Industry News
The future of venture capital in SA: Commercial viability and measurable impact will go hand in hand
8 November 2022: As the growth of the Venture Capital industry continues on an upward trajectory, a number of deals are moving towards an intersection of commercial and impact objectives. The businesses receiving VC funding are providing strong financial returns as well as contributing to societal challenges such as poverty alleviation, inclusive growth and job…
Read MoreMedia Release: SAVCA Announces New CEO, effective 1 November 2022
The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) is excited to announce the appointment of Tshepiso Kobile as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 November 2022. Kobile succeeds Tanya van Lill, who served SAVCA for over five years. Kobile hails from a financial services background, having served as an investment professional with the Development…
Read MoreEXEO CAPITAL ACQUIRES ICONIC SA BRAND, VITAL HEALTH FOODS
10 October 2022: Pan-African alternative investment firm, EXEO Capital has announced its acquisition of The Vital Health Food Group through Nurture Brands (Pty) Ltd, the functional and convenience foods platform in EXEO Capital’s Agri-Vie Fund II. The transaction was led by Riël Malan, EXEO Partner and Executive Chairman of Nurture Brands. As he comments: “Collectively,…
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 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 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 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…
Read MoreA ‘Turbulent but Encouraging’ Year Ahead for South Africa’s Private Equity Industry
SAVCA Private Equity Industry Survey highlights the need for more African investment and increased exit volumes With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic amidst a turbulent macroeconomic landscape, Sub-Saharan Africa was expected to go deep into contractionary territory in 2020. Highlights from the SAVCA 2021 Private Equity Industry Survey showed this prediction to be accurate,…
Read MoreVenture Capital industry Insights: “South African venture capital continues to grow”
SAVCA releases 2021 Venture Capital Industry survey highlights and tackles pivotal issues Survey Highlights: 74 Fund managers invested R1.39 billion into 122 entities through 167 investment rounds in 2020 (up from 69 fund managers investing R1.23 billion in 2019) At the end of 2020, the SA VC industry had R6.87 billion invested into 841 active…
Read MoreBUSINESS RESCUE AND DISTRESSED ASSET INVESTING
Considerations for creditors, shareholders, and private equity firms. According to Statistics South Africa, 216 businesses were liquidated in March 2021, 50% higher than the number recorded just a year ago. It is against this backdrop that the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) recently hosted a panel of experts to discuss the…
Read MoreGrindstone Ventures launches $6.5m venture capital fund for SA tech SME development
Female-led African venture capital fund Fills need for post-seed, pre-Series A funding for the African continent Aligned to President’s vision of a startup nation in South Africa Cape Town, 9 November, 2021— Grindstone Ventures today launched a US $6.5m (R100 million) fund dedicated to seed funding predominantly South African innovative technology startups who have completed,…
Read MoreAfrica REN launches the construction of the largest solar plant in Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, October 20, 2021 – Africa REN, a pioneer in clean infrastructures in Africa, announces it has launched the construction of the Kodeni Solar power plant, near Bobo-Dioulasso, in Burkina Faso. With an installed capacity of 38MW, Kodeni Solar will be the largest solar power plant in the country as well as the…
Read MoreSA’s school management and communication EdTech company d6 targets global growth with investment from Knife Capital and Hlayisani Growth Fund
Stellenbosch, South Africa – Tuesday, 12 October 2021. Willem Kitshoff, CEO of the EdTech company d6 Group, today announced that the cloud-based management platform for schools has received a capital injection from Knife Capital, Hlayisani Capital and NuState Ventures. d6 is currently the most widely used cloud-based school communication and management platform in South Africa…
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