Africa | United Nations Development Programme

CALL TO ACTION

Switch it and be part of change

Join our groundbreaking regional crowdfunding initiative aimed at empowering women in Africa through sustainable energy-driven solutions. We are bringing together five inspiring community-based projects from across the continent to unlock new possibilities. From solar kitchens in Angola to cold storage in Chad, tree planting in Burkina Faso, ending human-wildlife conflict in Zambia, and providing protective glasses and eye surgery for traditional women basket weavers in Botswana, these initatives are leading the way in transforming lives at the grassroots. Beyond the money, Switch It! is about shifting mindsets. It’s about showing that solutions exist today: not in distant policy discussions or development plans, but in real, actionable innovations. This is why the power of the right energy matters. Not just electricity, but the energy of collective action. The energy of people believing in solutions. The energy of crowdfunding driving real change. By supporting any of these five inspiring community-based projects, you are not just investing in a few groups of people; you are investing in the futures of women, their families, and their communities. They say when you want to go faster you go alone but if you want to go farther, you go with others. We invite you to switch it with us and help us make a difference.

SWITCH IT AND DONATE NOW.

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Blogs and Stories

A hand dropping a ballot into a white ballot box, with two elections officers observing in the background.

Blog

Africa’s super election year: bolting resilience against winds of democratic recession

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Stories

Malamba: Overcoming Poverty and Energy Challenges Through Sustainable Solutions

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Blog

Let women lead Africa’s climate adaptation.

Khumbo Mindiera working at the UniPod in Malawi

Stories

Khumbo Mindiera: Harnessing Local Resources to Power Malawi’s Future

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Blog

Breaking the cycle of crisis: Women leading Peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

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Blog

Bridging worlds: how the #AfYWL fellowship shapes global leaders

Collage of six AfYWL fellows

Blog

An AfYWL journey of growth and impact

Blog

The power of networks: building connections, building a sisterhood

What we do

UNDP Africa supports 46 countries in accelerating achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, expediting structural economic transformation for sustainable development, building resilience to shocks, and promoting sound governance, peace and security throughout the continent.

Recent News

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Press Releases

A big step forward for mapping political transition across Africa

Press Releases

UNDP at the 6th COMESA Trade Fair to champion women-led enterprises and AfCFTA integration

News

Event Report: The Launch of the Second Edition of the Model African Union in Japan

The Launch of the Second Edition of the Model African Union in Japan

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Press Releases

Executive Leadership Retreat Concludes with Shared Vision for Ghana’s Future

Press Releases

Experts Convene in Washington to Advance Dialogue on an African-Led Credit Rating Ecosystem

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Press Releases

Strengthening Global Partnerships to Power Africa’s Startup Revolution: timbuktoo at the World Bank Spring Meetings 2025

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Press Releases

Driving Innovation and Growth: UNDP timbuktoo Creatives Lab Opens Applications

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Events

The Executive Leadership Retreat

Publications

Publications

Human Development Report 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) has broken into a dizzying gallop. While AI feats grab headlines, they privilege technology in a make-believe vacuum, obscuring what…

Leading the Way: Women Navigating Climate Change, Mobility, and Resilience in Africa_Cover

Publications

Leading the Way: Women Navigating Climate Change, Mobility, and Resilience in Africa.

Women are leading climate resilience in Africa’s toughest environments. From pastoralist lands to displacement camps, a new report by UNDP and Samuel Hall…

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Publications

DEFIANT PROGRESS: Advancing the African Union’s sustaining peace and development

Defiant Progress critically examines the African Union’s two-decade journey toward Agenda 2063, assessing achievements and persistent challenges. Featuring…

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Publications

timbuktoo: AFRICA’S STARTUP REVOLUTION

WE ARE FORGING THE NEW AFRICAN VENTURE CAPITAL.Despite recent rapid growth in venture founding, there remains a huge gap in Africa’s early-stage risk capital,…

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Publications

Advancing Inclusive Development: Policy options for Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gabon, Mali and Niger

This report, Advancing inclusive development: Policy options for Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gabon, Mali and Niger, builds on the insights of UNDP’s flagship report,…

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Publications

Forging an African services market: clarifying the rules to reinvent intra-African services trade in an era of continental economic integration

Liberalization of trade in services is a different process from that of trade in goods. There are no tariffs on services, whereas there are on goods. Thus,…

Publications

The AFSIT monitor- An analysis of transition contexts in Africa

The AFSIT Monitor is a quarterly report produced by the AFSIT Secretariat. It brings you a succinct analysis of ongoing transition contexts in countries and by…

Publications

Process Quick Start Guide: A hindsight-insight-foresight approach to working with multidimensional risk

This Quick Start Guide, based on the "What if we were able to avert the next famine in the Horn of Africa?" research project, outlines a hindsight-insight…