In a continent brimming with potential yet grappling with complex socio-economic challenges, 1Billion Africa (1BA) has always stood as a bright spark—igniting hope, driving action, and championing the transformation of problems into sustainable projects. Today, the organization steps into its next great chapter with the unveiling of its 2025–2030 Strategy, a bold recalibration of vision, structure, and purpose.
More than a strategic document, this plan is a manifesto for a generational movement, rooted in the conviction that Africa’s future lies in the hands of empowered youth who dare to imagine and build a better tomorrow. The strategy comes at a pivotal time, as 1BA aligns its mission with new global realities, inspired in part by its engagement with the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize XChange Program.
From Learning to Leading: The XChange Effect
The seeds of this strategic evolution were sown not in a boardroom but through dynamic engagements during the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize XChange Program—an innovation-driven platform connecting high-impact organizations across the continent. For 1BA, XChange was more than an event; it was a catalytic moment of reflection and reimagination.
Through knowledge exchanges, mentorship, and interactions with fellow change agents like Chumbaka, 1BA absorbed key insights about financial sustainability, scalable impact, and entrepreneurial resilience. These learnings sparked an internal awakening: to remain relevant and truly transformational, 1BA must move beyond the traditional NGO framework.
The result? A paradigm shift. 1Billion Africa is becoming a Social Enterprise Organisation—fusing purpose and profit to scale its reach and deepen its impact.
The Three Pillars of Transformation
At the heart of the 2025–2030 Strategy are three interlocking pillars designed to build a resilient, scalable, and future-ready institution:
1. The 1BA Hub System: Catalysts of Localized Leadership
Imagine a network of youth-led hubs radiating across African university campuses, each buzzing with energy, creativity, and real-world problem solving. That’s the vision of the 1BA Hub System.
Each hub will operate as a self-organizing unit where young leaders—fondly called “Billys”—will be inducted only after identifying a tangible problem they are committed to solving. It’s not about talk; it’s about transformation.
These hubs are designed to be living ecosystems for:
- Action-oriented learning
- Community-rooted innovation
- Values-based leadership development
By the end of the strategic period, 1BA envisions dozens of hubs across Africa, spawning hundreds of youth-led initiatives that directly address local challenges.
2. A Robust Fundraising Arm: Building for Longevity
Sustainability, as the XChange Program emphasized, must be intentional. 1BA is creating a high-performing Fundraising Team, led by its International Executive Council (IEC). Each council member will champion specific initiatives, embodying personal ownership and accountability.
This model redefines fundraising—not as a peripheral task, but as a core leadership function. The team will pursue:
- Grants and philanthropic giving
- Corporate sponsorships
- Strategic partnerships
In this way, 1BA ensures its mission is continuously and reliably resourced.
3. The 1BA Social Enterprise Model: Purpose Meets Profit
Inspired by Chumbaka’s sustainability ethos and reinforced by lessons from the XChange Program, 1BA is diving into social entrepreneurship. The goal? To create mission-aligned businesses that generate revenue while delivering social value.
From educational tools to problem-solving bootcamps and community-led products, these ventures will:
- Drive income for 1BA’s core programs
- Create jobs and opportunities for youth
- Reduce overreliance on external donors
This model positions 1BA not just as a catalyst, but as an active participant in Africa’s economic transformation—particularly aligned with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).
A Decade Ahead: 2025–2035 and Beyond
While the current strategy sets a five-year course, 1BA is already thinking longer-term. The 2025–2035 Comprehensive Plan lays the groundwork for a thriving pan-African social enterprise. The team’s internal shift—from NGO to a self-sustaining impact engine—demonstrates a deep commitment to systems thinking, cross-sector collaboration, and innovation.
Their engagements with the Royal Academy of Engineering continue to inform this trajectory. What began as exposure to engineering entrepreneurship has evolved into a long-term vision of institutional engineering—rebuilding the architecture of African development from the inside out.
One Project at a Time
The soul of 1Billion Africa remains unchanged. It is still about turning problems into projects. But the scale, the tools, and the strategy are now vastly more powerful.
As the sun rises on this new era, the message is clear: 1BA is not waiting for change. It is building it—project by project, hub by hub, youth by youth. With its sights set on 2030 and beyond, and its foundation rooted in collaborative learning from platforms like the XChange Program, 1Billion Africa is not just chasing impact.
It is multiplying it.
Let’s build Africa, one project at a time.
For more information on the 2025–2030 Strategy or to support 1BA’s mission, visit [1BA website or contact details].
