People's Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia-(PAAGZ)

What People's Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia-(PAAGZ) does

People's Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia (PAAGZ) is a non-profit civil society organization founded and registered in Zambia in 2020 as a Company Limited by Guarantee, which commenced operations in 2021. Headquartered in Lusaka with an active footprint in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces, PAAGZ is structured around three programmatic pillars: (1) Citizen Engagement for Social Accountability, (2) Creative Advocacy and Human Rights (CAHR), and (3) Management and Organisational Development. Its primary beneficiaries are marginalized women and youth aged 15–35, alongside secondary engagement with public office holders and elected officials.

PAAGZ's product surface is a portfolio of civic engagement platforms and creative programming rather than a software stack. Flagship products include the Pipoz Parliament participatory platform, the CfCA Podcast Zambia, the Rhythm & News 2.0 creative civic engagement initiative (funded by Brot für die Welt), the Electionville participatory democracy game (co-developed with the Embassy of Sweden and AAAZ), the School of Satire partnership with Magamba TV, and capacity-building formats such as street debates, poetry slams, rap battles, and Public Resource Management trainings. The methodology blends arts, culture, and grassroots community dialogue as tools for demanding accountability from public office bearers.

The organization's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, and revenue is generated exclusively through project-based grants and partnerships with international development organizations and diplomatic missions, including OSISA, Oxfam in Zambia, Brot für die Welt, the African Union Commission (via the Connect for Culture Africa initiative coordinated by Selam), and the Embassy of Sweden. PAAGZ has no disclosed revenue figures, a small team evidenced by active hiring for finance and creative content roles, and is governed independently without parent, subsidiaries, or equity ownership.

Name

People's Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia-(PAAGZ)

Legal name

People's Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia

Website

https://peoplesactionzambia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Governance Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transitional Justice, Accountability & Reparations (BPADAGAL), Democracy, Human Rights & Governance Assistance (BPADABAG)

Keywords

• Civic engagement services
• Social accountability programs
• Creative advocacy initiatives
• Governance accountability services
• Public resource management training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Development Funding and Grants: PAAGZ operates as a non-profit civil society organization funded primarily through grants and support from international development organizations, foundations, and government partnerships. Revenue is generated through project-based funding from development partners rather than commercial activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PAAGZ is a non-profit civil society organisation that delivers civic engagement, social accountability, and creative advocacy programs targeted at marginalized women and youth in Zambia. Its work centres on three programmatic pillars: promoting accountability of public office bearers, fostering citizen participation in governance, and advancing socio-economic and artistic rights, delivered through platforms such as Pipoz Parliament, Rhythm & News 2.0, CfCA Podcast Zambia, Electionville, Project Activate, and Public Resource Management Training. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded primarily through grants from international development partners.

Product overview

PAAGZ operates as a civil society organization with three core programmatic areas: Citizen Engagement for Social Accountability, Creative Advocacy and Human Rights (CAHR), and Management and Organisational Development. The organization deploys innovative civic engagement tools including the Pipoz Parliament platform, CfCA Podcast Zambia, Rhythm & News 2.0, and Electionville (a participatory democracy game). PAAGZ also implements capacity building programs such as Public Resource Management Training, Project Activate, and various creative initiatives including artist residencies and street debates. The organization works primarily with marginalized women and youth in Zambia's Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces to promote governance accountability and creative expression.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Citizen Engagement for Social Accountability An externally focused program that empowers citizens, particularly marginalized groups, to hold public officials accountable and advocate for better governance and service delivery. Targets marginalized groups, public office and duty bearers, and elected officials to amplify citizen participation and enhance accountability among officials.
• Creative Advocacy and Human Rights (CAHR) A program that champions the use of creative and cultural expression as powerful tools in advocating for inclusive governance and enhanced human rights. Harnesses artistic expression to illuminate paths toward inclusive governance and safeguard fundamental human rights including artistic rights.
• Management and Organisational Development (MOD) An internal program focused on strengthening PAAGZ's organizational capacity, development, and program implementation. Ensures efficient operations and maximum impact for externally focused programs.
• Pipoz Parliament A participatory platform providing spaces for decision-makers to directly access information from informed citizens on how policies and programmes affect their lives, ensuring development is bottom-up and responds to citizen needs and priorities. Sessions have been held in Kasenengwa, Luangeni, Nalolo, Mongu Central and Bwacha Constituencies.
• CfCA Podcast Zambia A podcast platform amplifying voices of arts and culture as drivers of growth in Zambia, hosted by Chinyonta 'Chi' Msimuko, exploring how Zambia's creative industries contribute to national development.
• Rhythm & News 2.0 A creative civic engagement platform that blends rap, journalism, and community dialogue to amplify the voices of marginalized women and youth in Zambia, implemented with support from Brot für die Welt.
• Electionville A participatory local democracy game developed to engage citizens, particularly youth, in understanding electoral processes and democratic participation.
• Project Activate An initiative aimed at increasing youth voter registration, governance awareness, and demand for accountable leadership through community meetings, digital platforms, and community radio workshops.
• Zambia Artist Residency An inaugural artist residency program under the theme 'Healing Through Art, Stories of Transformation' that documents creative journeys where creativity meets healing.
• Public Resource Management Training Training programs for young people and citizens on social accountability, public resource management, and cyber security, often combined with creative elements like rap battles and poetry slams.
• Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA) A regional initiative implemented by Selam in partnership with the African Union Commission to promote and develop the culture and creative industry sector, conducting baseline studies on public investment in arts and culture, and advocating for increased budget allocation to the sector. PAAGZ serves as the National Coordinator for Zambia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached over 300 women and youth through Pipoz Parliament program across 5 constituencies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Embassy of Sweden in LusakamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Embassy of Sweden collaborated with PAAGZ and Alliance for Accountability Advocates Zambia (AAAZ) to launch Electionville, a participatory local democracy game designed to engage citizens in democratic processes.
• Alliance for Accountability Advocates Zambia (AAAZ)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026AAAZ partnered with PAAGZ and Embassy of Sweden to rollout Electionville, a participatory local democracy game developed by Max Valentin.
• Selam (Connect for Culture Africa initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Selam, through the Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA) initiative implemented in partnership with the African Union Commission, works with PAAGZ as the National Coordinator for Zambia. The partnership focuses on promoting and developing the culture and creative industry sector, conducting baseline studies on public investment in arts and culture, and advocating for increased budget allocation to the sector.
• African Union Commission (AUC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The African Union Commission partners with PAAGZ through the Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA) initiative to promote culture and creative industry development across Africa, including advocacy campaigns for 1% national budget allocation to arts, culture, and heritage sectors by 2030.
• Magamba TV of ZimbabwemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022PAAGZ partnered with Magamba TV of Zimbabwe to train young satirists in content creation using satire through the School of Satire program, aimed at enabling young people in Zambia to participate meaningfully in political processes.
• Wordsmash PoetrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021PAAGZ partnered with Wordsmash Poetry to bring together poets from around Lusaka for training in Social Accountability, Public Resource Management, and Cyber Security, culminating in a poetry slam contest.
• Bloggers of ZambiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership with Bloggers of Zambia combined creative writing and digital advocacy, training poets and bloggers on social accountability issues.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hivos: International CSO funding culture, civic innovation, and accountable governance programs in Southern Africa — comparable funder/partner profile (Netherlands-based), though serves many CSOs alongside PAAGZ.
• CIVICUS: Global civil society alliance focused on civic space protection and citizen participation — broader incumbent that PAAGZ's CAHR program (human rights/artistic freedom advocacy) maps to, and PAAGZ reports against CIVICUS-style monitoring.
• Global Integrity: International governance and accountability organization that produces research, advocacy, and citizen-oversight tools — comparable on accountability-of-public-officials focus, but works at global policy level rather than grassroots community engagement.
• International IDEA: Intergovernmental organization supporting democratic governance and citizen participation globally — comparable governance-and-democracy programming, though operates at policy/international scale rather than grassroots community delivery.

Direct peers

• Restless Development: Global youth-led development agency that supports young people as civic leaders and accountability advocates — overlapping target demographic (youth 15–35) and civic-participation methodology.
• ActionAid Zambia: National chapter of a global rights-based federation operating in Zambia on social accountability, women's rights, and governance — directly comparable local CSO footprint and donor mix to PAAGZ.
• Transparency International Zambia: Zambian chapter focused on corruption accountability, public resource management oversight, and civic governance — directly comparable on PAAGZ's Pillar 1 (accountability of public office bearers in use of public funds).
• Magamba Network: Zimbabwean creative content and civic engagement organization producing satirical and cultural programming to drive governance accountability — directly comparable to PAAGZ's satire/creative advocacy approach via its School of Satire training.

Emerging players

• Bloggers of Zambia: Zambian network pairing creative writing and digital civic advocacy, partnered with PAAGZ on social accountability training — comparable citizen-engagement mission and digital-native methodology in the same geography.
• Southern Africa Litigation Centre: Regional human rights and civic-space litigation organization — overlaps with PAAGZ's human rights and artistic freedom work but uses legal rather than creative advocacy as its primary methodology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzpEVRXVSNP4
• Facebookfacebook.com/peoplesactionzambia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/people-s-action-for-accountability-and-good-governance-in-zambia-paagz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 People's Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia-(PAAGZ)