NEPAD Business Foundation

What NEPAD Business Foundation does

NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF) is a Johannesburg-headquartered non-profit company founded in 2002 at the request of then-South African President Thabo Mbeki, with Dr. Reuel Khoza appointed as Founding Chairman to mobilise businesses around sustainable socio-economic development in Africa. The organisation holds signed MoUs with the African Union, NEPAD Agency (now AUDA-NEPAD), and SADC Secretariat, giving it formal multilateral standing as a coordinator between public and private sectors. It operates as the interim Secretariat of both the SADC Business Council (representing national business associations of all 16 SADC member states) and the Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN), and runs five core programmes: the Africa Infrastructure Desk (Afri-ID) for transport, energy, digital, water, and climate project preparation; the SADC Business Council for regional trade facilitation and NTB removal; SWPN for South African municipal water partnerships; the SADC Pharmaceutical Working Group; and the SADC Tourism Business Platform. Complementary platforms include the SADC-Africa Trade and Investment Marketplace (launched 2022 with Afreximbank) and the Nedbank-NBF Networking Forum series.

NBF's business model is grant- and membership-funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams include donor and development partner grants (UK FCDO, GIZ, World Bank, UK PACT, AfDB-related programmes), recurring corporate membership fees through its 'Join our Network' programme, and project management/implementation fees for managing multi-stakeholder programmes on behalf of governments, municipalities, and development partners. The organisation employs 11-50 staff and lists 100+ stakeholder partner logos spanning governments, multinationals, DFIs, and civil society. It does not sell products or commercial services, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Governance is provided by a Board chaired by Geoff Rothschild, with Peter Varndell as CEO and two Vice-Chairpersons (Trevor Brown and Sabine Dall'Omo of Siemens).

NBF's technology posture is non-existent by design: the organisation does not develop or sell technology products or platforms, and its core function is coordination, convening, and programme management rather than software delivery. Recent strategic activity has centred on deepening its convening mandate — launching the Tourism Business Platform, the Afreximbank Marketplace, expanding SWPN water partnerships to additional municipalities (Nelson Mandela Bay, Polokwane), and onboarding multinational board representation from Coca-Cola Africa and Johnson & Johnson in 2023.

Name

NEPAD Business Foundation

Legal name

NEPAD Business Foundation NPC

Website

https://nepadbusinessfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NEPAD Business Foundation is a Johannesburg-based non-profit founded in 2002 that coordinates public-private partnerships across 16 SADC member states, serving as interim Secretariat of the SADC Business Council and Strategic Water Partners Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Development Coordination and Public-Private Partnership Facilitation

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Waste / Circular Economy Funds (FSANAJAF), Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ)

Keywords

• Public-private partnerships
• Development coordination
• Trade facilitation
• Infrastructure project preparation
• Regional integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donor and Development Partner Grants: NBF receives funding from international development partners including UK FCDO, GIZ, World Bank, and others to implement specific programmes and projects in infrastructure, trade facilitation, water, digital, and climate sectors.
2. Corporate Membership Fees: The NBF operates as a 'Chamber of Business for Development' with a membership network. Companies join the network to gain access to development initiatives and public-private partnership opportunities.
3. Project Management and Implementation Fees: NBF generates revenue by managing and implementing multi-stakeholder programmes on behalf of governments, municipalities, and development partners. Revenue is also derived from hosting and coordinating initiatives such as the SWPN and SADC BC.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NEPAD Business Foundation is a non-profit foundation that coordinates and implements development programmes from inception to delivery through public-private sector partnerships across the 16 SADC member states. It acts as the interim Secretariat of the SADC Business Council and the Strategic Water Partners Network, and runs thematic programmes in infrastructure project preparation (Afri-ID), water security partnerships, pharmaceutical value chain development, trade facilitation, and digital and green transition.

Product overview

The NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF) is a non-profit organisation that operates as a 'Chamber of Business for Development,' connecting public and private sectors and development agencies. Rather than a unified technology product, NBF functions as a coordination body managing multiple thematic programmes: Afri-ID (Africa Infrastructure Desk) for infrastructure development across transport, energy, digital and water sectors; the SADC Business Council as regional apex body for private sector engagement; the Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN) for water security partnerships; the SADC Pharmaceutical Working Group for pharmaceutical value chain issues; and the SADC Tourism Business Platform. These programmes are complemented by networking forums and the SADC-Africa Trade and Investment Marketplace, all focused on facilitating regional integration and sustainable socio-economic development across Africa through public-private partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Africa Infrastructure Desk (Afri-ID): A multi-stakeholder platform that champions and implements projects through private sector intervention, facilitating early-stage engagement in infrastructure project preparation across transport, energy, digital, water, and climate change sectors.
• Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN)
• SADC Business Council

Quantifiable outcome

• R29.3 million (USD 1.74 million) per annum in wine trade between South Africa and Zambia unlocked by resolving non-tariff barriers on metal testing
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, significant and notable.

• Afreximbank (African Export-Import Bank)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2022NBF (as SADC BC Secretariat) and Afreximbank jointly launched the SADC – Africa Trade and Investment Marketplace during the 6th SADC Industrialisation Week in Kinshasa. The marketplace promotes regional trade, unlocks investment opportunities, and drives sustainable business growth between the SADC region and the rest of Africa under the AfCFTA framework.
• African UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBF holds a signed MoU with the African Union, enabling it to implement interventions that complement development efforts by governments across the continent. The organisation's founding was linked to the AU's adoption of NEPAD in 2002.
• NEPAD AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBF holds a signed MoU with the NEPAD Agency (now AUDA-NEPAD). The organisation was founded at the request of South African President Thabo Mbeki to serve as a private sector parallel to the NEPAD programme, and maintains close operational ties with the agency for development coordination.
• SADC SecretariatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBF holds a signed MoU with the SADC Secretariat. NBF serves as the interim Secretariat of the SADC Business Council and supports SADC's industrialisation, trade facilitation, and infrastructure development agenda through its programmes.
• SADC Business CouncilcoreOthersNBF serves as the interim Secretariat of the SADC Business Council (SADC BC), a regional apex body of national business associations of the 16 SADC member states. NBF provides secretariat services, coordinates working groups on NTBs, tourism, trade, circular economy, MSME development, and tax harmonisation.
• Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN)coreOthersNBF serves as the host of the Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN), a multi-stakeholder (public, private and civil society) partnership established in 2011. SWPN addresses South Africa's water security challenges and is formally recognised in the National Water and Sanitation Masterplan.
• NedbankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerNedbank is the long-term co-hosting partner of the Nedbank-NBF Networking Forum series. Nedbank and NBF jointly host annual forums on themes including infrastructure, digital readiness, and green transition in the SADC region, with Nedbank providing sponsorship and strategic engagement.
• South African Breweries (SAB)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAB is a key corporate partner in SWPN water partnerships. SAB contributed R2.5 million to the Nelson Mandela Bay Water Partnership and co-founded the Polokwane Water Partnership, both managed by SWPN under NBF, to address water stress in South African municipalities.
• Department of Water and Sanitation (South Africa)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department of Water and Sanitation serves as the public sector co-chairperson of the Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN), working in partnership with NBF as host and Nestlé as private sector co-chair to address South Africa's water security challenges.
• Nestlé South AfricasignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé serves as the private sector co-chairperson of the Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN), co-steering the multi-stakeholder water platform hosted by NBF to address South Africa's water security and conservation challenges.
• Anglo AmericansignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnglo American partnered with SAB, Polokwane Municipality and SWPN under NBF on the Polokwane Water Partnership to reduce water security risks, water losses, and support water conservation and demand management in the Polokwane area.
• Coca-Cola AfricanotableOthersIan Hirschfeld, Director for Economic Policy & Regulatory: Africa at Coca-Cola Africa, was appointed to the NBF Board of Directors. Coca-Cola Africa is a member of the NBF network and previously supported NBF as a founding partner.
• Johnson & Johnson Sub-Saharan AfricanotableOthersIddah Asin, Head of Government Affairs and Policy Sub-Saharan Africa at Johnson & Johnson, was appointed to the NBF Board of Directors. Johnson & Johnson is a corporate member engaged in the NBF network.
• AUDA-NEPADsignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUDA-NEPAD and NBF collaborate on continental infrastructure initiatives. AUDA-NEPAD released updates on the African Integrated High-Speed Railway Network (endorsed by AU Heads of State in 2013 as part of Agenda 2063), with NBF providing coverage through its platform.
• SiemensnotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSiemens CEO Sabine Dall'Omo participated as an expert speaker at the Nedbank-NBF Networking Forum on digital infrastructure in the SADC region, representing private sector perspectives on digital transformation.
• Cisco AfricanotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCharmaine Houvet, Senior Public Policy Director at Cisco Africa, participated as an expert speaker at the Nedbank-NBF Networking Forum on digital infrastructure, contributing to discussions on regulatory harmonisation and digital readiness.
• Deloitte AfricanotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHarsha Desai, Associate Director at Deloitte, and Dr Martyn Davies, Managing Director: Emerging Markets & Africa at Deloitte, participated in NBF-Nedbank Networking Forums providing expertise on digital infrastructure and green economy perspectives.
• Wits University LINK CentrenotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDr Lucienne Abrahams, Director and Senior Lecturer at Wits University LINK Centre, contributed to the Nedbank-NBF Networking Forum on digital infrastructure, presenting on investing in the African digital economy.
• Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerMike Peo, Head: Infrastructure | Energy | Telecoms at Nedbank CIB, participated as a speaker at Nedbank-NBF Networking Forums, providing perspectives on financing infrastructure and digital projects in the SADC region.
• Nelson Mandela Bay MunicipalitysignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality partnered with SAB and SWPN under NBF on a R2.5 million water partnership to address the area's water crisis caused by prolonged drought and declining dam levels, covering conservation, demand management, and supply augmentation.
• Polokwane MunicipalitynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Polokwane Municipality partnered with SAB, Anglo American and SWPN under NBF on the Polokwane Water Partnership to reduce water security risks, water losses, and support water conservation. This model serves as a blueprint replicated in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AUDA-NEPAD: African Union's development agency coordinating continental infrastructure and integration initiatives (including the African Integrated High-Speed Railway Network). Shares mandate, MoU-level relationship, and overlapping programmes in trade facilitation, infrastructure and Agenda 2063 with NBF.
• Afreximbank (African Export-Import Bank): Continental trade-finance bank co-founded the SADC-Africa Trade and Investment Marketplace with NBF. Comparable peer in mobilising African private sector for trade and investment, with overlapping mandate on AfCFTA-enabled cross-border deal flow.

Emerging players

• Tony Elumelu Foundation: African philanthropic foundation running a pan-African entrepreneurship and capital programmes across the continent. Comparable as a private-sector-led foundation driving African economic development through convening and SME/entrepreneur support.

Broad incumbents

• African Development Bank Group (AfDB): Pan-African multilateral development bank financing infrastructure and private sector projects across SADC. Functions as a major capital provider that NBF partners with via Afri-ID and the SADC Business Council, and which competes for the same private-sector mobilisation mandate at much larger scale.
• World Bank Group / IFC: Multilateral development institution that funds NBF's North-South Rail Corridor pre-feasibility and participates in Nedbank-NBF Forums. Comparable as a public-private convening and infrastructure-financing institution serving the same African markets.
• SADC Secretariat: Official SADC intergovernmental body coordinating regional integration among 16 member states with which NBF holds an MoU and operates the interim SADC Business Council Secretariat. Direct counterpart and partner for the same regional agenda.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): German development agency funding multiple NBF programmes including CESARE trade facilitation and SWPN climate-smart agriculture. Comparable peer shaping the same donor landscape and supporting regional integration across SADC.

Regional players

• Business Unity South Africa (BUSA): National apex business federation coordinating South African corporates on policy and economic issues. Comparable as a private-sector umbrella body representing companies in engagement with government, similar to how NBF engages with SADC at regional level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheNBF
• Facebookfacebook.com/nepadbusinessfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nepad-business-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NEPAD Business Foundation