SAEDF looks to actively support the management teams of our investee companies to build successful businesses.

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The investment focus is on small and medium business operations that require capital for expansion, acquisitions or management buyouts. SAEDF prefers investments with equity/quasi equity participation.

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Investment Criteria

Investment Criteria is as follows

Investment in SMEs in Southern Africa

  • Target Countries include Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zambia
  • Maximum of $10 million per individual investment

Focus on backing indigenous entrepreneurs with the capability to grow profitable businesses

  • Support businesses that are already profitable or that have a clear path to profitability

Focus on proprietary investment opportunities

  • Responds to need for risk capital in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Leverages the team’s unique blend of investment, development and operational skills
  • Delivers superior returns through yield and significant capital gain at exit

Active investor

  • Majority or significant minority ownership, board seats, voting and information rights
  • Allows better risk mitigation and skills transfer and drives value for investors during exit




The Investment Objectives of SAEDF are as follows:

Direct

  • To achieve a superior rate of return on investments in the region due to our team’s successful track record, experience in the region, impeccable reputation, disciplined investment approach, and broad network of relationships.
  • Leverage the financial resources of SAEDF to attract additional investment, thus multiplying the economic benefits of SAEDF investments and loans.

Indirect

  • Invest in enterprises that have the potential for significant job creation, particularly amongst the historically disadvantaged people.
  • Monitor progress and provide technical and managerial assistance to investees in order to build capacity within these enterprises and to facilitate transfer of business skills.
  • Contribute to the economic development of the southern Africa region by spreading investment activity throughout the eleven member countries of the region.
  • Encourage cooperation between investee companies and US businesses and development agencies, as well as others operating in the region.