UVU Africa and the Centre for Exponential Change (C4EC) announced a strategic partnership, formalising UVU Africa’s role as a collaborator within C4EC’s global network today. This agreement marks a significant milestone for both organisations as they unite to amplify their shared mission of fostering innovation, leadership and systems change across Africa. Together, they will leverage their combined expertise to drive transformative societal impact at scale, advancing Africa’s role in shaping a sustainable and prosperous global future.

Ian Merrington, Group CEO of UVU Africa, commented: “We are thrilled to partner with the Centre for Exponential Change at such a pivotal time. This collaboration allows us to scale our efforts in creating the environments and opportunities young Africans need to thrive in the global economy. C4EC’s global support will strengthen our ability to transform African cities into thriving hubs of innovation.”

This partnership brings together UVU Africa’s expertise in ecosystem building, entrepreneurship and skills development with C4EC’s global network of support for system orchestrators. By joining forces, UVU Africa will be able to access resources, mentorship and collaborative opportunities designed to enhance its efforts to scale high-impact solutions that address Africa’s most pressing challenges.

Africa has a unique opportunity: its rapidly growing, youthful population holds the potential to become a global workforce that drives innovation and growth. However, to fully harness this potential, there is a critical need to equip young Africans with the right digital skills, foster entrepreneurial resilience and accelerate businesses in high-growth sectors such as biotechnology, EdTech and climate tech. This collaboration will help UVU Africa address these needs by scaling its interventions across five African cities over the next five years.

Sanjay Purohit, CEO and Chief Curator of the Centre for Exponential Change, added: “We are excited to welcome UVU Africa as a key collaborator. Their innovative approach to addressing Africa’s economic challenges by fostering a new generation of skilled, resilient entrepreneurs aligns perfectly with C4EC’s mission to catalyse transformative societal impact at scale. We look forward to supporting their growth and impact across the continent.”

C4EC is dedicated to enabling system orchestrators to drive positive exponential change by providing access to open practical knowledge, deep design and prototyping opportunities, paradigm-shifting grants, leadership development and mentorship. Through this partnership, UVU Africa will accelerate its mission to unlock 100 million economic opportunities by 2050, empowering Africa’s youth to drive sustainable economic growth and prosperity.