EPIC Africa Learning Event 2025
The EPIC Africa Learning Meeting was an immersive two-day event held on February 13–14, 2025, at the Future Africa Campus of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. This event served as a key initiative of the EPIC Africa Network. The EPIC‑N framework leverages participatory approaches to connect universities, local authorities, and communities in addressing urban challenges through innovative, community-led research. Established in Africa in 2017 with pilot projects in cities such as Nairobi, Durban, and Lusaka, the network has steadily expanded its reach and impact across the continent. With projects recently completed throughout the current network, and the continued expansion of its regional presence, the event was the ideal space to form partnerships while charting a visionary path toward a sustainable future across Africa.
The event was designed to bring back the momentum of EPIC Africa following setbacks incurred during the COVID‑19 pandemic, which had slowed training and engagement among member cities. This event created a dedicated space for reflection, collaboration, and skill‑sharing which allowed participants to deepen their understanding of how the EPIC model functioned within diverse African contexts. Attendees aimed to identify existing gaps and co‑produced strategies for more effective implementation, addressing challenges such as the acceptance and implementation challenges of SDGs, high turnover in local government staffing, and sustainable resource management.
On Day 1, the meeting opened with registration and welcome remarks from key representatives, followed by a panel discussion titled “The EPIC‑N Journey,” which provided a global perspective on the model by drawing insights from regions as varied as Asia, Latin America, and the United States. A subsequent session, “All About Africa,” featured short presentations where representatives from cities including Durban, Gaborone, Harare, Kampala, Lusaka, Mombasa, and Monrovia shared their experiences, highlighting both successes and challenges. The afternoon sessions focused on sustainability, as participants examined the strengths and limitations of the EPIC model within the African context. The day concluded with a conference dinner that offered an informal setting for networking and further discussions.
Day 2 began with a recap of the previous day’s insights and continued with an interactive “All About Impact” session presented in a ’World Café’ format. During this session, participants critically assessed the EPIC model’s contributions toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and discussed the practicalities of measuring impact, including evaluation methods like baseline surveys and reporting tools. Breakout sessions later in the day focused on optimizing the network through discussions on potential funding sources, governance structures, and strategic partnerships aimed at expanding the network’s reach. The future of EPIC Africa Network leadership was brought up, and the event attendees discussed the matter, and came to a conclusion about how future leaders will be elected, ensuring that the EPIC Africa network can continue to thrive and grow as some senior members step down. The event concluded with reflective closing remarks that consolidated the insights gained and outlined future directions for the EPIC Africa Network.
Overall, this event served as an important reminder of what can be done in just a few days, when like-minded individuals from all over the world come together under one united cause. More experienced members had a chance to teach and lead from their previous work, while newer members presented what their future projects will entail. This perfect blend of seasoned expertise and fresh perspectives fueled great discussions and instilled collaborative solutions that promise to continue the great work being initiated across the continent, and expand it to many others in the near future.
Looking ahead, upcoming posts will feature exclusive interviews with several of the event’s attendees, offering deeper insights into their experiences, and the challenges they overcame while working with EPIC.
