British International Investment (BII) has anchored Summit Private Equity Fund II to support SMEs in key sectors across Southern Africa, promote diversity, and empower women. Building on the success of Fund I, BII aims to mobilize more capital, especially for Black-owned businesses. BII prioritizes funds with strong ESG practices and focuses on themes like climate finance, inclusion, and innovation. Despite market challenges, it sees long-term growth in Africa’s private equity landscape through local investor participation, improved exits, and continued DFI support. Read our interview with Sara Taylor, Head of Private Equity Funds and Co-Investments at BII on pp.14-15.

In this issue, we also hear from Catherine Cax, Managing Director, Investments at Soros Economic Development Fund, about the role of blended finance and how it can improve the risk-return profile for private investors (p.13).

In this month’s edition, we also spoke with Kasief Isaacs, the new CEO of Creation Capital. Under his leadership, the firm aims to expand its R10bn+ AUM, launch infrastructure and SME-focused funds, and deepen its focus on tailored, transparent financing solutions. Isaacs plans to position Creation as the leading private credit manager in South Africa, leveraging strong origination, risk management, and ESG integration. Read on pp. 16-17.

In addition, we look into U.S. trade wars that are hitting African markets hard, causing investor pullback, currency drops, and falling commodity prices, especially in countries reliant on exports like South Africa and the DRC. However, shifting global supply chains offer new opportunities, with countries like Ethiopia and Benin attracting manufacturing investment (p.22).

On the fundraising front, Yango Group, a global tech company bringing advanced technology to local communities, has launched Yango Ventures, a corporate venture fund designed to empower promising startups across Sub-Saharan Africa (Read on p.4).