A Comparative Analysis of Regulatory Sandboxes and Payment Service Providers

This case study highlights African Infrastructure Investment Managers’ investment in Starsight Energy, a leading Commercial & Industrial solar power supplier in Africa. Starsight Energy delivers comprehensive, end-to-end solar solutions that help businesses reduce annual energy costs, boost energy efficiency, and improve their carbon footprints.

AVCA is pleased to announce the publication of the 2017 Exit Study, How private equity investors create value. Presented by EY and AVCA, the study examines PE exits between 2007–16 using data drawn from both public sources and confidential interviews with former PE owners of exited businesses.

AVCA is pleased to announce the publication of its latest report - Sector Snapshot: Infrastructure. The Snapshot provides a concise overview of private equity activity in the infrastructure sector from 2011 - 2016.

AVCA is pleased to announce the publication of the Spotlight on East Africa Private Equity. The report provides a summary of recent private equity transactions, exits and fundraising activity in the region. Our findings show that PE activity in East Africa is rising with 158 reported transactions between 2007 – 2014 and deal values totaling US$1.5bn.

AVCA is delighted to announce the publication of the Country Snapshot: Ethiopia. Drawing on data from AVCA’s proprietary databases, the Snapshot provides a broad overview of the private equity landscape in Ethiopia.

AVCA is pleased to announce the publication of its latest report - Sector Snapshot: Infrastructure. The Snapshot provides a concise overview of private equity activity in the infrastructure sector from 2012 -2015.

AVCA is pleased to announce the publication of the 2016 exit study, How private equity investors create value. Presented by EY and AVCA, the study examines PE exits between 2007–15 using data drawn from both public sources and confidential interviews with former PE owners of exited businesses.

AVCA is pleased to announce the publication of the Spotlight on Southern Africa Private Equity. The report provides a summary of recent private equity transactions, exits and fundraising activity in the region. Our findings reveal that 341 PE deals were completed in the region between 2007 and 2014 with a combined value of US$6.7bn.

The update to the 2013 AVCA and EY’s study Broadening horizons: how do private equity investors create value? highlights a strengthening market for private equity exits in Africa. Private equity firms exited 40 companies between 1 January and 31 December 2014, a 38% increase from 29 exits in 2013.

This is the second of our annual studies of how private equity (PE) investors create value in Africa. In our inaugural report, we countered popular opinion about PE in Africa to prove that the industry was making excellent progress in exiting its portfolio companies. We also provided evidence of genuine value creation by PE firms in the region through hands-on involvement in the companies they back.

This joint research piece, looking at value creation through exit deals across Africa, provides an answer to the commonly asked question “are there exits in Africa?” The continent’s stock markets, other than the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, are still very small and relatively illiquid, and the intermediary networks remain far from complete across the region. As a result, a widely held perception is that exits are hard to achieve and that therefore they are few in number. However, our analysis points to a higher level of exit activity than might be expected.