Nicholas P. Piquito, CEO, Asset Management, African Alliance Group
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South Africa, as Africa’s third largest and most diversified economy in the African continent, holds immense potential for economic and social development. With its abundant natural resources, youthful population, resilient infrastructure, and deep capital markets, South Africa can regain its position as a dynamic force on the African stage. However, to harness this potential fully, critical challenges like power shortages and unemployment must be addressed.
The majority of African tech investors (71%) will not invest follow-on funding in a startup failing to provide them with regular reporting updates, according to a newly-released report from Wimbart, a PR agency specialising in tech & startup sectors across Africa and emerging marketsю
The first half of 2023 saw 263 VC deals take place in Africa’s venture ecosystem, allocating a cumulative $2.1bn of capital to 258 unique companies. This corresponds to a 40% decrease by both volume and value compared to the $3.5bn raised in 2022 H1. At slightly over $1bn raised each quarter, this contraction in startup funding is being referred to by some as a “funding winter” for African venture capital.
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Until recently, Ghana was considered a macroeconomic and political model in sub-Saharan Africa: in 2019, the World Bank described it as ‘a rising growth star’. However, in May 2023, the IMF signed a new bailout agreement worth $3bn over three years. It’s a program that’s widely seen as a band-aid for a host of long-term economic challenges facing the country - a net importer - including a balance of payments deficit. The nation’s public debt is nearly as large as its annual economic output, inflation has been running at over 40% in 2023 and Ghana’s currency, the Cedi, has fallen by more than 45% against the dollar since January 2022. The bailout will do little to address poverty, create new jobs, boost salaries or address the rising cost of living facing Ghanaians.
The African Private Capital Association (AVCA) and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) have announced the release of the Climate Financing in Africa: Strategies for the Future report, a new study outlining the current landscape of investment in building Africa’s climate resilience.
Nkiru Balonwu, Founder of the Africa Soft Power Group, outlines some of the critical challenges under discussion at the Africa Soft Power Summit this month.
Africa Global Funds speaks with a few of the most influential female professionals about the biggest issues facing women in financial services and their personal experiences.
Africa Global Funds’a Anna Lyudvig speaks with José Solange Francis (left), Founder-Managing Director, and Morlai Kargbo, FCCA (right), Associate-Investment Director at Hamilcar Capital, about special situations and the firm’s objectives.
The African landscape is experiencing a meaningful transformational shift as a result of the mushrooming of small and medium businesses across the continent, with more than 2,000 African start-ups – out of 3,000 – having secured investment from venture capitalists.
The South African investment community and pension funds, in particular, are sitting on the cusp of an infrastructure boom that provides an excellent opportunity for diversifying portfolios and supports the development of critical infrastructure for the country.
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