The Pass Africa initiative has been launched with the goal of accelerating entrepreneurs operating between France and African countries in terms of investment, financing, insurance, guarantees and support for innovation.
Pass Africa is an initiative of the Conseil Présidentiel pour L’Afrique (CPA) – of the Presidential Council for Africa – launched by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2017, which promotes partnership between Africa and France.
A mobilised and connected community which provides network, communication and partnership opportunities, Pass Africa launches as the CPA unveils major partnerships with Ivorian and Senegalese counterparts to link the initiative to programmes catering to entrepreneurs of the diaspora in these countries.
These agreements aim to create synergies and to make it easier for Pass Africa laureates to carry out activities in partner countries. Finally, Pass Africa is also partnering with Seedstars Africa Ventures to facilitate access to capital for diaspora startups and provide them with African market support and international networks.
“Pass Africa is not only a support programme for startups, it is a priority. It is the recognition of the priority we wish to give to the African diaspora in France, a powerful catalyst for innovation and economic growth, both in France and Africa. We want Pass Africa to be a new answer to the challenges of diaspora entrepreneurship. And we want to bring the success stories of these entrepreneurs to the highest level,” said CPA coordinator Wilfrid Lauriano Do Rego.