Zachariah George

A must read of Kola Aina in Ventures Platform. Kola recalls the necessity of more local vibrant capital for growth funds, highlights the pioneering efforts of fintech and Agrotech startups as well as the patience of moving from permission-based to rule-based markets.  Kola is echoing recent opinions expressed by  leaders such as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Tidjane Thiam, Sandra Ojiambo, etc. during the recent Unstoppable Africa event in New York. (…) Africa has often been viewed as a risky investment destination plagued by political instability and inconsistent regulatory frameworks. However, the reality is more nuanced. Over a longer timescale, African governments have shown increasing stability. Each regional market within the continent and across the world has its unique dynamics. Africa demands a patient investment approach, distinct from other continents, due to its underdeveloped infrastructure and opaque markets. Some argue that many African markets are more permission-based than rule-based, necessitating a deep understanding of the local context, stakeholder management, and local partnerships. The less developed African capital markets make IPOs less viable, leaving strategic exits as the primary option for liquidity…. https://lnkd.in/e72iiWdB Acha LekeIdris Ayodeji BelloIyinoluwa AboyejiIbukunoluwa AdebayoStefni BridgesIbrahim SagnaEllen ManasiDon SamoilALEXANDRE N'DJORESteven Freidmutter#Africa #AFCFTA #PrivateEquity #Fundmanagers #EarlyStageinvestment #Secondarymarkets

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Janade Du Plessis of Launch Africa Ventures and Polo Mohau Leteka of IDF Capital recently shared some valuable insights into the fintech landscape in Africa, stressing on exits in Africa. In their discussion with CNBC Africa, they highlighted some key takeaways that are worth noting. 👉 Firstly, investors are looking for exits, which is why they invest in the first place. 👉 Secondly, big banks and other corporates are struggling to crack the financial inclusion dilemma faced by the continent, which could lead to the acquisition of smaller players. 👉 Thirdly, fintech is a broad space with 9 verticals, so understanding where you play is important. Being agile and able to integrate into other solutions is becoming increasingly important, with embedded solutions on the rise. 👉 Fourthly, fintech is increasingly becoming the basis for access in related sectors like health and education. Improving financial inclusion is seen as the golden thread to improving the lives of African people. 👉 Lastly, the pipeline of deals that are investable is crucial for the growth of fintech in Africa. The discussion also touched on the journeys of women in fintech, with Nicole Dunn of Revio emphasizing the importance of understanding the space, regulation, and adoption of your target market. Regulation is slowly improving, but transparency of processes and controls, stability in institutions and currency across the continent are still lacking, negatively impacting the ability to raise funds. Mélanie Keïta of Melanin Kapital highlighted that the product market is key to getting the right funders on board. Raising funding without this is a challenge, so physically getting into the market you are serving to understand the problem is crucial. Innovative solutions that are fit for the problem can leapfrog startups in solving for financial inclusion. Overall, the fintech landscape in Africa is complex and requires a deep understanding of the market, regulation, and adoption to succeed. Share your thoughts below in the comments 👇 Share the insights by sharing this post with your network ♻ Shout out to Zachariah George for sharing this with us! #fintech #founders #vc #africa #financialinclusion

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Proof of what positive leadership and unity can achieve .

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London, UK based TLcom Capital LLP recently closed its second fund to back early-stage start-ups across Africa. 💸 $154M for TIDE Africa Fund II, with participation from over 20 limited partners including European Investment Bank (EIB), Visa Foundation, Bertelsmann, and AfricaGrow, a joint venture between Allianz and DEG Impact. 💡 Actively seeking 20 to 25 early-stage investment opportunities, with a particular focus on the #seedstage and #SeriesA, with consideration for exploring deals at growth and later stages too. Investment interests lie in traditional sectors, including #fintech, #mobility, #agriculture, #healthcare, #education, and #commerce. Initial investments typically range from $1 million to $3 million. 🌍 #Africa 📈 TLcom's current portfolio companies include SeamlessHR, Autochek Africa, Vendease Africa, Ilara Health, PULA, Terragon Group, among others. The VC operates from offices in London, Lagos and Nairobi. 💭 “We need global capital to look at Africa and think of a place where good investments can be made and technology can generate much value. That’s still to be achieved at scale, so that’s our primary target.” - Maurizio Caio, managing partner 🗞️ Tage Kene-Okafor, TechCrunch https://lnkd.in/eNZGqJhc 👏 For the #AudaciousInvestors unleashing innovation and empowering tomorrow🚀 Maurizio I Omobola I Ido I Andreata I Eloho I Philippe I Wairimu I Olumide I Shamona I Francesca I Team TLcom … #venturecapital #vc #funds #startups #entrepreneurs #funding #tech #uk #entrepreneurship #technology #innovation #Nairobi #Lagos #London

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We are delighted to announce that Pierre d' Unienville, Executive Director & Co-Founder at KICK Advisory Services, will be speaking at AFSIC - Investing in Africa, 7-9th October 2024. Company Overview: KICK Corporate Services Ltd, trading as KICK Advisory Services (“KICK’’) is a client centric boutique advisory firm, set up to serve businesses operating in the Mauritius International Financial Centre (Mauritius IFC). Founded in July 2020 with an aggressive passion to drive corporate finance solutions in an era of unprecedented changes and volatility. KICK is here to deliver on CEO’s agenda at a time where businesses are faced with severe disruption, uncertainty, cash flow issues and are struggling to understand the dynamics of the changing world. We at KICK believe that sailing through the changing winds with a clear guide and focus will optimise your business resources and bring normality to the journey and give you the cutting edge in the competitive landscape to strive in the new normal. Founded during the storm of the pandemic Covid-19, we at KICK believe that sailing through the changing winds with a clear guide and focus will make your business journey normalize and give you the cutting edge in competition to thrive in the new normal. Our technical team combine decades of experience and industry expertise to bring you the right corporate finance solutions to kick start your journey in today’s rapid changing world. Our commitment and dedication lie in our strategy of “putting clients first”, because your growth drives our growth. We focus on being a Business Partner than just a Service Provider, hence while we focus on putting clients first, we are here to deliver on a CEO’s agenda. Our Services: • Valuation • M&A Advisory • Fund Raising & Venture Capital • Working Capital Requirements • Strategic Consulting • Business Restructuring Services • Corporate Finance Advisory https://lnkd.in/eBXnUBr9 Register NOW to attend AFSIC – Africa’s Investment Event, 7-9th October 2024. London #afsic #afsic2024 #investinginafrica #africaninvestment #africafinance

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This episode of CNBC Africa Focus On explores South Africa's Venture Capital (VC) sector. According to the Southern Africa Venture Capital and Private Equity Association's 2024 Venture Capital Industry Survey, The country's VC sector is a robust and growing sector with the total capital invested in startups exceeding R3 billion for the first time since 2010 and investment activity increasing by 17.8 per cent compared to the previous year. https://lnkd.in/e9i4Pc6G #vc #venturecapital #privateequity

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I'm very proud to share the news about our TLcom Capital LLP TIDE Africa II fund final close at $154mn. While we remain laser focused on our journey to build the best early stage VC in the world investing in Africa, this is a serious milestone for us more than doubling our first fund size, expanding team, entering new African markets and most importantly growing the ability to partner with the best and brightest founders out there building in and for Africa. Many thanks for all our LPs, the many who kept believing in us since TIDE Africa I, and those who decided to back us on this one and join our journey - we couldn't make it without you! https://lnkd.in/eDjapC85 On a more personal note, it's been a patchy year. A year full of reflection, learning and realisations. In a world that keeps going sideways often fuelled by populists agendas, wars and hate, and with too many of us wanting to always win (by making sure someone else is losing), not being able to digest and understand complexities and nuances, and feeling obliged to have a firm view within 20sec about everything, our responsibility is even bigger. It's tough out there. On the macro, on the details and on everything in between. So what does it have to do with Africa VC? We have the privilege of helping and supporting the ones who stand up, look complexity in the eye and decide to build for the better. Of course we want and need it to return multiples of cash, but our real job is be there for the journey, and remember it's never "linear up into the right". To partner with those who can understand the complexity and nuances of the problem better than anyone (and not try and flatten it), but can define simple and scalable solutions to these complexities. Have a long term strategy and vision, and not a short sighted view. Distinct the core of the problem from the noise, paint in their (and our) minds how the world will look in a decade and create a path to get there and make it better. And in all of it, it remains about people. People who need to have the drive, the focus, the mental flexibility and curiosity but also the boldness to embark on these journeys. And our role is to help. To listen, to be a sounding board. The most trusted advisor, but also push back when needs be. And through all of it remain humane, and remember they too have life outside work, feelings, challenges and difficulties. So what's next? I'm nearing 13years in, but it's only the beginning... With the best partners and team around, we celebrate, but keep our eyes on the prize. Build a memorable platform, partner with the best founders out there and contribute what we can to making Africa better, while embracing complexity, diversity, nuances keeping curious and humane. Now back to work. A lot to build... With Maurizio Caio Omobola Johnson Andreata Muforo and Eloho Omame #AfricanTech #VentureCapital #Startup

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Martijn Proos, Co-Head of Emerging Market Alternative Credit, Ninety One, the fund manager of the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF),  The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) company, will speak at the Infrastructure Investor Forum in London on Thursday, 12th September. Martijn will speak on the panel, 'Infrastructure debt and project financing - a growing role in investor portfolios?' among other captains of industry from Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Universities Superannuation Scheme (Ltd), Aviva Investors and Astrid Advisors. Martijn will unpack EAIF's strategy as the Fund accelerates the energy transition and drives investor action in transmission and distribution, digital infrastructure, and beyond. EAIF is one of the first blended finance debt funds to meet the needs of African infrastructure. For over 20 years, EAIF has provided long-term commercial debt to inclusive and impactful infrastructure projects in Africa. #InfrastructureInvestorForum #InfrastructureDebt #Infrastructure #Emergingmarkets #EmergingMarketAlternativeCredit #Africa #Privatedebt

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In addition to Kola A. 's thoughts on this article, which I fully endorse, I must give kudos to Efosa Ojomo for this great reminder and reinforcer of the notion of market creation. the concept, if not already internalised, should be an earworm for all of you, as it has been for me in the last month. A major, yet unspoken, bottleneck in many of our bisiness undertakings, as well as in emerging sectors, lies in addressing non-consumption...and sometimes redefining consumption. And in our context, this often needs to be repeated over and over again. Thanks Efosa.

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We are delighted to announce that Andia Chakava, Managing Partner Afrishela at Afrishela Fund (Promoted by the Graca Machel Trust ), will be speaking at AFSIC - Investing in Africa, 7-9th October 2024. Company Overview: The Graca Machel Trust (GMT) is a pan-African organization that promotes the social and economic rights of women. The Women Creating Wealth (WCW) programme is the Graça Machel Trust's (GMT) flagship entrepreneurship programme designed to build women entrepreneurs confidence, skills & networks. This enables them to scale their businesses and transition from income generation to wealth creation. Since 2016, the programme has already impacted 500 women entrepreneurs in Southern and East Africa with an audacious expansion goal to empower 10,000 businesswomen who will be inspired and equipped to create $1 billion in revenue and 200,000 jobs within five (5) years.  The WCW programme is presently established across seven African countries, namely: South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Senegal. Afrishela (her money in Swahili) is a $30 million pan-African gender lens investment vehicle (still raising) designed by African women for African women. Afrishela’s investment thesis, seeks to play where few others do – at the intersection of gender, climate and early growth stage financing. With deal sizes ranging from $20,000 to $500,000 to address a segment of the market that is often overlooked either due to its perceived risk or operating costs with funders seeking collateralized lending or bigger deal sizes. Afrishela has coined its investment strategy around gender lens investing and is targeting sectors where climate action would have the most impact. Our impact focus is on those women owned and led businesses that directly contribute to sustainable impact through quality job creation for women and the youth thus uplifting women’s incomes and improving livelihoods in the communities these businesses serve. Register NOW to attend AFSIC – Africa’s Investment Event, 7-9th October 2024. London #afsic #afsic2024 #investinginafrica #africaninvestment #africafinance

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TymeBank, a South African digital bank backed by China’s Tencent Holdings, is raising $150 million to build scale as it prepares for an Initial Public Offering, co-founder and CEO Coenraad (Coen) Jonker said. “We are currently valued at close to $1 billion and busy with our series D capital raise at unicorn valuation,” Jonker said in an interview in Johannesburg. “Our target is to list TymeBank in New York by 2028, and we will most likely also do a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange for our South African shareholders.” The digital bank expects to complete the round by the fourth quarter, to fund expansion plans, such as TymeBank’s move into Indonesia by year-end, said Jonker. TymeBank is now one of the fastest-growing digital banks in Africa, said Jonker, and follows a similar business model to Brazil’s Nu Holdings Ltd., that also counts Tencent as a shareholder, and listed in New York in 2021. The digital bank started in South Africa in 2019 and now controls 10% of the primary bank market share in Africa’s most developed economy. More info: https://lnkd.in/eqh5DjrE Find this helpful? [ 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 ] Anything to add about this subject? [ 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 ] Nice story, Marcel. Next! [ 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 ] 

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Masterclass in Investment Strategies Amidst Global Uncertainty In an exclusive interview with BizNews, Cy Jacobs, co-founder of 36ONE Asset Management (Pty) Ltd, delves into the complexities of today's investment landscape. From dissecting Tesla's cult-like status to exploring Bitcoin's volatile allure, Jacobs shares his insights on navigating global markets. He also highlights untapped opportunities within South Africa, offering a comprehensive view on balancing risk and opportunity in these uncertain times. Discover how to approach investments with a nuanced perspective by reading the full interview on BizNews.

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