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Willing to support local and regional development, the Johannesburg agency now funds more than thirty projects and has increased its activity by four between 2004 and 2008 to meet the financing needs of projects for the region's development. Photo © Coda
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African Agriculture Fund first closes on US$ 135 Million
The African Agriculture Fund (AAF), a private equity fund designed to respond to the food crisis that severely impacted the continent in 2008 in the wake of escalating food prices, reached its first closing at US$ 135 million in November 2010...
AAF investment thesis primarily lies in food production, processing and distribution in cereals, livestock farming, dairy, fruit and vegetables, crop protection, logistics, fertilizers, seeds, edible oils, smallholders and agri services. To achieve optimal diversification within the sector, the Fund will invest across the value chain (from primary production to processing and tertiary services) and pan-Africa. The Fund will make investments of up to US$ 20 million per Portfolio Company, targeting entities with robust management and growth prospects. The Fund aims to support private sector companies that implement strategies to enhance and diversify food production and distribution in Africa by providing equity funding including strengthening the management and modernisation of the agricultural sector on the continent.
To enhance its impact on development, the Fund has deployed two powerful instruments: a dedicated SME sub fund of a target size of US$ 60 million (initially US$ 30 million) and a Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) of €uro 10 million, to support outgrower schemes in large companies and business
development services in SMEs.
The support to AAF, whose total target size is US$ 300 million, is part of a coordinated response of a pool of European DFIs, with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Promotion et Participation pour la Coopération économique (Proparco) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); on one hand and, on the other hand, African DFIs, with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and the ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development (EBID), as limited liability partner investors. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will manage the Technical Assistance Facility for which core funding has been committed by the European Commission with the contribution of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Italian Cooperation.To fight African agribusiness and agriculture’s chronic undercapitalisation, the Fund is equipped with an innovative mechanism designed to attract private sector capital. Lead investors such as AFD and AECID, together with BOAD and EBID have pooled their shares into a first loss risk taking mechanism that will provide private investors into AAF with an accelerated return. Phatisa are the Fund Managers, which comprises a team of seasoned professionals with a depth of experience in both private equity, fund management and the agricultural sector across Africa. Phatisa is led by Duncan Owen and Stuart Bradley, with Valentine Chitalu as its Chairman. The Group has offices in Mauritius, Zambia, Kenya, South Africa and in the process of being established in West Africa.
The Fund will also operate according to a Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Manual that features an environmental and social risk management system, guidelines for an optimal use of the technical assistance facility and, for the first time in agribusiness private equity, a Code of Conduct for Land Acquisition and Land Use in agricultural and agribusiness projects to prevent unsustainable practices.
“With food security such a crucial issue across Africa, the AAF will make equity finance available for
African agricultural companies,” says Valentine Chitalu, Chairman of Phatisa Group. “We welcome all the investors’ significant contributions to Africa's economic development and long-term prosperity."
During the first closing procedures, Duncan stressed that “the commercial success of this new African food fund is critical for both the Fund’s international investors and for the future of agriculture as a whole in Africa.”
AAF Promoters were advised by a legal team led by Gide Loyrette Nouel (Stéphane Puel, partner and Julien Vandenbussche) comprising Africa Legal (Lance Roderick, partner and Louise Campion) and Muhammad Uteem Chambers.
Contacts:
Phatisa
Izelle le Roux-Owen, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Email: izelleleroux@phatisa.com
AFD
Laure Weisgerber
E-mail:
weisgerberl@afd.fr
AFD CEO, Jean-Michel Severino, in South Africa
Jean-Michel Severino, AFD’s Chief Executive Officer, was in South Africa (Johannesburg and Cape Town) on November 23rd to 27th, 2009.
- Giving previously disavantaged people access to essential services (funding to National Housing Finance Corporation to finance affordable housing) through municipalities (credit line to DBSA)
- Supporting economic growth, via important infrastructure programme within the contra cyclic role of AFD (loan to Transnet for the extension of Cape Town port)
- Encouraging the preservation of Public Goods and the fight against climate change (funding of a research programme on Carbon Capture and Storage ( CCSC ), implemented by the Department of Energy via the Central Energy Fund )
ABSA – Award ceremony to 200 new estate agents.
5 May 2009: Seminar on Energy Efficiency in urban environment
AFD hosted a highly effective conference on Energy Efficiency in urban environment in Johannesburg on the 5th of May.
The conference, which attracted notable attendance from delegates in various fields of energy, offered a platform to share expertise between France and South Africa, to share views on French public policies show casing the Reunion Island experience and to discuss constraints and options at different levels related to regulation, technology, finance and capacity.
A range of energy efficiency projects and initiatives as well as detailed policy options, technical solutions, and financial opportunities that optimise energy efficiency in urban environment were showcased by both South African and French representatives. These discussions, consisting of a panel of experts from national and local South African and French government representatives, private sector developers/professionals, and international experts, highlighted good solutions in energy efficiency.
AFD signed a ZAR 375 million loan agreement with the Namibia’s state-owned electricity provider - NamPower - for the financing of the Caprivi Link Interconnector
The project, which is expected to be operational by the beginning of 2010, is of strategic importance for both Namibia and the region. It consists in a 970km 350kV transmission line linking the Namibia’s electricity grid with those of its neighbouring countries.
Caprivi Link will ease NamPower’s access to hydro-electricity resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and of Zambia and will improve the dynamic stability of the South African Power Pool (SAPP) transmission system and the security of supply to Namibia.
The financing granted by AFD has been appraised and implemented jointly with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). It enables NamPower to secure globally N$ 1.1 billion from the three European development institutions. A EUR 15 million interest rate subsidy from the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund has also been implemented to mitigate tariff increases for the Namibian customers.
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