Afinitas, an Africa focused investment company listed on the venture capital board of the Botswana Stock Exchange, has announced the proposed investment of $2.5m into Adventis Limited, a new Africa focused financial services company.

Adventis is proposed to be a Jersey, Channel Islands, incorporated company that will be owned 66.6% directly by Afinitas Limited and 33.4% beneficially by Joseph Rohm, a highly experienced African investment manager.

Rohm has been appointed Managing Director designate of Adventis Limited.

He has 18 years of investment experience and previously managed the Africa public equity portfolios of Investec.

He sat on the Investec Investment Committee and the Africa Macroeconomic Committee, advising on investment strategies.  

Afinitas believes that this century is likely to be “Africa’s century” as the population of the continent is forecast to grow from around one billion people now to over four billion in 2100, representing a forecast 40% of the world’s population in 2100.

As a comparison in 1950 only 9% of the world’s population was in Africa.

This “baby boom” will provide a tremendous one‐off demographic dividend for Africa, which when allied to improvements in corporate governance and recent technological advances facilitating global trade and offshoring of service provision, will lead to Africa’s emergence as a significant global player in the world economy.

“Afinitas Limited owns one of the most substantial networks in Africa spanning all parts of the African continent and is ideally placed to source and identify a wide range of attractive investment opportunities for the new financial services business,” the Board said.

Afinitas Limited is listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange with a mandate to seed and develop new companies focused on investment opportunities in Africa.  

The firm owns 50% of Africa Events Limited, a Jersey registered company, which holds the rights to the annual AFSIC Conference.

Afinitas has also approved the investment of $2.5m into Ethiopia Investments Limited, a company that is in the process of being incorporated, with a planned listing on the Mauritius Stock Exchange.