Summit Day
As fundraising conditions remain challenging globally, what is driving the renewed momentum, improved sentiment and first-close activity emerging across parts of African private markets today? As LPs become increasingly selective and concentrated around a smaller group of managers, what will differentiate the fund strategies, structures and positioning most likely to attract capital going forward? How are governments, regulators and domestic institutions beginning to influence the evolution of fundraising ecosystems, capital formation and private market participation across the continent? What underlying ecosystem shifts could become increasingly important in shaping the next phase of African private markets?
With global capital becoming more selective and development finance pulling back, how are local institutional investors beginning to reshape the African private markets landscape? What still needs to evolve to unlock domestic pools of capital at greater scale across the continent? How are local currency funds, onshore domiciliation and regional investment strategies beginning to change the way capital is mobilised and deployed across African markets?
How is the LP landscape across African private markets evolving, and where are investors focusing their attention today? How are sovereign wealth funds approaching participation in African private markets, and where could their influence become increasingly significant over the coming years? What role are fund of funds structures playing in broadening access to private markets and building confidence among newer institutional investors across Africa? How are foundations and catalytic capital providers beginning to influence the way private capital is mobilised, structured and scaled across African markets?
As LPs place increasing emphasis on DPI, liquidity and realised returns, how are fund managers adapting their fundraising strategies and positioning in response? How are changing expectations around sector focus, scale and differentiation reshaping the types of fund strategies gaining traction across African private markets? What does building a commercially driven, institutional-quality fund platform with a proven ability to deliver exits look like in Africa today?
As fundraising conditions tighten and DFIs step back from supporting first-time funds, emerging managers across Africa are being forced to rethink how they raise, structure and scale. From consolidation and strategic partnerships to innovative fund structures and evolving LP expectations, the traditional fundraising playbook is shifting fast.
This candid workshop will explore what investors are really looking for, the most common fundraising mistakes emerging managers continue to make, and why more managers are beginning to combine forces rather than go it alone.
The workshop will also examine whether current support ecosystems are truly preparing managers to raise institutional capital successfully, and how emerging managers can better position themselves in a market increasingly favouring scale, credibility and strategic alignment.
How are investment consultants, regulators and pension fund mandates shaping the pace and direction of capital allocation into African private markets today? As African pension funds evaluate private markets and alternative assets, how are they balancing financial returns with broader priorities such as impact, job creation and domestic economic development? How can the industry better address the growing tension between offshore fund structures designed for international LPs and the desire for pension funds to mobilise more local institutional capital?
How are independent sponsor models beginning to reshape the relationship between GPs, LPs and capital formation across private markets? Why are these models beginning to resonate more strongly in parts of the African private capital landscape today? How are economics, alignment and decision-making dynamics evolving within more targeted, deal-led investment structures? As more investors seek visibility, flexibility and selectivity, what could this mean for the future of Africa’s GP ecosystem?
How are African corporates beginning to rethink the role innovation, venture engagement and startup partnerships can play in long-term growth strategies? What will differentiate the corporates that successfully build long-term partnerships from those that continue to engage with startups opportunistically? What role could corporates play in unlocking more scalable pathways for growth capital, strategic investment and ecosystem development across African private markets?
What are the broader global implications of the absence of USAID, and how will this reshape the future of development finance and private capital flows into Africa? As development finance institutions face tighter budgets, greater political scrutiny and shifting geopolitical priorities, how are their investment strategies and allocation approaches evolving across African private markets? As DFIs increasingly balance developmental objectives with national and strategic interests, how could this reshape the flow of capital across sectors, geographies and asset classes in Africa? What will it take for African private markets to broaden their LP base and reduce long-term dependence on DFI capital without weakening the ecosystem’s ability to attract institutional investment?
How are family offices beginning to reshape the LP landscape across African private markets, and how do their investment priorities differ from DFIs and traditional institutional capital? As family offices become increasingly professionalised, what could drive greater allocation toward African private markets over the coming years? What will it take for the African private capital industry to engage family offices more strategically, consistently and at greater scale globally?