Knife Capital Reaches Second Close of its African Expansion Fund with Commitments from Standard Bank and the SA SME Fund
27 September 2022, Johannesburg, South Africa – Standard Bank and the SA SME Fund have joined other credible investors in backing venture capital firm Knife Capital’s new USD50 million African Series B expansion fund, Knife Fund III. The Fund’s aim is to invest behind the expansion of African innovation-driven companies and fill a critical follow-on…
Read MoreGender diversity increases significantly in the Private Equity sector according to SAVCA 2022 Private Equity Survey
22 September 2022: According to the latest Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) Private Equity survey for 2022, PE firms have shown a significant improvement in gender diversity, showing that the proportion of firms with more than 50% of women in their organisation has grown year-on-year. Further data indicates that for the…
Read MoreVistra enters into a Sale and Purchase Agreement with MAS France – Expands its global footprint by entering the French market
Paris, 15 September 2022: Vistra, a leading provider of expert advisory and administrative support to Fund, Corporate, Capital Market and Private Wealth clients, today announced it has entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with MAS France, a Parisian provider of domiciliation, administration and directorship services in the real estate and private equity sectors.…
Read MoreSouth African gym management software startup Octiv secures significant funding partnership with Knife Capital to accelerate global expansion
[Cape Town, South Africa, September 1, 2022] – The prominent South African gym management software platform Octiv has reached a monumental milestone in closing their eight-figure Series A funding round from a leading venture capital firm, Knife Capital. The startup previously raised seed capital from prominent South African angel investors and this round also included…
Read MoreDataProphet closes $10m investment to lead the Digital Maturity Journey for Manufacturers
AMSTERDAM / CAPE TOWN – DataProphet, a world-leading AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) for manufacturing innovator, today announced the completion of its US$ 10 million Series A funding round. Knife Capital led the round, joined by South Africa’s IDC and Norican – the world’s largest metal surface preparation and finishing equipment provider. The funding provides DataProphet with the…
Read MoreCybersmart – Infra Impact Press Release
Cybersmart Proprietary Limited is thrilled to announce that Infra Impact Mid-Market Infrastructure Fund 1, managed by Infra Impact Investment Managers Proprietary Limited, has acquired a significant minority stake in Cybersmart. “We believe that Cybersmart, with its talented senior leadership team, is poised for the next level of success,” said Mark Van Wyk, co-managing partner of…
Read MoreSAVCA Statement on Regulation 28 Final Amendments
The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) welcomes the recently published final amendments to Regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act, which comes into effect on 3 January 2023. National Treasury has said that: “To further facilitate the investment in infrastructure and economic development, the limit between hedge funds and private equity…
Read MoreLonsa Everite acquires Swartland for R1.3 Billion Rand
Lonsa Everite Proprietary Limited (“Lonsa Everite”), together with Legacy Africa Capital Partners (“LACP”) and Swartland management, have acquired 100% of the issued shares in Swartland Investments and Swartland Insulation (“Swartland”), as well as the freehold properties from which Swartland operates and is adjacent to, from Swartland Group Proprietary Limited and a third-party seller. The transaction…
Read MoreLegacy Africa Capital Partners invests in Continuous Power Africa to accelerate its growth
South African private equity firm Legacy Africa Capital Partners (LACP) has announced an investment in Continuous Power Africa (CPA), a provider of power and monitoring solutions to the mobile telecommunications industry. The funding will accelerate CPA’s growth at a time when telecommunications companies in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent are seeking innovative solutions…
Read MoreThe Great Debate: Infrastructure Investing in SA vs the Rest of the Continent
29 June 2022 It’s a well-known fact that infrastructure investment is urgently needed across Africa, including in South Africa. The African Development Bank estimates that the continent’s infrastructure financing needs will be as much as $170 billion a year by 2025, with an estimated gap of around $100 billion a year. And in the private…
Read MorePositive outlook for the PE industry’s impact on SAs socioeconomic development
The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) recently hosted its first in-person private equity (PE) conference since before the pandemic hit our shores in early 2020. Over 400 local and international delegates attended the two-day event which took place at the beautiful Ashanti Estate in Paarl, Western Cape. Tanya van Lill, outgoing…
Read MorePAPE FUND 3 INVESTS IN ENTERSEKT
PAPE Fund 3, a mid-market South African private equity fund, has this week acquired an equity interest in Entersekt, a global leader in device identity and payment authentication. The transaction achieved financial close in Franschhoek, during the final night of the SAVCA conference on Thursday 24 May 2022. Entersekt was founded in Stellenbosch in 2010.…
Read MoreMahlako Energy Fund – Pioneering Energy Investment within the Mining Sector
Johannesburg, 2 June 2022 – Mahlako Energy Fund has concluded its investment in a landmark industrial independent power generation project for the Harmony-commissioned 30MW solar photovoltaic (PV) portfolio. This project is one of the first under Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act of South Africa. The amended regulations allow for investment in new generation…
Read MoreWestbrooke sells its interest in tapestry home brands to TFG limited
The shareholders of Tapestry Home Brands, led by Westbrooke, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with The Foschini Group (TFG) for the sale of the entire share capital of Tapestry Home Brands (Tapestry), a prominent home furnishings group, for a cash purchase consideration of R2.35 billion. The proudly local Tapestry group is…
Read More2022 BUDGET: Private Sector Partnerships Needed to Foster Economic Growth
24 February 2022: In his maiden Budget Speech, delivered on Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana ushered in a series of initiatives that the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) believes will offer the people of South Africa some reprieve whilst looking to support economic growth. Increased infrastructure investment SAVCA welcomes government’s decision…
Read MoreSAVCA Statement on the 2022 State of the Nation Address
Government and Private Sector to bolster efforts at increasing investor confidence and economic growth During Thursday evening’s State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined various areas of improvement within the scope of his Cabinet, as he highlighted the growing need for both the private sector and government to collaborate more vociferously to bolster…
Read MoreSouth African HR software startup Wamly targets international expansion after securing Knife Capital investment
24 January 2022 Wamly, the one-way video interview software startup has secured a 2nd round investment from South African venture capital firm, Knife Capital. The deal sees Davey Gant, Knife Capital partner based in UK, joining the Wamly Board of Directors. Wamly is one-way video interview software that connects great companies to talented people and…
Read MoreVenture Capital has the power to address SA challenges – but more Investors are needed
There is a strong business case for venture capital (VC) investing in South Africa, not least because of the opportunity it presents for positive social and economic impact. This was discussed extensively by a number of key industry players at the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) VC Conference 2021 held in…
Read MoreInstitutional Capital needed to grow SA Venture Capital sector
Innovation to drive economic rebound The 2021 SAVCA Venture Capital (VC) Conference was held on 15 November 2021. In a continuation from the March private equity conference, the overarching theme for the venture capital conference was “re:imagine” as we work towards re:imagining the role VC can play in rebuilding our economy. The topics covered ranged…
Read MoreSAVCA appoints two new Board Members at 2021 AGM
The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) hosted its virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 6 October and welcomed two new directors to its board: Thiru Pather and Vuyo Ntoi. SAVCA CEO, Tanya van Lill commented, “it’s a privilege to welcome two such highly esteemed industry professionals to our board. They each…
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