Round up of SAVCA Conference 2018
The theme “20/20: Hindsight. Insight. Foresight.” commemorated SAVCA’s 20 years in existence, and set the tone for SAVCA’s activities in 2018. The theme interrogated the current state of the private equity industry while looking forward to what sector players should consider when structuring for success over the next 20 years.
The conference showcased the industry’s agility and adaptability in the face of increasing market dynamism, as we explored past lessons learnt and assessed future opportunities. The private equity activity was expected to increase over the course of 2018, with primary investment focus being on the food and beverage, financial services, healthcare and agriculture sectors, amongst others. There was an expectation for a continued pipeline of good exits due to the maturity of investments made post the 2008 global financial crisis.
The conference programme included industry speakers like Simon Freemantle, Senior Political Economist at Standard Bank, who provided an outlook of SA’s political economy in 2018 and John Bellew, Head of Private Equity - South Africa at Bowmans, who facilitated a panel discussion reflecting on the history of private equity in Southern Africa. Additional conference topics included fund raising lessons and investing for impact as well as leadership, innovation and talent management within the sector.
Other keynote speakers included Dion Chang, renowned trends analyst and CEO and Founder of Flux Trends, who delivered the keynote address entitled: State We Are In: Through a Different Lens. An all-stars panel session comprised of Penny Heyns, Olympic gold medallist and director at Omnishare Holdings; Daryl Impey, professional cyclist; and Chester Williams, rugby icon and head coach of UWC’s varsity rugby team left the auditorium inspired the auditorium with their reflective journeys on attaining success.
For the 2018 full programme please click below.
FULL 2018 DELEGATE LIST
FULL 2018 PHOTO GALLERY
FULL 2018 SPEAKER LIST
What we learnt at the SAVCA Conference
The conference reflected on how the private equity industry has changed over the years and the lessons we can learn. The programme interrogated the current state of the private equity industry through an analysis of fundraising, deal flow and exit trends, including regulatory matters affecting the industry.
We also shared the story of SAVCA’s humble beginnings and how, through the camaraderie of the members and the appointment of a full-time executive, SAVCA has grown into an association that has made a major impact on the industry and continues to be a force for good.
The SAVCA 2018 Conference continued to affirm SAVCA’s commitment to harness its momentum as a champion of the private equity and venture capital industry in Southern Africa.
