Our Work

Our Work in Africa

At the Mastercard Foundation, we are driven by a belief that all people should have an equal chance to succeed, no matter where they started in life. To date, our programming has improved the lives of more than 50 million people and millions more in their households.

Looking forward, our work is unified around the single most complex challenge that young people in Africa face — unemployment. Our goal is to enable 30 million young people to secure dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.

Country Programs

Pan-African Programs (Pana)

As part of our Young Africa Works Strategy, the Pan-African Program (PANA)  platform works with and strengthens African institutions and supports system change to drive economic transformation across the African continent to reach beyond where we have ongoing country-based programming. With Entrepreneurship as its central focus, PANA seeks to unlock barriers and enable system-level transformation so young entrepreneurs can thrive.

Our Work in Canada – EleV Program

The vision of the EleV Program (which began in 2017) aligns with that of Indigenous young people. Our goal is to support the transformation of education and employment systems to enable 100,000 Indigenous young people to access post-secondary education and transition to meaningful livelihoods. Learn more.

Special Programs – Saving Lives and Livelihoods

The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative is assuring the long-term health security of the continent by developing the workforce for vaccine manufacturing in Africa and strengthening the Africa CDC.

Youth at the Centre

How we work is just as important as what we do. Young people are at the centre of our work and their insight and aspirations guide us. We believe in respectful collaboration — with governments, the private sector, educators, and, most importantly, with young people. Through our work, we look to find new insights and share them with others to magnify our impact.