa. Comparable as a pan-African nonprofit foundation investing in African youth-led ventures via training and capital, with a broader continental footprint than EPF.

Regional players

• iHub Nairobi: Kenyan technology innovation hub supporting startups, hackathons, and ecosystem programs. Comparable tech-skills and startup-incubation focus, with deep roots in East Africa versus EPF's South African base.

Emerging players

• Andela: Africa-rooted company that recruits, trains, and places African software engineers globally through AI-powered learning and job matching. Overlaps with EPF's AI Campus / job-placement capabilities, though Andela operates as a commercial venture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/epfsouthafrica

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empire Partner Foundation