PAPE Fund Managers (PFM), a division of PAPE Group, a boutique private equity fund manager, has appointed Apex Group to provide fund administration services.

Guy Baxter, Director & Principal, PAPE, said: “The Apex Group team came highly recommended by their clients for their extensive knowledge and commitment to exceptional client service. With Apex Group’s global reputation and scale, we know we are in good hands. We look forward to a productive partnership which will allow us to focus on the job at hand: engaging with established African enterprises to generate growth and attractive returns for our investors.”

PFM acts on behalf of the PAPE Fund 3 Limited Liability Partnership comprising nine investor groups.

PAPEfunds, the private equity management division of PAPE Group, provides long-term equity risk capital into pedigreed South African mid-cap unlisted enterprises. PAPEfunds has been raising and managing funds since 2006; namely PAPE Fund 1 and Fund 2 and in early 2020 closed fundraising for PAPE Fund 3, a private equity limited liability partnership fund capitalized at ZAR1.03bn by international development finance institutions. 

Fund 3 has completed deploying capital and has six investee companies.

Reflecting its commitment to institutional quality compliance, reporting and governance, PAPE has awarded Apex Group an expanded remit to provide fund administration services to Fund 3.

Apex Group’s experienced local team will provide Fund Accounting, Investor/LP servicing, Cash Management and Regulatory Reporting solutions.

Fund administration is at the core of Apex Group’s single-source solution, delivering timely, accurate and independent services, underpinned by market leading technology platforms.

Apex Group has recently entered the South African market through the acquisitions of Sanne Group and Maitland, and now employs over 1,200 people across offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town to deliver its single-source solution to over ZAR 2.5trn (USD$127bn) of assets for 150 clients, including asset managers, private clients and family offices.

Alan Keet, Regional Head of Middle East & Africa at Apex Group, said: “We are proud to be working with PAPE’s experienced team to support them as they continue their enviable track record of investing in some of Africa’s most exciting growth businesses. This appointment comes amid a growing trend of fund administration outsourcing for African private equity managers as they align with global best practice, drive efficiencies and free up their team’s time and resources to focus on the deployment of their capital.”

Apex Group will provide fund administration services to support PAPE alongside existing legal advisor Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.