Verdant Capital Inaugural Video Africa Virtual Investor Conference
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 more than ever to support the provision of critical financial services to these institutions’ local communities.
Discussions during the event included how to address the short-term challenges and medium-term opportunities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns, as well as funding transactions to address these opportunities and challenges. The experience of Video Africa is that the format has significant advantages over meetings organized as a physical roadshow, with stronger attendance and much greater efficiency from a cost and time perspective. Many participants commented that meetings are much more productive with your computer in front of you rather than in a meeting room or coffee shop at a physical conference. Verdant Capital will host the next Video Africa conference from March 2-4, 2021. Save the date.