Browsing: investing in Africa

On the 10^th of July 2020, Helios Holdings Limited announced a merger with Fairfax Africa Holdings Corporation to form Helios Fairfax Partners Corporation – a pan Africa focused alternative investment manager.[1] On the same day, Eversend, an African fintech startup also announced over a $1M raise through crowdfunding.[2] Prior to that Helios announced a $100M investment from the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) into their fund IV.[3] On the 1^st of July 2020, our portfolio company, www.hotelonline.co announced the acquisition of two travel tech companies.[4] On 30^th June 2020, www.msfafrica.com announced the acquisition of fellow fintech Beyonic based in Tanzania.[5] On 23^rd June, 2020 www.acumen.org announced their exit from KopaGas of Tanzania as part of the $25M acquisition by Circle Gas.[6] Then on 22^nd January 2020, www.mypaga.com announced the acquisition of Apposit an Ethiopian software company as the entry strategy …

Recently I did an interview with the guys at the “State of the Markets” podcast. In it, I discuss many things, including a few specific investment ideas — stocks I have personally invested in, over the last 18 months, in Tanzania, which I plan to hold for many years.

If you haven’t listened to it yet, you may find it worthwhile. You can replay the entire conversation at the Global Value Hunter homepage.

One of the core attractions of investing in less developed markets around the world is that they still inhabit a normal universe where interest rates are positive, and it’s possible to earn excellent real rates of return on plain vanilla investments, such as government bonds and bank deposits.

In Tanzania, for example, one can currently attain as much as a 15.85% yield on 20-year government bonds. What’s more is that inflation in Tanzania is only 3.3%, …

Ride the wave of the African Continental Free Trade Area, African Development Bank (ADB) president Adesina Urged United Kingdom investors.

Speaking at the UK Parliamentary Symposium, Mr Adesina said Africa is on the cusp of unmatched economic transformation and the United Kingdom must engage in a partnership of change.

“The Africa of the 21st century is very different. The Africa of the 21st century is new and more confident,” he said
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Africa with the Royal African Society, Oxford Brookes University, and the Trade Justice Network organized the symposium under the theme UK-Africa Trade and Brexit.

Adesina said that Africa and the United Kingdom should be significant trading partners. “The reality, however, is that UK’s trade with Africa is trending downwards. From a billion peak in 2012, trade decreased to . (kathybroock.com) 6 billion in 2018,” he noted.

Also Read: AfDB president woos UK

Top 10 countries to invest in Africa 2020 an annual report released by Johannesburg –based Rand Merchant Bank Ltd (RMB)

1. Egypt

Egypt has an enormous market and a sophisticated business sector, which makes it the most attractive investment destination in Africa, compared to other countries.
Egypt has improved the business environment, which is facilitated through government programs and a progressive increase in investment from the private sector. This has enhanced its economic growth and assisted in repositioning the country on the global investment map.

2. Morocco

Since the Arab Spring, the country’s greatly enhanced operating environment has served the country well with an expected growth rate of 4% over the medium term.
Morocco joining the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and rejoining African Union has enhanced its investment appeal.

3. South Africa

South Africa remains a hotspot for portfolio investment despite its depressed levels of …

Looking for growth opportunities? Africa is a continent with huge economic potential.

It has been gradually transformed in the past 20 years and we are on the cusp of significant growth, with blossoming entrepreneurship and plenty of opportunities for smart and simple business solutions.

Africa is on the rise

Africa is a 1.2bn-person market, a number expected to double over the next 30 years. Generally, business leaders tend to overestimate the challenges of doing business in Africa and underestimate the size and potential on the African continent. Thereby not stating that the African markets are easy to do business in, but emphasising that they are worth the effort, and companies not engaged in African markets risk losing out on one of the 21st century’s great growth opportunities.

One of the fastest growing economies in Africa

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world but it will see large-scale …

African Development Bank Vice President Mateus Magala told Lusa that Mozambique faces the challenge of putting natural resource gains at the service of inclusive and sustainable development.

“The big challenge for the next decade is how to put these huge natural resources at the service of the accelerated, inclusive and sustainable growth of Mozambique’s economy,” head of AfDB’s Corporate Services and Human Resources, Mateus Magala, said.

Magala is in Mozambique to witness the signing of financing agreements for the Temane – Maputo power transmission line on Wednesday.

Also Read: AfDB joins private equity firm AfricInvest for Africa equity kitty

The AfDB vice president described the current phase in Mozambique as “historic”, marked as it is by announcements of major investments in natural resources and electricity.

“Today, it is a certainty that Mozambique will, in the coming years, be among the largest gas producing countries in the world, opening the doors …

This summer has seen a huge amount of interest, and investment, in Africa from private capital outfits.

From fund raising – such as the African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) reaching final close of its US$320 million African Infrastructure Investment Fund 3 and new funds for Centum, the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed investors – to acquisitions and disposals, interest has been high across the continent. The Exchange even reported in April that Africa is eying US$1 trillion in private equity deals in the near future.

It also appears that returns are good. East African exits by private equity investors currently stand at 25 per cent, according to a recent I&M Burbidge Capital/EAVCA report, while start-ups in Nigeria have attracted more than US$110.9m of investment in H1 2019. The listing of Jumia, the largest e-commerce operator in Africa which floated on the New York Stock Exchange on a US$1bn ticket earlier this year, …