Partner with AFSI 2027

Contribution for architecture.

Contribution for architecture. Commit data, secondees, multi-year funding, technology or convening power, and gain authorship, working-group leadership, Network Council seats and a voice in policy design.

Investment for reach

Investment for reach. Buy commercial visibility: brand integration, reserved evening tables, speaking slots and naming of programmes.

Partners

Contribution for architecture

A sponsor receives an impact report. A partner receives a data relationship: workforce findings for its sector or country, early access to the Audit before public release, the Compact's pledge tracking, and a clear record of how its input shaped the Principles and Protocols.

Five things a tier can't offer

Why partners join.

A seat before the terms are fixed

The scope of the Continental Curriculum Audit, the questions the Evidence Hearing puts on the table, the National Showcase selection and the Investment Compact rules are still being shaped. Anchor, data and multilateral partners sit in those conversations, and partners can take seats on the Steering Committee.

Named authorship, not acknowledgement

Sponsors are thanked across the fourteen published outputs. Partners can be credited as co-authors on specific ones, from the Africa Future Skills Audit to the Investment Compact, depending on what they contribute.

A role inside the Indaba's rooms

Partners chair the Investment Chamber, co-chair the Human Capital Chamber, lead the Evidence Fireside, co-lead working groups, curate the Demo Theatre and brief ministers on credential portability. These are working roles, not speaking slots.

Leadership of a Network Working Group

Each of the seven Network Working Groups is constituted on stage on Day Three with a named lead partner, a mandate and a 60-day deadline for its work plan. Lead partners shape the Network's first year of work.

A multi-year relationship, not a single event

AFSI 2027 is a founding edition. Partners who join now help set the cadence that follows: the annual Audit update, the 6 and 12 month accountability reports, the Working Groups between Indabas, and the next Indaba cycle.

Six partnership tracks

Negotiated, not priced.

Each track is negotiated, not priced. What is listed is a starting point for a scoping conversation, not a fixed offer. Evening places and passes apply once a track is confirmed in writing. AFSI pressure-tests each track against real prospective partners (a development finance institution, an anchor employer and a university body) so that the ask and the return match what that kind of organisation can offer. If something doesn't fit, that is the start of the conversation, not a reason to decline.

Partnership track

Anchor Institutional Partner

An institution ready to make a multi-year commitment to AFSI as an ongoing continental institution.

What the partner gives

Multi-year catalytic funding and an institutional commitment to AFSI as an ongoing continental institution, plus executive-level secondments to the Steering Committee.

What the partner gets

A standing seat on the Network Council and a permanent Steering Committee seat
Principal naming rights to the AFSI Global Human Capital Chamber (the Investment Chamber host is offered separately to sponsors)
A voice in the Human Capital Chamber's Policy Swap and in the funding consortia round on Day Three
Executive Gala Dinner: an eight-seat VIP table alongside visiting ministers
Commitment Reception: co-host of the reception keynote and a private branded bilateral suite in the Lounge
Leaders' Co-Investment Compact Breakfast: two seats
10 full delegate passes with VIP & Investment Lounge access

Roles in the Chambers and outputs

Lead of Network Working Group 1 (Curriculum, Competency & Just Transition)
Working group lead for Charrette Working Group A brief
Lead co-signatory of the Founding Charter

Co-authorship: Lead co-drafter of the Africa Future Skills Principles, presented with a Steering Committee member at the Public Session; co-signs the Founding Charter; joint custody of the Commitment Register; contributes to the Communiqué; leads the Working Group A brief.

Partnership track

Data & Research Partner

Organisations holding continental labour-market data or research capacity.

What the partner gives

Continental labour-market datasets or research capacity, predictive workforce modelling for the JET and digital transition, and research infrastructure.

What the partner gets

Its research frames the Day One Evidence Hearing and the Continental Curriculum Audit
A seat on the media editors' panel
Co-author citation on the press releases, policy briefs and ministerial packs it contributes to
Executive Gala Dinner: two VIP seats
Commitment Reception: delivers the evening's opening evidence briefing; a data station in the Lounge
4 full delegate passes

Roles in the Chambers and outputs

Lead of Network Working Group 7 (Evidence & Audit)
The Evidence Fireside in the Investment Chamber
Checks on every National Showcase plan's headline figures
Reviewers for the Pathfinders selection
Co-presenter of the Indaba Scoreboard at the Public Session

Co-authorship: Lead co-author of the Africa Future Skills Audit; checks the figures in the National Showcases & Skills Pathways Digest; supports the Youth Rapporteur Report with data.

Partnership track

Employer Design Partner

Employers able to commit funding, senior technical staff and verifiable hiring and placement targets.

What the partner gives

Catalytic AFSI funding, secondments of senior technical and engineering directors into the Charrette, and verifiable multi-year hiring, internship, apprenticeship and work-integrated learning placement targets.

What the partner gets

Targeted seats in the Value Chain Forums, first look at vetted TVET and university curricula, and introductions to the Pathfinders
One guaranteed Innovations Demo Theatre slot for training equipment, products or simulators
Executive Gala Dinner: two VIP seats
Commitment Reception: an executive station in the Lounge for pipeline and partnership conversations
4 full delegate passes

Roles in the Chambers and outputs

Co-lead of Charrette Working Group B (Employer Engagement & Work-Integrated Learning)
Lead of Network Working Group 2

Co-authorship: Named co-author of the Employer & WIL Operational Framework, published within a month; leads the Working Group B brief; supports the Youth Rapporteur Report with data and secondments.

Partnership track

Multilateral & Development Partner

Development finance institutions and multilaterals with blended finance, grant and convening capacity across the focus countries.

What the partner gives

Blended finance facilities, matching grants for workforce pilots, technical assistance and intergovernmental convening authority across the focus countries.

What the partner gets

A standing seat on the Network Council
The technical assistance package offered to the two Investor-Ranked Pathways
Executive Gala Dinner: four VIP seats with treasury, energy and education ministers
Commitment Reception: a private meeting suite to negotiate matching grants and co-financing compacts
Leaders' Co-Investment Compact Breakfast: two seats
6 full delegate passes with VIP & Investment Lounge access

Roles in the Chambers and outputs

Chair of the AFSI Global Investment Chamber
Co-chair of the Global Human Capital Chamber with the host minister (with a named vice-chair where the sessions overlap)
The keynote that opens the Investment Chamber
A role in selecting the eight National Showcase economies
Lead of Network Working Group 4 (Global Skills Investment), custodian of the Investment Compact

Co-authorship: Named co-author of the Investment Compact and the 12 to 36 Month Implementation Plans; co-signs the Founding Charter; leads the National Showcases & Skills Pathways Digest.

Partnership track

Migration & Mobility Partner

Standard-setting and credential recognition bodies, with scaling models such as EASTRIP or Global Skill Partnerships.

What the partner gives

Standard-setting frameworks, occupational taxonomy benchmarks and cross-border credential recognition mechanisms, scaling models such as EASTRIP or Global Skill Partnerships.

What the partner gets

Executive Gala Dinner: two VIP seats
Commitment Reception: facilitator of the bilateral qualification benchmarking session; private space with qualifications authorities
4 full delegate passes

Roles in the Chambers and outputs

The technical brief at the Ministerial Roundtable One Continent, One Qualification
The endorsement round in the Ministerial Communiqué session
A seat in Charrette Working Group A on assessment, micro-credentials and portability
Lead of Network Working Group 5 (Credential Portability & Harmonisation)

Co-authorship: Lead co-author of the Credential Portability & Harmonisation Protocols; contributes to the AFSI 2027 Communiqué with the Ministerial Communiqué.

Partnership track

Technology & Digital Delivery Partner

Providers of learning technology, simulators, competency tracking or credential verification for African institutions.

What the partner gives

Enterprise learning technology, VR and AR technical simulators, automated competency tracking, or credential verification infrastructure for African institutions.

What the partner gets

Named contribution to continental digital learning systems and pedagogical technology standards
Executive Gala Dinner: two VIP seats with university leaders, CIOs and procurement directors
Commitment Reception: an interactive demonstration terminal in the Lounge
4 full delegate passes

Roles in the Chambers and outputs

Lead co-curator of the AFSI Innovations Demo Theatre, with guaranteed prime-time demonstration slots
Specialist seats in Charrette Working Group A and Value Chain Forums 3 and 5
Lead of Network Working Group 6 (Green & Digital Value Chains) with the industry co-chairs

Co-authorship: Co-author of the Green & Digital Value Chain Skills Maps.

Co-authorship

Your name on the outputs, not just the thank-you page.

Partners co-author the Indaba's published outputs rather than receive passive acknowledgement. This is the working assignment as it stands, a starting point for scoping rather than a final allocation.

Output	Co-authored by
Africa Future Skills Audit	Lead co-authored by the Data & Research Partner
Africa Future Skills Principles	Co-drafted by the Anchor Institutional Partner and the Steering Committee
AFSI Network Founding Charter	Ratified and co-signed by the Anchor and Multilateral & Development Partners
Indaba Commitment Register, with the Stress-Test Annex	Joint custody of the Steering Committee and Anchor Partners; Network WG 3
Africa Future Skills Investment Compact	Co-authored by the Multilateral & Development Partner; Network WG 4
AFSI 2027 Communiqué, with the Ministerial Communiqué	Human Capital Chamber co-chairs, with the Anchor and Migration & Mobility Partners
Credential Portability & Harmonisation Protocols	Lead co-authored by the Migration & Mobility Partner
Employer & WIL Operational Framework	Co-authored by the Employer Design Partner
Design Charrette Working Group Briefs (A, B and C)	Working group leads: Anchor (A), Employer Design (B), Steering Committee (C)
12 to 36 Month Implementation Plans	Co-developed with the Multilateral & Development Partner
National Showcases & Skills Pathways Digest	Multilateral & Development Partner, with the Data & Research Partner checking the figures
AFSI Pathfinders 2027 Cohort Report and Investor Guide	Investment Chamber, with the Pathfinders title sponsor
Green & Digital Value Chain Skills Maps	Technology & Digital Delivery Partner and industry co-chairs; Network WG 6
AFSI Youth Rapporteur Report	Youth Rapporteurs, supported by data and secondments from Employer and Research partners

Exact authorship terms, including sequencing and how disagreements are resolved, are confirmed in writing with each partner before the event, not decided afterwards.

Roles in the Network

Lead partners shape its first year.

At 13:30 on Day Three, 24 March 2027, the Africa Future Skills Network will be founded as a permanent continental programme of APEA, governed by its Founding Charter, which will be signed in public at the Public Session. Every Working Group will grow out of a session in the Indaba.

Working Group	Grows out of	Lead partner	First deliverable
1. Curriculum, Competency & Just Transition	Charrette Working Group A	Anchor Institutional Partner, with the Steering Committee	Work plan (month 3); competency taxonomy v1 mapped to ACQF levels (month 6)
2. Employer Engagement & Work-Integrated Learning	Charrette Working Group B; the Policy Swap	Employer Design Partner	Employer & WIL Operational Framework (month 1)
3. Policy, Equity & Accountability	Charrette Working Group C; Commitments on Trial	Steering Committee, with civil society	Indaba Commitment Register (month 1)
4. Global Skills Investment	AFSI Global Investment Chamber	Multilateral & Development Partner	Investment Compact (month 1); 30, 60 and 90 day follow-ups
5. Credential Portability & Harmonisation	One Continent, One Qualification roundtable	Migration & Mobility Partner	Portability Protocols v1 (month 1)
6. Green & Digital Value Chains	Value Chain Forums 1 to 5	Technology & Digital Delivery Partner, with industry co-chairs	First occupation skills maps (month 6)
7. Evidence & Audit	The Continental Curriculum Audit	Data & Research Partner	Africa Future Skills Audit (month 1)

The Network Council at founding

Two APEA seats
Standing seats for the Anchor Institutional Partner and the Multilateral & Development Partner
The seven Working Group chairs, named from the lead partners
Two Youth Council seats, held by the Youth Rapporteur until the Youth Council is elected
Three regional seats and one civil society seat

Other ways to partner

Hosts, co-chairs and governments.

Partner	Brings	Receives
Student Assembly Partner	Continental travel for about ten Pan-African Student Assembly members (R200 000 or more)	Named partner of the Assembly at Day Zero and the Opening Ceremony
University and youth hosts	Venues and facilitation for the Schools Policy Simulation (19 March) and Day Zero (21 March)	Co-hosting credit on the Youth Rapporteur Report and a role in the next Day Zero
Value Chain Forum industry co-chairs	Senior industry leads and speakers for one of the five forums	A co-chair seat in Network Working Group 6 and credit on the forum's Skills Map
National Skills Pathways and National Showcase governments	A five-year workforce plan or fundable pathway with government co-funding in place	A room of ministers and funders, signal cards, the Investor-Ranked Pathway designation and 60-day investor follow-ups

How it works

Partnership tracks are negotiated, not priced. Start with a scoping conversation.
Each track has a set meeting cadence before and after the Indaba, not a single scoping call.
Attribution on published outputs is agreed in writing before the event. Where partners disagree on publication scope, the Steering Committee resolves it.
Evening places and passes apply once a track is confirmed in writing.

Book a scoping call

Ask for the Partnership Prospectus.

If something doesn't fit, that's the start of the conversation, not a reason to decline.