28 June 2022
Earlier this year YCombinator, the leading Silicon Valley based accelerator program, sent a letter to their cohort, which was entitled "Economic Downturn," advising startups on how to adjust their fundraising strategy and their spending in light of troubl…
Read more »18 May 2022
By Rehma Imrith, Commercial Director In the wake of the global economic downturn initiated by the Covid-19 pandemic, numerous businesses have found themselves facing financial difficulty. As a result, many companies – especially those in the emerging ma…
Read more »26 January 2022
By almost every measure, the outlook for private market investments in Africa seems bright. Nearly nine out of 10 LPs say they plan to maintain or increase their allocation to African private equity over the next three years, according to a 2021 survey …
Read more »29 October 2021
Andela has recently announced a US$200mn Series E financing round led by SoftBank at a pre-money valuation of US$1.5bn. The relevance of this event for the African venture capital ecosystem is significant from several perspectives. First and foremos…
Read more »09 October 2021
Written by Fazil Hossenkhan (Managing Partner, Moka, Mauritius) and Nafiisah Jeehoo (Associate), Bowmans Companies in the capital markets and private equity space are likely to benefit from the coming into force of the Mauritius Securities (Amendment) Ac…
Read more »15 September 2021
Written by Bukola Bankole (Partner) and Genevieve Henshaw (Senior Associate), The New Practice (TNP) A few weeks ago, news of the leaked National Information Technology Development Agency Bill (the “Bill”) was all over the internet with its key provisi…
Read more »06 August 2021
Written by Akshay Asgarally, Associate Director - Business Development, IQ-EQ In recent decades, estate planning and asset protection vehicles have seen a significant boost in popularity amongst High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) in Africa. The estimated …
Read more »05 July 2021
As the world continues to navigate its way through Covid-19, many are concerned about taking care of their loved ones should the worst come to pass. Indeed, the pandemic has brought asset protection and estate planning to the forefront of financial planni…
Read more »09 June 2021
The critical role of development finance institutions (DFIs) in helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals is well documented (see additional resources below). As a DFI, FinDev Canada’s mission is impact-driven as we seek to deploy and mobilise …
Read more »25 May 2021
The Mauritius Financial Services Commission (FSC) recently released a set of rules under the Special Purpose Fund (SPF) regime to provide further flexibility and ease access to new markets. The rules provide flexibility and global competitive cost structu…
Read more »12 May 2021
The case for accelerating investment in climate adaptation and resilience is clear. The latest scientific evidence shows the significant impact of climate change on economies, communities and natural systems. We know that increases to a global temperatu…
Read more »13 April 2021
In 2013, Albert Alsina founded Mediterrania Capital Partners and began refining his model of Value Creation while working directly with small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies in Africa. Since that time, Albert and his team have engage…
Read more »08 March 2021
The global investment opportunity to improve the lives of women and their families is becoming increasingly well recognised. According to IFC, women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) worldwide face a US$1.4trn shortfall in access to credit. A McKins…
Read more »04 February 2021
As the first quarter of 2021 is fully underway, there is a widespread hope that this year will mark the beginning of economic recovery and the transition to a smarter future driven by data, technology adoption, cross-country and cross-sector collaboration…
Read more »02 February 2021
Last year, the World Bank argued that Africa is well-positioned to take advantage of new digital technologies — if governments can encourage innovation and investment to flow, including by increasing access to finance. This, the report argues, will unleas…
Read more »14 January 2021
Senegal is home to 350,000 herding families. But in Dakar, the West African nation’s capital, grocery store shelves are piled high with powdered milk—mainly imported from Europe. The situation is a stark example of the stubborn agriculture production and…
Read more »24 December 2020
The year 2020 marks 75 years of multilateralism since the United Nations (UN) came into existence and 5 years since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs present a new vision …
Read more »09 December 2020
Gender-smart investing is a growing asset class with a compelling business case. Billions of dollars are held in assets under management, in both private and public capital markets, and the opportunities to mobilize capital and invest to close gender gaps…
Read more »25 November 2020
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target a range of development challenges, from combating climate change to ending poverty and hunger. To achieve the SDGs in developing countries, a significant scale-up of investment is required. Blended finance i…
Read more »11 November 2020
Have you ever wondered what happens every minute on the internet? The answer is a lot! The world’s most popular apps and websites have seen significant growth over the last four years and will continue to grow rapidly as more people access the internet a…
Read more »28 October 2020
Introduction Kenya is experiencing a rapid growth in its entrepreneurial market and has been distinguished as among the leading hubs of startup businesses in Africa. This is largely owed to the technological advancement and enabling environment for local…
Read more »14 October 2020
The New Deal, introduced by the American president, Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s, had a tremendous effect on the global political economy. For proponents of government interference in the capitalist economy, the New Deal has become a reference point…
Read more »23 September 2020
Introduction As part of a broader initiative of the Nigeria government to improve the country’s business environment, a bill to amend the 30-year-old Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 was given presidential assent on 7 August 2020. The Companies and…
Read more »27 August 2020
Background In February 2020, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) identified Mauritius as a jurisdiction having strategic AML/CFT deficiencies and placed the country on the list of “Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring”. On this basis, the European…
Read more »29 July 2020
By OlayemI Anyanechi, Managing Partner, Sefton Fross & Oluwaseyi Alao, Associate, Sefton Fross Introduction The Nigeria currency has been under a lot of pressure in recent times, owing to decrease in export earnings due to the instability in price …
Read more »16 June 2020
Written by 'Tokunboh Ishmael, Managing Partner, Alitheia IDF To see the original article, please click here Politics, Philosophy and Economics of ODA in a time of COVID-19 In these unprecedented times, development assistance must shed the skin of its…
Read more »21 May 2020
By Tom Scriven CFA, Partner & General Counsel, RENEW In our latest white paper, we outline seven reasons why RENEW believes a ‘stay the course’ approach to investing in SMEs in Ethiopia is the best response both to the economic crisis created b…
Read more »28 April 2020
Written by Gbolahan Elias, Partner, G Elias & Co and Yemisi Falade, Senior Associate, G Elias & Co Some aspects of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2018 (the “Bill”) significantly impact private equity invest…
Read more »16 April 2020
Written by Ladé Araba, Managing Director, Africa at Convergence Finance Twitter handle: @LDAraba Institutional investors have become increasingly open to non-traditional, high yield investment opportunities as they grapple with low yield environments…
Read more »10 April 2020
Written by 'Tokunboh Ishmael, Managing Partner, Alitheia IDF Impact Investing seeped into the conscience of the investing ecosystem over a decade ago and refers to the varying degrees that investments can deliver positive social, developmental, econom…
Read more »25 March 2020
Following the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, regulation was largely criticised for failing to protect customers, prompting regulators throughout the world to undertake a review of financial regulation. Following the lead of a number of developed count…
Read more »25 February 2020
Marketing by private equity GPs to investors has become significantly more complex over the last few years, with the tightening up of regulations and the advent of the Alternative Investment FundManagersDirective (“AIFMD”) which governs marketing to Europ…
Read more »29 January 2020
Private equity in Africa has come a long way since the early 1990s, which saw development financial institutions investing in government-initiated development projects across the continent. The period that followed was characterised by the emergence of a …
Read more »05 December 2019
Africa’s continued growth depends on innovations in access to finance As the global economy undergoes rapid technological change, leaders worldwide are deeply worried about the future of jobs. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, …
Read more »11 November 2019
Africa stands to be amongst the regions worst-affected by the climate crisis[1]. The World Bank argued in a 2016 report[2] that sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are most vulnerable to climate change-induced poverty, given that they have the highest initi…
Read more »26 September 2019
The breadth and depth of the African investment story was shown by investors continued backing of enterprises catering to Africa’s consumer. For example, noting the opportunities posed by the low level of insurance penetration in Nigeria, Verod Capital Ma…
Read more »29 May 2019
Founders of businesses will usually inject large amounts of intellectual capital into their ventures apart from economic capital from banks and seed capital from investment pundits. Tax is hardly a consideration at the commencement stage of a business ve…
Read more »23 October 2018
Grant Thornton, in collaboration with Renewables in Africa and Clean Energy Pipeline, launched its first Africa Renewable Energy Discount Rate Survey earlier this year and the results are now available on our website here. A lack of transparency across A…
Read more »24 August 2018
Technological innovation has swept across Africa in the past decade. There are almost one billion cell phone subscriptions on the continent, up from 129 million ten years ago. In addition, software advances have disrupted the way people from Senegal to So…
Read more »21 June 2018
Invitation to Participate: Grant Thornton, in collaboration with Renewables in Africa, has launched its first Africa Renewable Energy Discount Rate Survey, spearheaded by valuations expert Tomas Freyman. You can access the survey, here. Over the p…
Read more »31 May 2018
Africa is home to an increasing number of growth companies in need of capital. Before these businesses start tapping into sources of finance to expand operations, they must evaluate the type of funding that suits their particular needs. There are a numbe…
Read more »16 May 2018
Raising a private equity fund in frontier markets is tough business. There are a number of considerations, particularly for first time fund managers, which range from fund formation to growing an investible pipeline, investing and monitoring and exit – al…
Read more »02 May 2018
According to data from the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association concerning returns to Limited Partners (LPs) over a 10 year horizon, small-to-mid cap private equity funds (i.e. those with fund sizes below US$150mn) have delivered returns…
Read more »18 April 2018
With less than a year until the end of Article 50 talks between the UK and EU – the future remains uncertain. Recent progress is welcome but detailed negotiations on the big issue – the UK’s future relationship with the EU, including market access – have…
Read more »21 February 2018
The 2017 African Economic Outlook predicts that Africa’s average growth is expected to reach 4.3% in 2018. The private equity (PE) and venture capital industry in Africa continues to witness strong performance across diverse sectors. Returns to investors …
Read more »07 February 2018
The subject of Africa ‘leapfrogging’ developments through technology is not a new one, and it has been written about extensively. There is no doubt amongst most commentators that it is the mobile revolution that has catalysed this phenomenon, particularly…
Read more »24 January 2018
When it comes to deal sourcing, Africa is no different from other regions in the world – investment practitioners on the continent encounter numerous friction points when sourcing investable opportunities. The reasons for this are both general and speci…
Read more »22 January 2018
A new year is always an opportunity for a fresh start — it is a chance to put new plans into action and do some fresh thinking. It is not difficult to start the year in an optimistic mood, although the question is: is it justified? The African private equ…
Read more »28 November 2017
Deal origination is a labour-intensive process, especially when conducted through traditional methods such as accessing business owners in the immediate network, screening inbound leads, engaging with investment intermediaries, and proprietary research fo…
Read more »18 September 2017
With the increasing appetite for investments into African jurisdictions, the South African private equity landscape needs to adapt in order to attract direct foreign investment and to facilitate the seamless investment and divestment in and from these j…
Read more »22 August 2017
Nigerian law guarantees investors the unconditional transferability of proceeds of their investments in Nigeria in convertible currency, provided that inflow and repatriation are effected through Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) authorised dealers - subject …
Read more »03 August 2017
Being local is key. Simply put, it helps us to identify great businesses, work in partnership with investee companies, and manage risks. That philosophy has always been core to the investment thesis across each of the markets we work in and Africa is no e…
Read more »06 July 2017
In February, AVCA spoke to Clarisa De Franco, Head of Africa Funds, and Jeremy Cleaver, Portfolio Director, about CDC Group’s investment strategy over the next five years and the importance of development finance to Africa’s growth. We asked them to sha…
Read more »21 November 2016
Mauritius has emerged as a tried and trusted international financial centre of substance in cross-border investments. Its competitiveness among global players has been sharpened by the sound legal and regulatory framework and attractive fiscal and non-fis…
Read more »09 November 2016
I recently read a story in a local Tanzanian paper on how little progress there has been in African governance over the last decade, as cited in the 2016 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG). There was progress, the article said, just not very much …
Read more »24 October 2016
Markets were thrown into a state of turmoil on Friday, 24th June, 2016, following the surprise outcome of the referendum that saw the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU). Notwithstanding the outcome of the referendum, the UK has yet to commence the …
Read more »
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