This October, Verdant is excited to host our exclusive Verdant-in-London event, running concurrently with the AFSIC conference from the 7th to the 9th of October. Building on the success of our inaugural 2023 event, Verdant-in-London provides a unique opportunity for investors and clients of Verdant to engage in focused one-on-one meetings designed to foster meaningful connections and drive impactful investments. Over three days, participants will have the opportunity to meet with our clients from microfinance banks, innovative credit businesses, fintechs and other businesses currently raising debt or equity through Verdant. These meetings are designed to be highly focused, ensuring that both investors […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 27 July 2024
The Verdant Hub is now fully operational and available for access. Our deals platform allows our esteemed clients/partners to log in and review all the available debt and equity teasers, and subject to signing a non-disclosure agreement, access to full datarooms in place. The non-disclosure agreement can be signed online or offline. You can access the website at https://hub.verdant-imap.com/home. It is also available via our website, www.verdant-cap.com. The log-in button is located at the bottom left-hand side of our home page under the section titled “client login.” Should you have any queries regarding the log-in process or navigating through the available […]
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Zeepay won five fintech awards at the 13th Ghana Information Technology and Telecoms Awards (GITTA) award ceremony, which was held at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra on 7 June 2024, as recognition to Zeepay for its excellence in the fintech sector and its remarkable contribution to industry innovation. The five Fintech awards were Fintech Company of the Year, Emerging Mobile Money Provider of the Year, Fintech Personality of the Year, Fintech Team of the Year, and Best Use of AI in Fintech. These achievements reinforce Zeepay’s dedicated leadership and its commitment to enabling innovation in the fintech sector. GITTA is […]
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Verdant Capital hosted its 5th Video Africa virtual investor conference from March 18th to 20th. Over the three days, more than 30 one-on-one meetings were held with 17 leading relevant investors from 13 countries and 10 of its selected clients with operations in 11 countries across Africa. Credit-only institutions, innovative credit businesses, technology-driven leasing businesses, insurtechs, circular economy businesses, and a productive asset subscription business were represented, and they are currently raising debt or equity through Verdant Capital. The first Video Africa was held in 2020, in the first weeks of the disruption caused by the pandemic, but it is […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 24 April 2024
USAID Southern Africa Mobilizing Investment (USAID Mobilizing Investment) has awarded grant capital to Verdant Capital for its new fund strategy, the Verdant Capital Southern Africa Fund (VCSAF). Verdant Capital was one of the very few fund managers selected by USAID from a very significant cohort of applicants. The grant aims to bolster VCSAF’s development, fundraising, pipeline development and improving its operational capacity. This will be achieved by supporting Verdant Capital in expanding its team, facilitating Verdant Capital to connect with potential investors, investees and partners, and support with legal closing. It will enable Verdant Capital to utilise its expertise in […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 10 April 2024
Pyi Maung has joined Verdant Capital as a Director in the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund. Pyi has 12 years of private equity, venture capital, and investment banking experience in Africa across various industries, including financial services, technology, consumer services, and healthcare. Prior to joining Verdant Capital, he worked as an investment manager at the Alitheia IDF Fund, a US$100 million private equity fund investing in women-owned/led/ founded/ serving SMEs across the African continent. Pyi was the lead and co-lead for investments totalling overUS$20 million in financial institutions, fintech, and consumer services companies. Pyi has also worked at Old Mutual Private […]
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Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund has completed its fourth investment in just over two years since its closing, with a USD 3 million preferred equity investment in Zeepay. Zeepay specialises as a Mobile Money Challenger and is currently the biggest non-telco Mobile Money Operator in Africa by balance sheet and revenue. It has Mobile Money Licenses in six countries: Ghana, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and Barbados. Zeepay also terminates remittances into Mobile Money Wallets across all networks, including its own wallets available in six countries. Zeepay has a financial inclusion partnership with UNCDF. This year marks Zeepay’s ten years of existence. […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 5 April 2024
This is the fourth successive year that Verdant Capital has been placed in the top three in East Africa. On Friday, March 15, 2024, the annual Dealmakers Africa Award Gala took place in Lagos, Nigeria. DealMakers is the pre-eminent league table agency for Africa. At the awards, it was announced that Verdant Capital was ranked joint 2nd by deal flow in 2023 in the prestigious DealMakers Africa M&A leagues tables for the East Africa region overall. This is the fourth successive year that Verdant Capital has been placed in the top three in East Africa. Verdant Capital also won joint 2nd place overall […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 8 March 2024
Verdant Capital has a new office address in Johannesburg. Johannesburg is our largest office in Africa, with just under 25 team members; our other offices are in Accra, Harare, Kampala, and Kinshasa. Having been based in Hyde Park for the last ten years and having outgrown our previous offices, we are moving back to Sandton City. As of March 1, 2024, Verdant Capital’s address is Second Floor, The Place, No.1 Sandton Drive, Sandton, Johannesburg. Our contact number remains unchanged at +27 10 140 3700.
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As Verdant Capital continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, it has become crucial to streamline and enhance our client experience. With the above in mind, we have implemented a new deals platform. Accessible via our website, www.verdant-cap.com. This private market technology platform will assist Verdant Capital in offering digital investment opportunities to its clients. The platform is configured around specific operational, commercial, and regulatory needs. To access the deal platform, our clients can log on via our website to view all relevant deals. Clients who are interested in using this platform will need to create a profile and sign in […]
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Pan-African investment bank and investment manager completed 18 transactions in 2023 and received accolades from the prestigious Africa Global Funds awards. The firm won Best Independent Advisory Firm – pan-Africa and Best Advisory Firm to Private Equity. In 2023, Verdant Capital further emphasised the strength of the pan-African franchise, completing five transactions in South Africa, two in other SADC countries, eight in East Africa and three in West Africa. Eleven of the transactions were for private equity investors or portfolio companies of private equity. Verdant Capital, a successful investment bank operating since 2013, in 2021 established an investment management division […]
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Verdant Capital is pleased to announce that it has facilitated and advised on the raising of EUR 2 million of debt funding for US Plus Limited (“UsPlus”), an innovative specialist SME financing firm based in South Africa. The investor in the transaction is Triodos Investment Management (“Triodos”), a leading global impact investment firm based in the Netherlands. The funding increases UsPlus’ capacity to finance SMEs in South Africa, thereby contributing to the country’s development agenda. The new funding further broadens the institutional funding base of UsPlus following the USD 10 million debt capital raise completed by Verdant Capital in 2022 […]
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Verdant Capital has announced dates for the 5th edition of Video Africa. Verdant Capital hosted its 4th Video Africa virtual investor conference from March 22nd to the 24th, 2023. Over the three days, more than 60 one-on-one meetings were held with leading relevant investors from 22 countries and 17 of its selected clients with operations in 13 countries across Africa. Represented were microfinance banks, credit-only institutions, innovative credit businesses, fintechs, technology-driven leasing businesses, insurtechs, circular economy businesses, and agri-businesses who are currently raising debt or equity through Verdant Capital. The first Video Africa was held in 2020 within the first weeks of […]
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Verdant Capital is pleased to announce a USD2.5 million revolving credit facility for Enable Capital of South Africa. Enable Capital specialises in providing short-term funding solutions to SME subcontractors involved in the physical construction and deployment of local, regional, and national fibre network infrastructure across South Africa. Enable Capital has built up a successful track record since its inception in 2018 – it has provided financial support of more than ZAR 1.5 billion to more than 250 SMEs. In doing so, it has facilitated meaningful growth for businesses in South Africa’s SME sector, where access to finance remains a key inhibitor. Enable […]
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IMAP celebrates its 50th anniversary at its bi-annual partners meeting, in October 2023, held in Stockholm, Sweden. IMAP, with member firms present in more than 40 countries and with more than 500 M&A professionals, is the world’s largest M&A partnership. IMAP completes more than 250 M&A transactions a year in its different geographies, more than one deal a day. IMAP began in 1973 in the US, initially under the name NAMAC (National Association of Merger and Acquisition Consultants). In order to reach new markets and create opportunities for its clients, it started recruiting top M&A advisory firms outside the US, and […]
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Nyasha has joined Verdant Capital as an Associate. He is responsible for supporting various transactions of the team and nurturing client relationships. Nyasha has experience in audit and transactional advisory. Before joining Verdant Capital, Nyasha served as a Senior Consultant in the transactional advisory field across multiple sector industries and prior as an Audit Associate at Grant Thornton. In his role, Nyasha will execute a multifaceted set of responsibilities, including financial analysis, due diligence, risk assessment, and structuring financial solutions that align with the unique needs of private companies and projects. Nyasha will also play a vital role in managing and […]
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A landmark joint venture agreement (“JVA”) between Africa’s leading data centre operator, Open Access Data Centres (“OADC”), a WIOCC Group company, and TEXAF, one of the DRC’s oldest business groups, was signed this past July. The JVA crystallizes the two parties’ intention to usher in the next evolution of the DRC’s digital ecosystem by launching the country’s first open-access, carrier-neutral data centre. The joint venture will be operated through their co-owned subsidiary, Open Access Data Entres-TEXAF Digital (DRC). The JV brings together OADC’s pan-African data centre operating expertise, coupled with the WIOCC Group’s continent-wide hyperscale connectivity infrastructure and capabilities, with […]
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Unguka Investment Group, Incofin and Progression Eastern Africa Microfinance Equity Fund (together, the “Shareholders”) have sold a controlling stake in Unguka Bank Plc (“Unguka Bank”), a leading microfinance bank in Rwanda, to LOLC Mauritius Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of LOLC Holdings Plc (“LOLC”). Verdant Capital is pleased to have acted as the financial advisor to the Shareholders for this transaction. Unguka Bank was founded in 2005 and operates as a microfinance bank with 14 branches across Rwanda. The bank offers a broad range of products and services which include loans, savings, and other offerings such as money transfer services. Key […]
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We’re currently expanding and looking for driven, positive people to join our award-winning organisation. At Verdant Capital, we believe in the 3 Rs of Recruitment; Recruit, Reward, and Retain. We have a range of openings at various levels of seniority. Established in 2013, Verdant Capital levers extensive experience and deep relationships in pan-African private capital markets. Its largest office is in Johannesburg, South Africa. Verdant Capital is the manager of the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund, a USD 100 million fund investing hybrid capital into inclusive financial institutions on a pan-African basis. Our investment banking business is active across private credit / financial inclusion, and […]
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Mary-Beth has joined Verdant Capital as Legal and Compliance Officer. She is responsible for the legal, compliance and regulatory functions for the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund I and the Verdant Capital Group. Mary-Beth has experience in commercial law, banking and finance and Fintech. Prior to joining Verdant Capital Mary-Beth worked in commercial litigation and as group legal at MTN as they established their mobile money operations. In her role, Mary-Beth will oversee the legal competencies and compliance requirements and maintenance for the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund and the Verdant Capital Group. Mary-Beth has a Bachelor of Laws from the University […]
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The investment will help provide thousands of self-employed entrepreneurs operating as motorbike and tuk-tuk taxi riders or courier or delivery drivers in Kenya with greater economic empowerment and asset ownership opportunities. Verdant Capital is pleased to announce that its Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund (the “Fund”) has completed a USD 7 million dual-tranche investment comprising a subordinated loan and senior secured loan to Mogo Auto Limited (“Mogo Kenya”), a subsidiary of Eleving Group operating in Europe, Asia, and Africa. This investment is the third for the Fund. The investment will help Mogo Kenya expand its portfolio of motorbike (fuel and electric-powered […]
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The investment will support LOLC’s expansion strategy into Africa, through the financing of MSMEs, thereby promoting a high social and developmental impact including financial inclusion, employment creation, income generation, and economic growth. Verdant Capital is pleased to announce that its Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund (the “Fund”) has completed a USD 9 million investment, structured as a holding company loan in LOLC Africa’s holding company, which will be invested in the lending subsidiaries in Zambia, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. LOLC, which was founded in 1980 in Sri Lanka, entered the African continent […]
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Chris has joined Verdant Capital as Fund Accountant and Finance Manager. He is responsible for the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund I and the Verdant Capital Group. Chris is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant with CIMA (UK) in collaboration with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He has experience in both public and private enterprises within the financial services landscape in Zimbabwe. Prior to joining Verdant Capital, Chris worked in the Private Equity space with Takura Capital, investing in growing Zimbabwean and SADC businesses. As Fund Accountant, he managed over USD $75 Million worth of capital from Development Finance Institutions […]
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Verdant Capital was ranked No 4 by deal flow in 2022 in the prestigious DealMakers Africa M&A leagues tables, for the pan-Africa (ex-South Africa) region overall. DealMakers is the pre-eminent league table agency for Africa. In the East Africa region league table (Corporate Finance deal flow), Verdant Capital finished first in 2022. This follows the firm’s joint-first-place ranking in 2021. Verdant Capital completed M&A and private capital transactions in each East, West and Southern Africa. Verdant Capital’s landmark transactions in completed in 2022 included: the follow-on equity raise for WIOCC, the pan-African data centre and digital infrastructure player, taking the […]
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Rafiq has joined Verdant Capital Limited as Vice President. Rafiq has 8 years of senior management and corporate finance experience across financial advisory, investment management, and microfinance. Rafiq began his career in investment banking with Lazard, a global financial services firm with offices across 26 countries, in Toronto, Canada, supporting clients across a broad range of industries on mergers & acquisitions, capital structure advisory, and restructuring. Rafiq previously worked as the CFO of Watu Credit Uganda, a non-deposit-taking asset finance company, as one of the first team members in Uganda, helping the Ugandan subsidiary grow exponentially over a 40-month period. […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 1 March 2023
Verdant Capital turns 10 today. We would like to thank all our clients and partners for the great decade we have enjoyed. We look forward to the next decade of successful collaboration. #VerdantCapital #10thanniversary #VerdantCapital@10years
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Private Equity Africa (PEA) has announced that the Local Financial Advisor of the Decade award has been won by Verdant Capital. Verdant Capital also won the Local Financial Advisor Award of 2022 for the second year running. In their 11th year, the PEA awards are the ultimate accolade of success in the African Private Equity industry. The PEA 2022 Awards received highly competitive self-entries and were complemented by editorial recommendations from the PEA team and industry data. The final winners were selected by an independent panel of 20 judges which included representation from CDC, DEG, EBRD, IFC, Mbuyu Capital Partners, Wimmer Family […]
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Senamile Mazubane has joined Verdant Capital as the Fund Accountant and Finance Manager, and is responsible for the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund I and the Verdant Capital Group. Senamile is a qualified Chartered Accountant from Sanlam Group, with technical expertise in group consolidated reporting, fund accounting for local and international funds, and funds of funds, non-listed asset class investment reporting and regulatory reporting for financial services. While at Sanlam, Senamile also gained experience in investment management reporting, internal auditing for the investment business and corporate tax. Before joining Verdant Capital, Senamile had a diversified career and gained a variety of experience with over […]
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Tugende, the innovative fintech platform for MSME credit and asset-financing in East Africa, closed in Q2 pre-Series B equity funding from existing shareholders led by Partech and two new investors, including Women’s World Banking. The new investors add to the diversity of Tugende’s shareholding and complement the experience and skills that each contribute to Tugende’s growth. Along with a recent debt closing, the combined USD 10 million investment further strengthens Tugende’s balance sheet, allowing it to increase portfolio growth and address a significant credit demand amongst MSMEs, particularly after the strict lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Tugende continues to deliver this MSME […]
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Johannesburg, August 10, 2022: Verdant Capital has raised USD 10 million of debt funding for Zeepay. The medium-term debt raise, which forms part of its A.5 series, comes to support Zeepay in a bid to augment its fast-growing remittance to wallet business. The debt funding is intended to support the rapid growth of the business. In 2021, the company processed USD 1.8 billion of transactions volumes, cross-border and domestically. It is the vision of the Founder and Managing Director, of Zeepay, Andrew Takyi-Appiah I, to reach the milestone of USD 200 billion of annual transaction volumes in the long-term. […]
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The investment will help provide thousands of motorbike taxi (boda boda) drivers in Uganda with greater economic empowerment and asset ownership opportunities. Verdant Capital is pleased to announce that its Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund (the “Fund”) has made its first investment, in Watu Credit Uganda Limited (“Watu”). The investment of USD 7 million will help Watu expand its footprint of two-wheeler financing throughout the country. This represents an important milestone for Watu in Uganda, it’s second largest market after Kenya, where the business was first established in 2015. In addition, Watu is expected to benefit from initiatives supported by the Fund’s […]
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In an environment susceptible to external shocks, Trader Direct offers a way for informal retailers to grow their businesses with minimal risk. Even a small increase in monthly sales can have a huge impact on the lives of informal retailers and their families. Nomanini serves a high proportion of first-time digital finance users. 82% of these retailers are accessing a service like Trader Direct for the very first time and cannot easily find a good alternative. This indicates that Nomanini is providing a service that agents would struggle to find elsewhere as well as filling a pertinent gap in the […]
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John joins Verdant Capital as Environmental & Social and Technical Assistance Facility Manager. He is an experienced environmental and social expert with technical expertise in environmental and social impact assessment and best international practices for project financing. His experience spans 7 years of managing environmental and social risks, conducting environmental impact assessments and management, and implementing land access and resettlement plans. He is experienced in the development of Environmental and Social Management Systems (“ESMS”) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (“ESMP”) for private sector clients. Before joining Verdant Capital, John worked in the oil and gas industry with Tullow Oil, […]
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Nomanini, a pioneering integrated digital fintech platform that connects merchants, distributors and service providers to overcome fragmentation, launches StockNow, a digital retailer solution, to bring affordable working capital to Africa’s informal retail markets. StockNow is an easy-to-use app that makes it possible for informal micro and small retailers to purchase stock digitally and conveniently. The app connects retailers to distributors of global FMCG brands relevant in the general trade market, enabling retailers to purchase goods using stock advances to keep their shelves stocked with essential goods, ensuring business continuity and support for last-mile consumers. Ten million informal retailers in Africa […]
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Verdant Capital hosted its third annual Video Africa virtual investor conference on March 2022. Over the three days, more than 105 one-on-one meetings were held with thirty-one leading relevant investors from eleven countries and sixteen of our specially selected clients with operations in thirteen countries across Africa, ranging from fintechs to inclusive financial institutions. Represented were microfinance banks, credit-only institutions, innovative credit businesses, technology-driven leasing businesses, payment companies and insurtechs who are currently raising debt or equity through Verdant Capital’s investment banking businesses. The first Video Africa was held in 2020 within the first weeks of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 […]
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Verdant Capital was ranked joint No 1 by M&A deal flow for 2021 in the prestigious DealMakers Africa leagues tables, for the pan-Africa (ex-South Africa) region overall. DealMakers is the pre-eminent league table agency for Africa and announced its results for 2021 on March 11, 2022 In the East Africa region league table (deal flow), Verdant Capital finished joint first. In West Africa, Verdant Capital finished second. Landmark transactions completed by Verdant Capital in 2021 include the USD 80 million capital raise for leading pan-African telecoms infrastructure company, WIOCC, the USD 25 million capital raise for leading East Africa tech-enabled […]
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The event will be 1-on-1 video conferences; the “Meetings” will be 50-55 mins each. The deadline for scheduling is Friday 11th of March, 2022. We are pleased to be hosting 15 of our prestigious clients. The countries represented will be Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The types of companies will include but are not limited to, Insurance, Innovative credit, Insuretech, Fintech, MSE Bank, Renewable Energy, MFI, SME Lender, Leasing, BNPL, Mobile Financial Services, Credit only businesses, Invoice Discounting, Deposit-taking businesses and Media. Please send an email to video.africa@verdant-cap.com to secure a spot. For a more […]
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Volker has joined VC Germany Management GmbH as AIFM Managing Director. Volker has over 25 years of senior management and governance experience in development finance, SME-and microfinance, financial inclusion, project and change management. Volker currently acts as board director for several banks and non-bank financial institutions of the FINCA Impact Finance network, focusing on MSME business. Since 2019 he has also acted as Supervisory Board Member of FLOCERT GmbH in Germany, the global certifier for Fairtrade. Volker has worked as senior management in multiple positions including FINCA Impact Finance, Internationale Projekt Consult and ProCredit Bank Ukraine, he brings with him […]
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Verdant Capital is pleased to announce its third annual Video Africa virtual investor conference this coming March. Last year, Verdant Capital held its 2nd Video Africa event over three days in March, arranging more than 140 one-on-one meetings with over 45 leading relevant investors from 22 countries, and 18 of our selected clients with operations in 13 countries across Africa, ranging from fintechs to inclusive financial institutions. Represented were microfinance banks, credit-only institutions, innovative credit businesses, technology-driven leasing businesses, payment companies, and insurtechs raising debt or equity through Verdant Capital. The event responds to changing patterns of doing business following […]
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Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa January 14, 2022 Verdant Capital and KfW establish new fund to support MSME growth in Africa Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund initially has USD 36 million of committed capital Support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) through investment in financial institutions Better access to financing, creation of employment and income generation for MSME in Africa Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund (VCHF) has reached its first closing with committed capital of USD 36 million. The fund is targeting high developmental impact, including job creation and income generation through SMEs and micro-entrepreneurship. The fund will be investing hybrid […]
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Tugende, East Africa’s leading innovative MSME credit and asset-financing business, has closed an additional USD 16 million in debt financing. The overall funding round has been structured to include a subordinated debt tranche into the Ugandan subsidiary providing partial equity credit to be leveraged by senior lenders, as well as senior debt funding for its younger but rapidly growing Kenyan subsidiary. This latest round of debt funding was led by a leading European development finance institution (“DFI”), existing MSME-focused impact investors that increased their commitments to Tugende, and a decentralized credit platform backed by an iconic Silicon Valley-based venture capital […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 1 December 2021
Private Equity Africa (PEA) has announced that the 2021 Local Financial Advisor Award Winner is Verdant Capital! In their 10th year, the PEA awards are the ultimate accolade of success in the African Private Equity industry. The final winners were selected by an independent panel of 20 judges which included representation from CDC, DEG, EBRD, IFC, Mbuyu Capital Partners, Wimmer Family Office, 27four Investment Managers and Family Office Data Alliance. The 36 winners beat stiff competition and will be presented with their trophies at the landmark 10th Annual PEA Awards Gala Dinner to be hosted in London in 2022.
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Kibo Capital Partners (“Kibo“) has sold its stake in the Kenyan logistics company General Cargo Group (“GCG“) to Velogic, the logistics arm of the Mauritian-based Rogers Group. Verdant Capital is pleased to have advised Kibo on this transaction. Kibo, which is focused on small and medium-sized enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean countries, has around $100 million in assets under management. It has backed 17 companies across nine countries. Verdant Capital is active in East African advisory and was ranked 3rd by DealMakers Africa for East African M&A in 2020. 2021 is also a strong year with four […]
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Verdant Capital Advises on USD 124 Million Equity Raise for WIOCC Verdant Capital has successfully advised WIOCC Holding Company Limited (WIOCC) in raising USD 124 million in equity capital. Of this, USD 75 million was invested by CAPE IV, a fund managed by African Capital Alliance, a leading African private equity fund manager. Additionally, USD 30 million was invested by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in a follow-up round. The remaining balance was contributed by management and existing shareholders. This equity raise has been complemented by a debt capital raise, bringing the total capital raised to USD 200 million. The […]
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The sale of Baxi is Verdant Capital’s fifth successful fintech transaction of the year, having advised Retail Capital, a leading tech-enabled SME-financier in South Africa on a USD 10 million capital raise; Zeepay, a leading pan-African digital remittance and mobile payments business on its USD 8 million Series-A and on its acquisition of Mangwee in Zambia; and Tugende, a leading tech-enabled SME-financier in East Africa on its USD 10 million Series-A. Verdant Capital’s transactions in the sector include landmark transactions across West, East and South Africa. In part because of its successful track-record in transactions in the fintech […]
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Alpha Direct has successfully commenced operations in Zambia, its first overseas expansion. Sales have been promising to date. Alpha Direct has become the fifth-largest short-term insurance underwriter in their home market, Botswana, in under five years. Over the next five years, Alpha Direct plans to expand its product offering to include long-term insurance products and expand its footprint to include South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria. In addition, Alpha Direct plans to license its products and technology in 10 African countries outside those where it has a physical presence. Alpha Direct recently won The African Insurance Award for Innovation of […]
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Verdant Capital – IMAP South Africa recently hosted its proprietary Video Africa virtual investor conference. Edmund Higenbottam, Managing Director at Verdant Capital shares details on the conference’s origins and explains why investor conferences such as theirs are so vital in terms of helping drive essential capital raising activities especially during the current economic crisis triggered by COVID-19. What led to you to decide to host your own investor conference? The first Video Africa was held last year during the first weeks of the disruption caused by the pandemic. We had been due to attend a large investor event in London, […]
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Verdant Capital is pleased to announce a new investment advisory partnership with Invest in Visions GmbH (“IIV”) of Germany. Under the partnership Verdant Capital will, on a pan-African basis, originate, prepare for execution, and monitor investments for IIV’s funds investing in inclusive financial institutions (“IFIs”). These institutions include microfinance banks non-banking financial institutions, credit-only institutions, leasing businesses, innovative or technology-driven credit businesses, as well as commercial banks that credibly serve SMEs. The partnership with IIV is an important additional pool of capital for Verdant Capital’s Specialist Funds platform. Verdant Capital Specialist Fund’s principal aim is to alleviate the impediments to […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 1 April 2021
Verdant Capital ranked ninth in the DealMakers Africa pan-African M&A league table in 2020 in the recently announced awards. Verdant Capital operates on a pan-African basis in 2020 completed transactions in East Africa, Southern Africa and West Africa. The highest regional ranking for Verdant Capital was in East Africa where the firm finished third. Overall deal volumes in pan-African rankings in the pandemic impacted year were approx. flat with 489 completed transactions compared to 464 completed transactions in 2019. Aggregate deal value fell by approx. half, reflecting weaker activity in certain “big ticket” sectors such as Oil & Gas and […]
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Verdant Capital hosted its second Video Africa virtual investor conference on March 2-4. Over the three days, more than 140 one-on-one meetings were held with 45 leading relevant investors from 22 countries, and 18 of our selected clients with operations in 13 countries across Africa, ranging from fintechs to inclusive financial institutions. Represented were microfinance banks, credit-only institutions, innovative credit businesses, technology-driven leasing businesses, payment companies and insurtechs who are currently raising debt or equity through Verdant Capital. The first Video Africa was held last year in the first weeks of the disruption caused by the pandemic. Given the success of the […]
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Verdant Capital won the award in a period of record deal volumes in Africa, with some USD 500 million of capital raising and M&A in the Fintech sector in 2020. Verdant Capital successfully completed transactions in the sector in 2020 with a total value of USD 40 million. The capital raises included businesses such as Tugende, a leading technology enabled MSME lender in East Africa, Retail Capital, South Africa’s Leading SME-credit tech player, and Planet42, the first mover in the South African socially-inclusive car-subscription market. The transactions were notable both for the commercial success of the businesses and their broad-based […]
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Verdant Capital is pleased to announce that two new members have joined the Investment Committee of the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund. Sari Nikka previously served as the CEO of Norsad Finance, the Development Finance Institution (“DFI”) for Southern Africa. Prior to working for Norsad, she held senior investment positions at Finnfund, the Finnish DFI. Ms Nikka has served on various Boards and Board Committees of companies and investment funds investing in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. She has a range of experience from project finance, senior debt instruments, mezzanine, and equity investments, as well as financing solutions for […]
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Verdant Capital is pleased to announce its second annual Video Africa virtual investor conference this coming March. The event responds to continuing travel limitations globally due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the resultant impact on cross-border investment flows. Responding to the same challenges last year, Verdant Capital held its inaugural Video Africa event over three days last May, arranging more than 150 one-on-one meetings with over 50 leading investors for eight of our selected clients with operations in seven countries across Africa. This year’s event will be held from March 2nd to the 4th, and like last year will connect […]
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Africa Global Funds, the leading industry journal covering private equity and other asset classes across Africa, awarded this accolade to Verdant Capital in recognition of the firm’s major transaction volumes in 2020 across M&A and private credit and across the Continent. Geographically, Verdant Capital completed transactions in South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Namibia with buyers and investors from the US, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Baltics, South Africa, and Nigeria. To read the full list of winners please see https://www.agfawards.com/
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Over the past months, the financial inclusion sector has embarked on a journey to face the Covid-19 crisis. On the field, microfinance institutions have taken measures to face the health risks, lock downs and the economic recession. In the meantime, lenders, investors, support organisations and technical assistance providers had to adapt their intervention principles and coordinate their actions (1). By signing the Pledge on Key principles to protect microfinance institutions and their clients in the COVID-19 crisis (the “Pledge”), 30 organisations committed to complying with some key principles. Six months after the signature of the Pledge, a working group of […]
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Verdant Capital was pleased to be awarded the “Best Independent Advisory Firm – Pan Africa”, by Africa Global Funds’ (“AGF”) 2020 Africa Service Provider Awards. The Awards were created to generate industry and public recognition of Fund Service Providers covering Africa as well as to honour the awardees for their outstanding efforts and accomplishments. The 5th edition of the AGF Service Providers Awards are a recognized symbol of excellence as the organization is the only such international award for African Fund Services. Africa Global Funds provides comprehensive coverage and analysis of the African investment space, coving traditional and alternative assets classes of […]
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Verdant Capital has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on “Coordinating among MIVs in response to COVID-19”. Verdant Capital has long collaborated with other market participants on such initiatives and recognizes the constructive outcomes for the viability inclusive financial institution (IFIs) that can result from coordination and transparency at this critical juncture for the sector. Specific measures among lender groups to ease the burden on such institutions – such as consolidated reporting and liquidity forecasting templates and coordinated reconsideration of financial covenant thresholds and repayment schedules – can immediately alleviate liquidity pressures that provide these institutions with the ability to replicate […]
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Verdant Capital successfully held its inaugural Video Africa virtual investor conference on May 5-7. Over the three days, more than 150 one-on-one meetings were held with over 50 leading relevant investors and eight of our selected clients with operations in seven countries across Africa, ranging from microfinance banks to credit-only institutions and “fintechs”. For the foreseeable future, logistical challenges, especially around travel, will impact how cross-border investment flows are negotiated and diligenced. Video Africa plays an important role in stimulating access to finance for these types of institutions working within the parameters of the “new normal”. Such funding is important now […]
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Verdant Capital is pleased to announce that it has become a Signatory of the Responsible Finance Forum’s Investor Guidelines for Responsible Investing in Digital Financial Services For more info click here
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Given the increasing restrictions on travel in most countries, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some impact on cross-border flows of investment are inevitable. However, Verdant Capital is committed to maintaining its funding initiatives for its clients as pro-actively as possible. In fact, the work of specialist banks, microfinance banks, microfinance institutions, and fintechs in facilitating credit to the real economy in Africa is now more important than ever. Over the last five years, Verdant Capital has arranged for clients each year in early May one-one-one investors meetings in London. In 2020, May 5 to May 7, Verdant Capital is hosting […]
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The survey results support our assertion that growth in senior debt funding available for microfinance/inclusive finance institutions has positively contributed to their growth, but also to the rising leverage levels for the sector as a whole. The key takeaways from the survey: 70% of participants responded that the amount of MIV funding available is growing. This response was consistent for the last and next twelve months prospectively, as well as for funds available to invest globally and also those specifically allocated to Africa. 50% of respondents confirmed that capitalization ratios for their MFI investees are lower than 12-18 month ago […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 17 October 2019
Patrick has joined the Johannesburg team as a Director. Patrick has over 14 years’ experience in investment management in both global private equity and microfinance investing. Patrick has worked at leading global investors including Doughty Hanson & Co, Deutsche Bank, Developing World Markets (DWM) and Incofin Investment Management. Patrick brings a broad range of skills and experience to Verdant Capital, including investment banking at Bear Stearns in New York and London, and as CFO of FINCA’s microfinance bank in the DR Congo. Patrick will be dedicated full-time to the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund upon its first close. Verdant Capital is […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 17 October 2019
Ikponmwosa (or Ik. for short) joined Verdant Capital in August, to open Verdant Capital’s Lagos office. Verdant Capital’s office in Lagos is the firm’s fifth office in the continent, the others being Johannesburg, Accra, Kinshasa and Ebene. The physical presence in Nigeria is expected to increase the amount of business the firm executes in Nigeria, a market where Verdant Capital has been active at different stages in the cycle. Ik has over 18 years investment banking experience in West Africa. Prior to Verdant Capital, Ik performed similar roles at firms including Citi, FBN Capital / FBN Quest Merchant Bank, and […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 14 August 2019
Brett is an experienced M&A banker who has worked at bulge bracket investment banks in London and Johannesburg including Deutsche Bank and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. In a 21-year career, Brett has also worked in M&A at Rand Merchant Bank, as an M&A specialist at Vodacom, and earlier in his career as an equity research analyst and as a strategy consultant. Brett has experience transacting in a range of sectors, including telecoms, mining, financial services, media, technology, healthcare, and industrials. Brett started work last month and reports to Edmund Higenbottam, Managing Director of Verdant Capital.
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Category: Announcements
Author: Edmund Higenbottam
Date: 20 May 2019
Verdant Capital finished in the top three in DealMakers East Africa corporate finance rankings. Verdant Capital, a specialist financial advisory firm operating on a pan-African basis, in 2018 completed high profile transactions in Southern Africa, Central Africa and East Africa. In East Africa Verdant Capital achieved its highest ranking, finishing second by deal volumes and third by deal value. In a competitive market for mergers and acquisitions advisory in Africa, the firm is differentiated by its global reach. Verdant Capital is the IMAP partner firm for Africa and, along with its partner firms in Morocco and Egypt, have eight […]
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Category: Announcements
Date: 23 May 2018
Verdant Capital has joined IMAP, the leading global M&A partnership, becoming the second partner firm in Africa. The IMAP partnership was established in the early 1970s and has over 500 M&A professionals spanning five continents. IMAP was ranked 8th in the global mid-market M&A league table in 2017 (source: Thomson Reuters). The partnership offers clients buy and sell-side M&A advisory on a global basis as well as related debt advisory and corporate finance services. www.imap.com. Becoming a partner of IMAP provides Verdant Capital’s M&A business with a global reach which is perhaps unparalleled in the middle-market in Africa. Going forward, all […]
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Category: Announcements
Author: Edmund Higenbottam
Date: 3 May 2017
Elsewhere in the financial services sector, Verdant Capital has won the prestigious award Best Capital Raise in Africa, 2016 from Acquisition International for its ZAR 450 million capital raise for Trustco Group. The award is in recognition for the complexity of the transaction combining senior and subordinated tranches, as well as its size versus market benchmarks, as one of the largest transactions in the Namibian history. Separately, Verdant Capital has also been shortlisted for the African Banker award for Financial Inclusion, 2017
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Category: Announcements
Author: Edmund Higenbottam
Date: 3 May 2017
Verdant Capital, head-quartered in Johannesburg, is opening its fourth office, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. DR Congo is the seventh largest economy in Sub Sahara Africa and has a population of over 77 million. Imran Patel, has joined Verdant Capital as a Vice president, to open to the firm’s office in the country. Imran Patel, based in Kinsasha, has 15-years experience in investment management and business strategy. Following many years working for a leading North American hedge fund, Imran returned to DR Congo, the country in which he was raised. In addition to financial services, Imran has extensive experience in sectors […]
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Category: Announcements
Author: Ollen Machimbirike
Date: 18 October 2016
Verdant Capital has been awarded the prestigious Africa M&A deal of the year (2016) by Acquisition International, for its USD 51 million sale of Greenbelt Fertilisers to Yara International. The transaction, which is one of the largest transactions in the fertiliser sector in Africa in recent times, completed in May 2016 following COMESA competition authority approval. The transaction is part of a broader global trend whereby the largest upstream producers are buying up regional fertiliser blending and marketing businesses. Over the last five years there have been 30 such transactions globally (about a quarter of which in Africa) for a […]
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Category: Announcements
Author: Ollen Machimbirike
Date: 18 October 2016
Verdant Capital’s Johannesburg office has moved. Our new address is: Ground Floor, Northview Building 57 Sixth Road Hyde Park 2196 Our new switchboard number is +27 10 140 3700.
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Category: Announcements
Author: Edmund Higenbottam
Date: 23 February 2016
Verdant Capital achieved a top 15 ranking in the M&A league tables for Africa in 2015 published by DealMakers following their annual awards dinner in Johannesburg last week.
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Category: Announcements
Author: Edmund Higenbottam
Date: 7 December 2015
Verdant Capital has completed four cross-boarder transactions in 2015. In recognition of the strength of its cross border franchise, Verdant Capital was awarded the accolade of Best Corporate Finance Firm in South Africa, 2015 by Acquisition International. Following its transaction in agri-chemicals in South Africa last quarter, the sale of Greenbelt Fertilisers is Verdant Capital’s second transaction in the agri / fertilisers sector this year alone. Over the last two years Verdant Capital is perhaps the most active firm in Africa in this sector.
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Category: Announcements
Author: Edmund Higenbottam
Date: 4 August 2015
Verdant Capital has opened an office in Accra, Ghana, and now has a total of three offices (Johannesburg, Ebene, Accra). The Accra office will be led by Kwabena Appenteng, Vice President. Kwabena has extensive corporate, entrepreneurial and corporate finance experience in Ghana and beyond, including as Senior Private Sector Officer at US AID. Save Save
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