SDG500, a $500m impact investment platform, has launched, combining partners from the private and public sectors, including United Nations entities, non-governmental organisations and a private equity firm, to catalyse investments that will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Norfund has, together with Shuraako, the Danish development finance institution, IFU, and Arsenault Family Foundation, established a $10m fund for supporting small and medium sized companies in Somalia.
Shell Foundation, a UK-registered charity, together with FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, have launched the $120m Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund (EEGF), with an initial close of $45m.
The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) has announced a 24% leap in infrastructure financing in Africa in 2018, surpassing $100bn for the first time.
The demerger and independent listing of Investec Asset Management (IAM) remains on track for Q1 2020, subject to Investec Group shareholder approvals.
The African Development Bank has approved the conversion of the Bank-administered multi-donor trust fund SEFA into a “special fund”, to amplify its development impact by allowing it to access a wider range of financial instruments beyond the current scope of technical assistance.
Delta Property Fund, a specialist black-managed and substantially black-owned REIT with a significant sovereign underpin, has reported results for the six months ended August 31, 2019 reflecting continued headwinds facing the macro-economy and the commercial office sector.
Black-owned asset management firms are introducing product offerings that cater towards increased interest from institutional investors towards real assets such as infrastructure and private equity, according to Fatima Vawda, 27four Investment Managers Managing Director.
Kenya's Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has approved the issuance of the first unlisted green bond, to be issued by Acorn Project (Two) following the launch of the Policy Guidance Note on Green Bonds in February 2019.
MERJ Exchange, formerly Trop-X, has announced the first-ever official listing of a tokenized security on a fully compliant and regulated national stock exchange.
OP and Finnfund have announced plans to establish Finland’s first impact fund that will invest into emerging markets.
CrossBoundary Energy Access (CBEA), Africa’s first project financing facility for mini-grids, has announced its first transaction of $5.5m to finance 60 mini-grids in Tanzania.
The African currencies that saw sharp corrections in recent years, such as the Nigerian naira (NGN) and Egyptian pound (EGP) will become incrementally overvalued, according to Renaissance Capital.
Following the release of inflation data in May, the South African Reserve Bank indicated that there is room for interest rate cuts as the inflation rate circles 4.5%.
