Johannesburg, South Africa, 28 October 2025: The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) has been officially designated as an Africa Kaizen Initiative (AKI) Centre of Excellence during the Africa Kaizen Annual Conference (AKAC) 2025, currently underway in Johannesburg, South Africa from October 27-29.
This prestigious recognition underscores the NPCC’s long-standing contribution to promoting productivity, quality improvement, and Kaizen practices in Mauritius and across the African continent. A delegation from the NPCC, led by the Executive Director, Dr. Vinaye Ancharaz, is attending the conference, bringing together policymakers, academics, and practitioners in the field of Quality and Productivity Improvement (QPI).
An AKI Centre of Excellence represents an organisation, department, or unit recognised as a leading source of value creation through competency, leadership, exemplary performance, and best practices in Kaizen and QPI, while at the same time embodying a commitment to continuous improvement and the pursuit of world-class standards in productivity enhancement.
Through the NPCC, Mauritius joins Tunisia, South Africa and Ethiopia as Centres of Excellence under the AKI — a joint undertaking by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
It is worth noting that the NPCC chairs the Cross Functional Working Group that played an active role in the preparation of guidelines for the designation of Centres of Excellence, which define their roles, responsibilities, process, and eligibility criteria.
During the Africa Kaizen Awards 2025, as part of the AKAC, the Coronary Care Unit of Dr. A.G. Jeetoo Hospital won the Outstanding Award, while the SS Business School received the Excellent Award in the Small Organisation category, bringing continental recognition to the island. On the other hand, the Mauritius Prison Service bagged the Excellent Award in the Medium Organisation category. These achievements stressed the remarkable progress made by institutions in embracing Kaizen principles and driving excellence in their respective sectors. These organisations, as past winners of the National Productivity and Quality Excellence Award, were nominated by the NPCC to participate in the African Kaizen Awards.
“Being recognised as a Centre of Excellence for Kaizen in Africa is both an honour and a responsibility,” commented Dr. Ancharaz. “This recognition reaffirms the NPCC’s leadership in promoting productivity and competitiveness in Mauritius and across the continent. We are proud to contribute to building a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence that can drive Africa’s sustainable growth.”
Through its participation and recognition at AKAC 2025, the NPCC continues to reaffirm Mauritius’s position as a regional leader in productivity and competitiveness, committed to driving innovation, excellence, and sustainable economic transformation in Africa.
