For Africa to fully realise its infrastructure, industrial, and digital transformation goals, project management must move from the periphery to the centre of national and corporate strategy, a U.S.-based not-for-profit professional organization for project management, Project Management Institute (PMI), has said.
PMI’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, George Asamani, who spoke ahead of the organisation’s leadership of delegation to China to explore project delivery at scale, said the visit is more than a study tour, adding that it is a signal of intent to embed a culture of disciplined delivery across the continent, powered by project professionals equipped to maximise project success and elevate the world.
“For Africa to fully realise its infrastructure, industrial, and digital transformation goals, project management must move from the periphery to the centre of national and corporate strategy. This visit marks more than a study tour, it is a signal of intent to embed a culture of disciplined delivery across the continent, powered by project professionals equipped to maximise project success and elevate our world.
“This visit is an opportunity to observe a country that has built a global reputation for delivery. China’s project execution capability was developed from scratch, driven by strategic intent, institutional discipline, and long-term investment in capacity building and professional certification. It is a powerful case study in how project management, when embedded at every level, becomes a national competitive advantage,” Asamani, said.
PMI Sub-Saharan Africa is leading a delegation of African government officials and corporate executives on a strategic visit to China, one of the world’s most prolific project execution powerhouses. The visit aims to examine China’s approach to talent development, large-scale project delivery, and organisational agility, elements that are central to China’s sustained global competitiveness.
The delegation will engage with some of China’s most prominent companies, including ZTE Corporation, China Communications Construction Company Ltd, CNPC Engineering & Construction Company, Hengbao Co., Ltd, and Tsinghua University, gaining a first-hand view of the systems, culture, and discipline that underpin China’s extraordinary speed and scale in delivery. The delegation will also participate in the China PMO Symposium, attend high-level business-to-business roundtables, and meet with the China International Talent Exchange Foundation (CITEF), PMI’s government agency partner in China.
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The delegation comprises senior executives from sectors critical to Africa’s growth, and includes the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions, Mast Service Africa, Hope for Africa, NetOne, and the University of South Africa
While the trip is centred on knowledge sharing and exposure, it also underscores a global reality: in an environment where innovation cycles are accelerating, the ability to deliver consistently and at scale has become a key differentiator. Amid evolving tools, technologies, and market demands, project management stands out as a foundational discipline, one that provides structure, focus, and accountability. Its core principles, planning, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and time and cost control, are not bound by any industry or trend.
The relevance of project management as an evergreen skill is further amplified in the African context. As the continent undergoes its own wave of digital transformation, urbanisation, and industrial expansion, the demand for professionals who can turn plans into tangible results is growing rapidly. Yet, Sub-Saharan Africa has barely two per cent of the project professionals needed to support this development who are certified.
This growing demand for project talent comes at a time when international interest in Africa’s development is intensifying. In a significant demonstration of its expanding engagement with the continent, China committed $51 billion in new financial support over the next three years. This pledge underscores China’s strategic ambition to deepen industrial, digital, and social development ties with African nations.
Against this backdrop, the PMI-led visit takes on added significance. It not only aligns with Africa’s ambition to build delivery capacity but also offers Chinese organisations a platform to enhance global visibility, showcase best practices, and better understand Africa’s infrastructure and talent landscape. As Chinese companies expand their footprint across the continent, exchanges like this provide timely insight into policy environments, institutional realities, and execution challenges, laying the groundwork for more informed collaboration and sustainable alignment with African markets.
“We are honoured to welcome this distinguished delegation from Africa. China’s journey in institutionalising project management has been instrumental to its development success. This exchange offers an opportunity to share experiences, foster mutual understanding, and reaffirm project management’s global relevance as a driver of progress,” Managing Director of PMI China, Bob Chen, said.
This visit offers a unique opportunity to study large-scale execution in practice and reflect on how such insights can be contextualised to strengthen Africa’s project delivery ecosystem. By observing how China embeds project management into institutions, supply chains, and public systems, the delegation is equipped to bring back lessons that support scalable, locally relevant transformation.
