16/06/2025
Today, 🎉 EMCA turns 15.
Fifteen years ago, in a small Pretoria office, a quiet revolution began. The Elections Management and Consulting Agency of Africa (EMCA) wasn’t just founded to manage elections — it was born to reshape African democracy through integrity, bold leadership, and inclusive participation.
Today, we celebrate 15 years of that revolution. Of impact. Of people. Of vision.
From the very beginning, EMCA committed itself to:
• Championing transparent, trusted electoral systems
• Uplifting previously disadvantaged women and youth in democratic spaces
• Building African capacity — by Africans, for Africans
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🧭 What We Do: Our Services, Our Edge
Across fifteen years, EMCA has matured into a full-spectrum election management powerhouse offering:
• 🗳️ End-to-end election logistics — from voter registation, candidate nomination to vote counting
• 📊 Political consulting — manifestos, registration, branding, and strategic comms
• 🏛️ Governance for non-political structures — including corporates, student bodies, and unions
• 🧠 Training & civic education — focused on women, youth, and emerging political leaders
• 🌐 Digital voting via our secure, hybrid system iCastMyVote
From village elections to national processes, EMCA has been trusted by unions, public entities, and private institutions alike.
📌 2021/2022: A GEPF Success Story
One of EMCA’s proudest moments came during the 2021/2022 election cycle for the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) — one of the largest pension funds in Africa.
EMCA was appointed to manage this complex, high-stakes election involving:
• Thousands of pensioners and contributors across multiple provinces
• A hybrid balloting system (manual and digital)
• A fully auditable, independently verified results framework
• Strict compliance with fiduciary and governance protocols
The result? Zero disputes. Maximum transparency. Widespread praise.
This remains a landmark project that proved EMCA could handle high-volume, high-impact elections with precision and credibility.
🚀 iCastMyVote: Digital Democracy, Made Real
In the last five years, EMCA has driven innovation with iCastMyVote, our homegrown electronic voting platform designed for African realities.
It has already:
• Facilitated secure voting for traditional councils, youth bodies, and governance boards
• Lowered election costs while increasing participation
• Enabled real-time monitoring and tamper-proof auditing
👑 Women. Youth. Power.
EMCA’s deepest commitment remains to democratic inclusion.
We don’t just manage elections — we open the system:
• 🟣 “Powerful Women in Politics”: A training and mentorship programme for aspiring female candidates
• 🟢 Youth Democracy Labs: Equipping young leaders with civic education and leadership tools
• 🟠 Independent candidate support: Especially for first-time and underfunded candidates
In doing so, we’ve helped redefine the face of African political leadership.
✍️ Thought Leadership: The Pen Behind the Power
EMCA’s founder and CEO, Lulu White , is not just a trailblazer in elections — she is a critical voice in African governance.
Her soon-to-be-released book,
“The Illusion of Inclusion: Women’s Leadership in Politics, Corporates, and Custom – Tokenism, Agency, and the Gendered Architecture of Power in Africa,”
is already generating anticipation across academic, policy, and feminist circles.
Through keynote addresses, essays, and op-eds, Lulu White and EMCA continue to provoke essential questions about:
• Gender tokenism
• Patriarchal gatekeeping
• The hollowing out of democratic values
• The urgent need for authentic leadership transformation
🌍 The EMCA Footprint
Today, EMCA’s influence spans:
• South Africa, Lesotho, Côte d’Ivoire, and the DRC
• Partnerships with institutions of higher learning, student formations, civil society, and political parties, board of trustees across the continent
• Direct election services to unions, pension funds, municipalities, and even traditional leadership structures
Our agency combines technical excellence, digital agility, and deep-rooted African insight in a way no other organisation can.
🛤️ What’s Next: Vision 2035
The road ahead is even bolder. EMCA is gearing up to:
• Expand iCastMyVote across SADC and the AU
• Establish a School of Electoral Governance for African youth
• Advocate continental reform on political finance, independent candidacy, and coalition governance
• Scale advisory services to multinationals and state-owned entities
• Publish more thought leadership to challenge the status quo
🥂 A Standing Ovation
To the EMCA team — from election officers and trainers to partners and alumni — this journey belongs to you.
To every voter who cast a ballot in our process — this legacy is yours.
To the future leaders we’ve mentored and the women we’ve uplifted — the best is still coming.
🎊 Happy 15th Anniversary, EMCA!
From the ballot box to the boardroom,
From Pretoria to pan-African prominence,
EMCA remains the pulse of African democracy.
Here’s to 15 years of courage, credibility, and change.
And to 15 more — bolder, braver, and beautifully African.
For more information, www.emca.co.za
