Investisseurs & Partenaires, an impact investment group dedicated to African Small and Medium Enterprises, has announced three investments with its I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs (IPAE), which entered its last year of investment.

The investments - Enko Education, Barajii and Africa Radio - while operating in various sectors (agri-business, education and audiovisual), share a common pan-African vision and development strategy.

Enko Education, founded by Cyrille Nkontchou and managed by Eric Pignot, is developing a large network of private schools across the continent aimed at emerging African middle classes.

Enko programs are already implemented in Johannesburg, Maputo and Yaoundé and will be accessible in three new schools this September in Abidjan and Yaoundé.

IPAE invests together with Proparco, the private sector financing arm of the French Development Agency.

"The investment of Proparco and I&P will fund the first years of operation of existing schools and the launch of new schools in 2016 and 2017. Their entry into the capital of Enko Education will also organize and formalize governance of the group. More broadly, this funding is to support the emergence of a private offering of quality education for the African middle class, in addition to enrollment efforts led by the countries, particularly supported by AFD, Proparco’s holding company. This project should also enable eventual employment of over 1300 people, half being teachers who have received training in the IB syllabus," Proparco said.

Barajii produces and commercializes water and locally produced fruit juices packed in bio-degradable bags and PET bottles.

While most of the production currently takes place in Burkina Faso, Barajii aims to develop its production and distribution activities in 8 to 10 countries over the next 5 years.

Barajii is part of the group Durabilis, an international impact investing company specialized in the agro-industry sector.

Africa Radio is an African and independent radio in the process of implementation.

Led by an African team, the radio will develop a set of programs mixing news, music and sports.

After being launched in Côte d’Ivoire, Africa Radio aims to expand in 20 countries in the medium-term.

This new media will build on the experience of Dominique Guihot, current director of Africa N°1.

According to Jean-Michel Severino, CEO of Investisseurs & Partenaires, the three companies will work with I&P to develop their activities in Francophone African countries in the Sahel region and in Central Africa.

“These investments are perfectly in line with IPAE’s strategic position, which is quite unique in the private equity landscape in Africa. IPAE is differentiated by its strong presence in Francophone Africa and by its investment targets, Africa SMEs with financing needs below €1.5m,” said Severino.

Launched in May 2012, the fund currently has 29 companies in portfolio.

Their turnover increased on average by 25% in 2015 and they have created or maintained more than 2,000 jobs since 2012.