Enko Capital has hired Saad Sheikh to its London office as Partner, Head of Private Credit.

Sheikh brings eight years of African private credit investment experience with a strong track record.

He joins from TLG where he was a partner and investment director on the firm’s African private credit strategy.

Prior to that he held roles at Accenture and Nokia.

Enko is leveraging its African investment platform to offer investors an ESG and impact-focused African private credit strategy.

The firm's private credit offering will have two primary areas of focus: SME growth financing and trade finance.

Sheikh will oversee the growth financing solutions to small and mid-market companies operating in Africa, across sectors, which offer a substantial positive impact with commercial returns.

In addition to the fund’s focus on ESG across its investments, Enko will proactively identify areas where positive impact can be achieved, with an underpinning focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Gender 2X Challenge, an initiative which seeks to support businesses that provide women in emerging economies with access to leadership opportunities.

Alain Nkontchou, Enko’s Founder and Managing Partner, said: “Globally, the funding gap for SMEs is considered as high as $1.2trn, with half of formal SMEs having no access to credit. In an emerging markets context, 70% of all SMEs lack access to credit, while contributing to  60% of the total employment and 40% of gross domestic product. It is indisputable that the private credit space in Africa is sorely underserved and access to sustainable capital for SMEs is extremely difficult. Enko is embarking on a strategy to support SMEs with sustainable financing. Saad’s investment track record and expertise across a range of industries will enable Enko to deliver on this strategy.”

Enko Capital is an Africa-focused investment firm with offices in London and across Africa.

The firm’s mission is to be a conduit for much needed capital in Africa to fund public and private investment. Enko’s world-class team stands out not only for its experience and performance, but is one of the most diverse investment teams in the industry.