Country Operating Partners
The COP Network — Local Execution at Continental Scale
Country Operating Partners are the institutional foundation of the PASP platform. They are established companies and investment groups selected to serve as PASP's country-level strategic partner and proposed 50% economic co-owner of the PASP Country Joint Venture — providing genuine on-the-ground market leadership, networks and execution capability in each target market.
Definition
What a Country Operating Partner Is
A COP is not a passive representative, nominal local partner or informal contact. A COP is an established, financially capable company or investment group with genuine market leadership, executive networks, regulatory relationships and the operational capacity to lead business expansion execution in their country.
A COP must be an established company or investment group with a genuine operating history, corporate structure and institutional standing in their country.
A COP must have the financial strength to support joint venture establishment, co-investment where required and the operational costs of leading market execution.
A COP must have senior executive leadership with genuine corporate, government and industry networks — the relationships that drive real market access and execution.
A COP should have relevant sector experience or established relationships in the sectors where PASP-facilitated expansions will operate in their country.
A COP must meet PASP's governance, compliance and institutional standards — including the requirements of PASP's COP verification process.
A COP must be genuinely aligned with PASP's mission, values and operating principles — committed to building a long-term institutional partnership, not a transactional relationship.
Responsibilities
The COP Role in PASP Expansions
The COP leads all country-level execution — market entry, regulatory compliance, local partnerships, team building, operational establishment and ongoing market management.
The COP is the proposed 50% economic co-owner of the PASP Country Joint Venture — creating genuine alignment between PASP, the COP and the expanding company.
The COP provides PASP and expanding companies with real-time local market intelligence — regulatory developments, competitive dynamics, market opportunities and risk factors.
The COP manages regulatory compliance, government relations and licensing requirements in their country — leveraging established relationships to navigate the local regulatory environment.
The COP identifies and develops local partnerships, distribution relationships and strategic alliances that support the expanding company's market entry and growth.
COPs participate in PASP's governance structures — including Regional COP CEO Consultative Councils — contributing to platform strategy, standards and development.
Joint Venture
The COP Joint Venture Model
PASP and the COP are proposed 50% economic co-owners of the PASP Country Joint Venture — the legal entity through which PASP-facilitated expansions operate in each country. This structure creates genuine alignment: the COP has a real economic stake in the success of every expansion they support.
Platform governance & centralized oversight
Country-level execution leadership
Become a Country Operating Partner
PASP is actively seeking established companies and investment groups to serve as Country Operating Partners across Africa and globally. If your organization has the capacity, networks and strategic alignment to serve as a PASP COP, we invite you to apply.