Browsing: 2021 Investments opportunities

Ratings agency pronouncements are important in that they determine the financial standing of a country in the markets. When a country has unfavourable ratings, it will find it difficult to borrow without paying high-interest rates.

Conversely, favourable ratings indicate a much more stable credit proposition which will enable a borrower to access funding at concessionary rates.

South Africa has received funding to the tune of tens of billions of Rand from developed countries. This financial package has been to assist the country in reducing its reliance on fossil fuels for its energy. The country received this money immediately after the COP 26 conference last year.…

Africa is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies with the continent expected to be home to nearly 1.7 billion people by 2030 and have a combined business and consumer spending of $6.7 trillion according to the Brookings Institute.

This potential in the economy has made Africa attractive for investors seeking high growth businesses with long-term impact. Because of this, Venture Capital (VC) and Private Equity (PE) have emerged as important drivers for directing capital into these businesses hence stimulating capacity building and economic growth across Africa.

According to a report from the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA), African companies which are backed by PE and VC firms are among the most innovative and pioneering firms in the world and attract more international and local investments.

According to the report, despite the effect of the pandemic on businesses, many businesses backed by the PE and VC firms especially …

Much of the talk at the moment, and nearly always, is where we should invest in a world of recession, low-interest rates, unpredictable markets and a challenging socio-political climate. As open borders in East Africa close, open, close and re-open again and as Kenya prepares for yet another Covid-19 lock-down our own region is particularly challenging.  

I am a member of several international investment groups and so I am fortunate to hear the views, perspectives and experiences of many clever and visionary investors around the world. I have written here before about ESG investing – Environmental, Social Impact and Governance – the “do’s” of impact invest but I haven’t written about the “Don’ts”. And it strikes me that we should be talking just as much, perhaps even more, about where not to invest at the moment and in the future. …