It is with great sadness that we must announce the passing of André Roux on Sunday, 7 April 2023. He was surrounded by his family and loved ones at his time of passing.

Paying tribute to a legend!

SAVCA wishes to pay tribute to the grandfather of Private Equity in the region, who has left an indelible mark in the industry.  On behalf of the SAVCA board, management, and all employees, I extend heartfelt condolences to André’s family, friends, and many who worked closely with him over the 40 years that he invested in the growth of the private equity asset class in South Africa.  

We are grateful that the industry came together at this year’s 2024 Private Equity Conference to pay homage to André for helping to shape many of our industry leaders and pioneering many firsts for South African private equity. These included the first MBO, some of the initial BEE transactions, raising the first 3^rd party funds and catalysing international capital into local private equity.

André graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, was a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and served on the board of what was then Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (now GPCA). Prior to the establishment of Ethos, André jointly held the positions of Chief Executive of FirstCorp Capital Investors Limited and FirstCorp Merchant Bank. He served on the boards of several portfolio companies associated with the various investment funds advised by Ethos and including Alexander Forbes.
 
André was the founding partner of Ethos, having established the business in 1984. As chief executive, he had overall responsibility for the firm’s strategic, operating and investment activities. As a result of this role, he was widely regarded as a pioneer in the private equity industry in South Africa. In 2014, he stepped down as Ethos CEO, and became Deputy Chairman and a member of the Investment Committee. He lectured extensively on the private equity industry to business schools, featured as a speaker at industry conferences and has participated in numerous industry-related symposia.

André is survived by his wife, Maureen; children, Paul, Jennifer and Phillipe, and his grandchildren.

Please join us in shining a light on the incredible impact Andre made, and celebrating the full life that André lived, by sharing heartwarming stories and words on the AR Roux Award site here. Your stories of how Andre positively impacted on you as a leader and/or your organisation will keep his memory alive and help us harness the collective experiences and insights of leaders in this vibrant industry we serve.

Regards,
Vuyo Ntoi, SAVCA Chairman