Ata Capital has completed a management buyout (MBO) of Respiratory Care Africa (RCA), a medical devices supplier, from South African healthcare group Ascendis Health.

The MBO was financed through Ata Capital’s latest BEE value fund, Ata Fund III and makes the PE firm a majority shareholder.

This MBO has enabled RCA to return to its original status as a 100% South African, privately owned medical devices company.

The MBO opportunity is a result of Ascendis’ asset divestment and group recapitalisation strategy.

Mamedupi Matsipa, Ata Capital’s CEO, said: “We believe that this investment offers significant growth prospects. As a leading supplier of ventilators and high-flow nasal oxygen equipment to both public and private hospitals, RCA has been instrumental in the fight against COVID-19.”

“RCA has performed exceptionally well during the pandemic, and the increase in its device install base since early 2020 has created the potential for continued enhanced profitability through increased support and consumables sales once the pandemic subsides and trading conditions normalise. We are proud to partner with excellence,”

Established in 1998, RCA is a supplier of respiratory, monitoring, radiology and other medical equipment and consumables used in the treatment of patients at hospitals (with a focus on high care, intensive care units, operating theatres, and maternity wards) and in the home. It also provides its customers with technical support, services, and consumables.

Christiaan De Wet, RCA, Managing Director, said: “We are elated that this transaction lets us once again become a 100% South African, privately owned company. Allowing the business agility  to operate & adapt the business to cope with this everchanging healthcare environment.”