Accelerating and Reshaping Africa's Sustainable Development

In July, AVPA formally opened for membership with a remarkable launch event in Cape Town graced by more than 140 leading impact stakeholders from across the continent. Themed?“Accelerating and Reshaping Africa’s Sustainable Development”, the launch highlighted the importance of genuine collaboration in the ecosystem to enable innovative and catalytic investment at the speed and scale needed for maximum impact.

Aid to Africa is rapidly declining and government resources are strained.?We are, however, the only continent with more aid than venture capital.?Something needs to change.?We need to?turn to private capital markets for investment in?social development. We cannot create economic opportunities if we solely depend on grants. While aid is important, dependency is not sustainable.?The foundations upon which we have built our development to date are shifting, compelling us to reimagine our strategies.

Youth unemployment is arguably one of our most significant risks. To meet the growing employment demand on the continent, we need to create 12 million jobs annually but as it stands, we are only creating three million jobs per year. This nine?million job deficit means we need?to be creating?~1000 jobs an hour, this is the equivalent of shutting down a primary school every hour because there are simply?not enough opportunities.?The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated. For every job uncreated, a future dims, and potential is wasted. We must bridge this gap, turning each challenge into an opening for innovation and growth. We need to fall in love with the?problem we are trying to solve.

The hesitation of the private sector?to invest in social development?is valid but outdated.?These fears often come from the myth that profit and purpose cannot co-exist. Increasingly, evidence shows the two are not mutually exclusive, you can in fact make money while doing good.?Our path forward demands innovation, collaboration, and an unyielding commitment to progress. We are all stakeholders in this shared goal. The private and public sectors?must unite to create a symphony of progress that resonates across?Africa.

Africa is only on track to achieve two of the 17 SDGs?and is at risk of missing the majority of the 2030 goals. To address this, there is an urgent need for greater collaboration and different pathways that?accelerate?Africa's sustainable development.?As?the leading impact network and the only network in Africa that brings together social investors across the entire Continuum of Capital - Grants, Debt and Equity, AVPA has created a membership programme that allows you to genuinely connect with other investors. The impact of this network?will be catalysed with knowledge, resources and connections that enable the mobilisation and deployment of capital towards impact?across Africa and we commit to supporting you in this impact journey.

We are the change makers the continent badly needs and we must be constructively and collaboratively impatient in our pursuit of sustainable impact. The time for analysis paralysis is in the past; now is the time for bold action.

Read our August Newsletter for more highlights on AVPA's launch event and learn more about membership at AVPA.