The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) has appointed Tanya van Lill as Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1, 2017. 

Van Lill succeeds Erika van der Merwe, who served SAVCA for over four years.

Van Lill previously held the position of Director for Academic Programmes at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and served on the board of the Executive MBA Council (EMBAC).

Dave Stadler, SAVCA Chairman, said that Van Lill is tasked with a mandate to increase the industry profile and deepen relationships with all stakeholders. 

“As an organisation we are intensifying our focus on engaging with regulators and policymakers, and on promoting the positive impact of the asset class to local, regional and international institutional investors,” he said. 

“Tanya is the ideal person to deliver on our strategic aim of encouraging greater flows of institutional capital to private equity and venture capital fund managers, for productive deployment into investee companies in Southern Africa and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa,” he added.

SAVCA, which is the industry body and advocate for private equity and venture capital in Southern Africa, was established in 1998 and represents around 160 members, who account for more than R165bn in funds under management. 

SAVCA promotes the asset class by engaging with regulators and legislators on a range of matters affecting the industry, providing relevant and insightful research on aspects of private equity and venture capital, presenting training on the workings of private equity and venture capital, sharing industry best practice, and creating meaningful networking opportunities for industry players.