In this section, we will update you with announcements from the ecosystem of inclusive business, pre-selected according to their relevance for inclusive business ventures.
African Alliance Asset Management has partnered with Tshikululu Social Investments, a leading social investment manager and advisor, to create a new African-led impact investment solution targetted at global investors.
Access and leadership participation are two important dimensions of women’s empowerment in Feed the Future Activities in Bangladesh. Engaging the private sector makes both possible, as companies learn, adapt, and expand their business models to be more inclusive.
LGT, the international private banking and asset management group owned by the Princely House of Liechtenstein, has integrated its direct impact investing activities into a newly formed and branded entity, Lightrock, a global private equity partnership that seeks to achieve financial as well as societal and environmental returns.
Morocco welcomed the creation by the African Union Commission (AUC) of the Africa Inclusive Markets Excellence Centre (AIMEC), which will have a key role to play to help African economies recover from the pandemic impact. The AIMEC aims to become the premier Pan-African regional platform for thought leadership and action on inclusive business and inclusive markets.
Regulators are likely in the next three to five years to require that companies publish audited reports on their environmental and social impacts, Sir Ronald Cohen, venture capital pioneer and philanthropist, told a University of Cambridge event. Sir Ronald is involved in the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative at Harvard Business School involving 1,800 companies, which has already shown a correlation between environmental damage and lower stock market valuations relative to competitors.
While sustainable finance is growing in global markets, when looking through the lens of investment in Africa, much of this capital is being invested through corporations and private equity investors who are interested in developing technology, healthcare, and infrastructure.
European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA), the leading organisation in the field of venture philanthropy and social investment in Europe, is launching the “Collaborate For Impact” project, joining forces with the European Commission. This is a unique five-year long partnership, with a budget of approx. 5 million EUR, that will take place in the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia. It aims to contribute to the development of a more favourable social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region.
REGMIFA, an impact investment fund advised by Symbiotics, has attracted a further EUR 20 million from German-based KfW to promote private investment under the G20 Compact with Africa program, initiated under the German G20 presidency. The investment will finance loans to businesses via selected financial institutions in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Rwanda, Senegal and Togo.
How can we emerge stronger from the Covid-19 pandemic and set ourselves firmly on a path towards an equitable and resilient future? Join Business Fights Poverty on January 21 for the next in the Rebuild Better Series of virtual summits to explore the key trends, challenges and opportunities that 2021 presents.
Impact investment has become more attractive to venture capital firms in MENA since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, social enterprises have delivered emergency relief to areas underserved by governments and the market.