Our People
SAVCA Executive Team Members
Tanya
van Lill
SAVCA
Tanya van Lill, CEO: SAVCA
Tanya joined SAVCA in March 2017, after a rewarding 10-year career at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) with her last role being Director of Academic Programmes where she also served on the board of the Executive MBA Council (EMBAC), an international academic association that represents the Executive MBA industry.
Tanya is passionate about human and organisational development. During her time as a learning and development specialist focusing on management and leadership development, Tanya gained valuable experience working with various companies across a wide range of sectors. She holds an MBA and Post-Graduate Diploma from GIBS where her MBA research focused on methods to develop a global mindset. Tanya also holds a BCom Informatics and Honours in Business Management from UNISA.
Tanya is the mother of a teenage son and a South African PowerLifter .
Avantika
Seeth
Avantika Seeth, Research & Communications Manager
Avantika joined the SAVCA team in November 2019, where she currently oversees the research and communications processes related to the organisation. Prior to this, she worked as a journalist with a strong focus on human rights and politics. She is currently completing her MA in Journalism and Media Studies with a focus on Human Trafficking at Wits University.
Avantika comes with a strong background in research, writing and communication skills. She holds an BA in Communication Studies and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University.
Manusha
Parshotum
Operations
Manusha Parshotum, Head: Operations
Manusha Parshotum, currently at SAVCA as the Head of Operations. Commenced employment on the 10 September 2018.
Previous work experience entailed working at GIBS for the last six years as Senior Manager Marketing and Head of MBA Admissions and Alumni. Previously work in the Marketing environment of Accenture, PwC, the Kelly Group and African Mediums.
My skills include an in-depth knowledge base and experience in marketing within South Africa as well into Africa and Internationally.
I have experience in the Education sector, Financial Services sector and Consulting both locally as well as internationally. I am passionate about people, learning and growth. I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and when time allows exploring and experiencing different cultures. I am married and a mother of a baby girl.
Marija
Spasevski
Manager
Marija Spasevski, Events Membership Manager
Marija is an experienced Event Coordinator and Project Manager, who joined SAVCA in May 2021 as an Events and Membership Manager. Her role at SAVCA includes managing events from concept to implementation, managing membership, content development and managing SAVCA’s governance function.
Marija began her career in the events industry in 2012 and has since worked with a variety of clients and companies in corporate, private, government and association sectors. This has given her extensive experience in every facet of the events industry.
Marija’s goal is to grow and play a meaningful role at SAVCA and within the industry.
Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, running, boxing, cooking, gaming and binge-watching series with her boyfriend.
Shelley
Lotz
Regulatory Affairs
Shelley Lotz, Head: Regulatory Affairs
Shelley joined SAVCA in 2016 as the Head of Regulatory Affairs focusing on leading SAVCA's engagement and advocacy efforts with regulators including National Treasury, SARS, SARB and the FSCA.
Shelley's extensive experience in the financial services sector includes 6 years at Horizon Equity Partners, where she was responsible for all fund reporting, valuations and compliance.
Shelley also spent 7 years at the Royal Bank of Scotland in London where she worked in a technical accounting and regulatory advisory role for the Investment Bank. Shelley was the Finance lead in the launch of RBS's GBP 1.1bn Private Equity fund in 2007, which paved the way for Shelley's career in private equity.
Lele
Poswa
Assistant
Lele Poswa, Admin Assistant
Lele holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations with Political Science from the University of the Western Cape (2019) and is currently enrolled at the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (UNISA) for an Advanced Diploma in African & International Trade.
She has six years combined experience in volunteering and being positioned in non-government and UN entities. Most recently, she has acquired experience in an advisory and corporate finance investment firm and has background knowledge of corporate relations in the private and public sectors while engaging with various players and entities in these spaces.
In 2020, she worked as a Communication Assistant at Business for South Africa (B4SA), an alliance of South African volunteers working with the South African government, and other social partners, as well as various stakeholders to mobilise business resources and capacity to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Melanie
de Nysschen
FMDP
Melanie de Nysschen, Programme Manager: Fund Manager Development Programme
Melanie joined SAVCA in March 2019. She is a financial services industry professional with a legal background and extensive experience in the investment banking industry, specifically corporate finance and capital markets.
Melanie is passionate about the sustainable development, and ultimately growth, of small to medium sized enterprises.
She believes that putting people first, and showing due respect for the planet on which we build lives, and businesses, contributes to sustainable business and a healthy profit line.
A keen supporter of the Arts, Melanie also currently serves as an independent, non-executive director, on the board of The Joburg Ballet Company (NPC).
Bongi
Radebe
Assistant
Bongi Radebe, Admin Assistant
Bongi is an experienced administrative assistant, having worked in the financial services sector for three years. She currently holds a Wealth Management Certificate from the Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority (Inseta). Bongi is passionate about learning and growing within the PE and VC space and is an avid dog lover, who enjoys her cuddle time with her very own babies, Daisy and Gus.
Directors
CEO:
FyreFem Fund Managers
Cathy Goddard, FyreFem Fund Managers
Cathy is the CEO and founding partner in a South African-based BEE women-owned private equity fund manager Firebird Fund Managers which was founded in 2017. Firebird Fund Managers is currently fundraising for Firebird Futures, a SME Focused fund which has been shortlisted by the PIC for R500m of funding during the 2018/2019 tender process.
Cathy is a board member of the Southern African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association ("SAVCA") since September 2016. She is an Investment Committee member of Spear Capital, a Scandinavian-backed fund which provides growth capital funding of $2-10 million in Africa. Cathy is a registered Key Individual for Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) registration purposes and KI for Firebird, Edge Growth and Spear Capital. Cathy is incubating two SA SME Fund funded venture capital firms for FSCA Compliance purposes ie Savant Technology and 4DI, both based in Cape Town.
Cathy is a strong originator and very active networker who has developed strong networks over her career. She was voted 5th in the 10 Power Women Shaping Africa’s Private Equity Market by AfkInsider.com in the Fall 2015 Edition of Women in Private Equity Awards.
Cathy is a registered senior business rescue practitioner and has experience in working with distressed assets and turnarounds. She completed the University of Pretoria's first Certified Rescue Analyst course in 2016 with the class leaders.
Managing Partner:
Norrsken22
Natalie Kolbe, Managing Partner: Norrsken22
Natalie is the Managing Partner of Norrsken22, responsible for the overall management of the Fund, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Natalie brings a wealth of private equity and growth investing experience to Norrsken22, having spent 18 years at Actis – one of the leading private equity firms focused on the Emerging Markets. At Actis, Natalie was Global Head of Private Equity, responsible for the day-to-day management of the global PE business, spanning 8 funds across Africa, Latin America, India, China and SE Asia, with circa USD $2.5 billion in assets under management. Natalie was also part of the team that assessed and onboarded the Abraaj Africa, Middle East and South East Asia PE funds and team ($2.5bn portfolio). She is an experienced board member having held board seats on multiple companies across Africa and Europe and has been instrumental in numerous restructurings and successful exits. Natalie instilled and operated under world-class governance and ESG standards at Actis and brings this depth of knowledge with her to Norrsken22.
Natalie holds a BComm from the University of Witwatersrand, an MBA (Cum Laude) from Wits Business School and is a CFA Charterholder.
Investment Principal:
Summit Africa
Langa Madonko, Investment Principal; Investor Relations & Capital Raising: Summit Africa
Langa Madonko is a Co- Founder of Summit Africa a Niche Alternative Investment Manager focused on delivering superior financial returns to investors on a risk adjusted basis whilst achieving meaningful socio-economic impact and Transformation through investment in Private Equity and Social Infrastructure. He is responsible for Investor Relations, Capital Raising and Training. He has over 14yrs experience in Financial Services and Management consulting.
Langa is a Deputy President of the Association of Black Security and Investment Professionals and represents the organisation on the Council of the Financial Sector Transformation Council, he is also a Board Member of the Southern Africa Venture Capital and Private Equity Association and is the Co-Chair of the Transformation and Regulatory Sub Committees. He is Deputy Chair of The Finance Portfolio Committee of the Black Business Council and has been seconded to Nedlac on behalf of the BBC. He is also the President of the Summit Africa Foundation a philanthropic arm of Summit Africa.
Co-founder & CEO:
One Africa Capital Partners (OACP)
Yvonne Maitin, Bopa Moruo
Yvonne is co-founder and CEO of One Africa Capital Partners (OACP). She has broad experience gained across 17+ years in financial services within various disciplines including private equity, private debt, derivatives and macro-economics.
She began her private equity career at Actis in 2007 as a member of the investment team. She later joined Liberty where she was a divisional director, on-balance sheet private equity, unlisted debt and PE fund set-up. She also served as a private equity specialist fundraiser at STANLIB. Yvonne later joined Bopa Moruo private equity as a partner.
Prior to the above, Yvonne was a derivatives structurer at Standard Bank (CIB) and an economic analyst at Credit Suisse.
Yvonne serves on various boards and is a strategic advisor to Helical Capital Partners.
Founding Partner & MD:
Third Way Investment Partners
Fulu Makwetla, Thid Way Investment Partners
Fulufhelo (Fulu) Makwetla is an investment professional and entrepreneur with a passion for developmental investments, diversity advancement and inclusivity. She is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Third Way Investment Partners, a Non-executive Director of All Weather Capital, Fundi Capital, and serves on the investment committee of RH Bophelo.
She was previously the Investment Manager of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and represented GEPF on several advisory boards of Private Equity Funds on the African continent.
Prior to joining GEPF, she was an Executive and Senior Investment Consultant at RisCura, and an employer elected trustee of the RisCura Provident Fund. She also worked for RMB Asset Management, having started her career at Liberty Life and has over 17 years industry experience.
She is a member the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP). In pursuing her passion of diversity advancement and inclusion, especially that of women, she is intentional in her mentorship of young women both through the ABSIP Women in Focus, a sub-committee of ABSIP, as well as in her personal capacity.
Fulu holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Econometrics (a double major in Economics and Statistics) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) in Economics from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She has completed several short programs in Private Equity at GIBS and Investment Banking Institute. She has also completed programs at the World Bank in Washington DC, in Private Equity, Strategic Asset Allocation, Manager selection, and Master Custody.
CEO:
Ascension Capital Partners
Kabelo Moja, Ascension Capital Partners
Kabelo is a qualified and admitted attorney of the High Court of the Republic of South Africa. His qualifications include an LLB and Postgraduate Diploma in Tax from the University of the Witwatersrand and a LLM from the University of Pretoria.
Kabelo worked at the Public Investment Corporation SOC Limited as a senior legal advisor and periodically held an acting executive head of legal role, National Treasury of South Africa as a legal commercial director, Absa Capital and at Hogan Lovells South Africa.
He is currently the managing director with Ascension Capital Partners (Pty) Ltd, a boutique fund management and advisory business that also specializes in structuring and capital raising for various unlisted investments. He has extensive experience in corporate restructuring, mergers, corporate finance, litigation, a host of debt, equity and mezzanine funding and private equity across a diverse range of industries.
Recent projects that Kabelo has been involved in include an equity investment into various assets including a diversified agri business that exports wool and mohair products, a leading global ICT technology company, a security equipment manufacturing and communications company and a property development and management company that develops and manages mixed use developments in CBD’s.
Kabelo also forms part of the Ascension Investment Committee.
Joint Managing Director:
African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM)
Vuyo Ntoi, AIIM
Vuyo was appointed Co-Managing Director of AIIM in August 2020.
Prior to moving into this role, Vuyo was the Co-Portfolio Manager of the R15-billion IDEAS Managed Fund, which primarily focuses on infrastructure investment and development assets in the SADC region.
Vuyo holds several directorships, including positions on the boards of some of AIIM’s portfolio companies. He is also a Trustee of the Africa Infrastructure Developers Association (AFiDA).
Vuyo holds degrees from UCT, Oxford University and IESE Business School. He has also completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program and is and part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Head of Unlisted Investments:
27four Investment Managers
Rory Ord, Head of Unlisted Investments: 27four Investment Managers
Rory joined 27four in 2017 to head the unlisted investments of the firm, and to manage the Black Business Growth Fund, focused on investing the South African mid-market.
Prior to joining 27four he spent 10 years at RisCura, as head of their private equity team, and 5 years at Deloitte before that.
In 2010 he initiated industry wide performance reporting in collaboration with SAVCA.
In 2012 he created the Bright Africa series of reports on the state of unlisted investments and deal making across the African continent.
He has also co-authorised private equity research reports with AVCA and EAVCA.
Principal:
SA SME Fund
Thiru Pather, SA SME Fund
Thiru is a Principal at the SA SME Fund, a fund set up with the broad objective of creating and growing black entrepreneurs.
Thiru is a Chartered Accountant by profession and has over 15 years of Venture Capital, Private Equity and Corporate Finance experience. Prior to joining the SA SME Fund, Thiru was a Fund Principal at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) where she was Head of the Fund of Funds division.
In addition to her role at the SA SME Fund, Thiru holds 2 independent investment committee positions.
Founder & CEO:
Sanari Capital
Samantha Pokroy, Sanari Capital
Samantha is the founder and CEO of Sanari Capital, a private equity firm focused on investments in growth companies emanating from Africa (mainly from South Africa) with regional and global scalability and exposure.
Samantha has seventeen years of private equity and venture capital experience in the South African and United States markets. She played a leading role in investments at Ethos Private Equity, prior to which she worked in private equity in Chicago and investment banking and consulting in New York.
Samantha holds an MBA (Hons) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a BCom and BA Honours degree in Industrial Psychology from University of the Witwatersrand, and is a CFA Charter Holder. Samantha is a director on the board of the Southern African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (SAVCA).
About Sanari Capital: Sanari specialises in investing in founder-run, owner-managed or family-owned businesses. We emphasise digital and human enablement to unlock business potential. Sanari is a Profit with Purpose firm, promoting inclusive growth whilst delivering superior, competitive global returns to investors.
CEO:
Ata Capital
Lelo Rantloane, Ata Capital
Lelo is the founding CEO of Ata Capital. Prior to this he was Head of Debt Capital Markets and structured debt at Deutsche Bank AG.
He began his career with RMB as a Transactor in Debt Capital Markets and later became a Transactor in Acquisition and Leveraged Finance where he focused on Private Equity firms.
While at RMB, he was Executive Assistant to the CEOs of FirstRand and FirstRand Bank. Lelo also worked for Morgan Stanley’s Securitised Product Group in London and as a Transactor (on secondment) at the Makalani Management Company.
CEO:
SAVCA
Tanya van Lill, SAVCA
Tanya joined SAVCA in March 2017, after a rewarding 10-year career at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) with her last role being Director of Academic Programmes where she also served on the board of the Executive MBA Council (EMBAC), an international academic association that represents the Executive MBA industry.
Tanya is passionate about human and organisational development. During her time as a learning and development specialist focusing on management and leadership development, Tanya gained valuable experience working with various companies across a wide range of sectors. She holds an MBA and Post-Graduate Diploma from GIBS where her MBA research focused on methods to develop a global mindset. Tanya also holds a BCom Informatics and Honours in Business Management from UNISA.
Tanya is the mother of a teenage son and a sports enthusiast.
Founding Partner:
Knife Capital
Keet van Zyl, Knife Capital
Keet is the Founding Partner of Knife Capital, a leading venture capital firm with offices in Cape Town and London. Keet is a venture capitalist with extensive growth equity investment experience. Knife Capital’s latest fund: KNF Ventures is a SARS S12J VC company that leverages knowledge, networks and funding to enhance investee growth and investor returns. Prior to this, Keet structured various private equity funds in Southern Africa for a US fund-of-funds investor and worked at industry-leading companies such as Procter & Gamble, Investec Bank and ‘Here Be Dragons’ (HBD) Venture Capital.
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VALUATION GUIDELINES
SAVCA has endorsed and adopted the new International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines, formulated by AFIC, BVCA and EVCA and endorsed by a number of other associations worldwide.
CAPITAL SEEKERS
If you are looking for private equity or venture capital investment for a business or concept, please refer to the SAVCA membership matrix which provides high-level information on the investment preferences of our members. By reviewing this matrix, you would be able to identify which SAVCA member(s) you could potentially approach.