Emerging from a year of robust VC activity, private capital inflows continue to propel economic growth and inclusion across the African continent. This is according to the latest report from the African Private Capital Association. Despite more cautious capital deployment around the globe, capital commitments in Africa remained strong. By comparison, Africa’s 21% year-on-year growth in deal volume was 3 times that recorded in Asia, the only other region to record positive year-on-year growth in deal volume. Read about the findings on pp.14-15.

There are many venture capital opportunities in South Africa. In this month’s edition, we learn about Waste Want, a portfolio company of Edge Growth. It  is a family-owned recycling business that creates jobs and helps clean up communities. The company had outgrown their premises and also needed to restructure processes to scale operations. Read more on p.17.

In addition, we hear from Marc-Alexandre Masnin and Pierre-Yves Pascal at AfrAsia Bank about Africa’s investment potential, the Mauritius International Financial Centre and AfrAsia Bank’s approach on p.13.

In this issue, we also speak with Valdene Reddy, Director: Capital Markets at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) about the market trends in South Africa, IPOs and technology on p.22.

On the fundraising front, Opportunik, a private wealth fund, is planning to launch a licensed fund on May 2. Meanwhile Equator, a climate-tech venture capital firm focused on Sub-Saharan Africa, has announced the initial close of its first fund with approximately $40m (News on pp.4-5).