The African Private Capital Association announced Abidjan as the host city for the Annual AVCA Conference and Venture Capital Summit in 2027. After 9 years, Africa’s largest private capital gathering will return to Cote d’Ivoire – a nation continuing to chart a steady and profound economic transformation with one of the fastest growth rates in Sub-Saharan Africa for over a decade.
The news was shared with delegates at the close of the 22nd AVCA Conference, where more than 800 leading investors, business leaders, government officials and senior policymakers gathered to route global risks to African opportunities. Under the theme ‘Break The Mould: Reshaping the Future of African Private Capital’, international and domestic financiers exchanged data and perspectives and crafted action plans to build African economic resilience in a fragmented world.
A highlight of the final day of AVCA’s conference, on 30th April, was a keynote fireside chat with Dr James Mwangi, Group Managing Director and CEO of Equity Group Holdings Plc, one of the leading voices in African finance. Dr Mwangi, in conversation with seasoned investor Ann Wyman, Senior Officer at AfricInvest, underscored how private equity was central to Equity Bank becoming home to 60% of all bank accounts in Kenya within just 10 years. Dr Mwangi narrated his entrepreneurial journey building one of Kenya’s biggest and most inclusive banks, now the most profitable company in sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa.
Related Stories
Speaking on a panel, ‘Global Disruption, Local Advantage: Africa in the New Capital Order’, speakers such as Ethiopia Tafara, Regional Vice President, Africa, International Finance Corporation, Joris Totté, Chief Executive Officer, Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, and Dr. Dorothy Nyambi, President and Chief Executive Officer, MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) discussed how the realignment in the global economy shifts where investor priorities, liquidity and risk sits. As trade relations are reimagined, the conference highlighted the need for resource sovereignty, local beneficiation, and locally led pathways to the energy transition.
Aliya Farah Shariff, Senior Director, Mastercard Foundation, moderated a General Partner (GP)-led debate, ‘From Pitch to Close: Rethinking Capital Mobilisation’ with pioneering investors, including Joanne Yoo, Partner, Development Partners International and Sérgio Pimenta, Chief Executive Officer, Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund. Panellists examined how African-focused fund managers engage non-traditional capital sources, structure funds to align with Limited Partner (LP) risk appetite, and build anchor relationships to sustain repeatable, resilient fundraising momentum in a constrained fundraising climate.
Speaking at the same session, Chris Chijiuitomi, MD & Head of Africa, British International Investment, urged “we must move from fragmented transactions to ecosystem building where capital is deployed with intent, patience, and developmental impact.” His views were echoed by Sérgio Pimenta, Chief Executive Officer, Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund’s razor-sharp focus on speed and scale, who suggested: “If we want transformation, we must accelerate execution, because delays are now the biggest cost to development.” He concluded by saying: “What matters most in private equity today is disciplined capital allocation into businesses with real operational scalability.”
The association confirmed the appointment of new members to the AVCA Board:
-
Adefolarin Ogunsanya, Partner, Development Partners International
-
Fatoumata Ba, Founder and Executive Chair, Janngo Capital
-
Laurent Demy, Managing Partner, Amethis
AVCA also announced the launch of a new Private Credit Committee, reflecting the rapid rise of the asset class in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs). The committee will be co-chaired by Joe Mate, Investment Director at British International Investment, and Zain Latif, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TLG Capital, alongside members from:
-
Betula Partners
-
BluePeak Private Capital
-
Enko Capital
-
Impactable Group
-
International Finance Corporation
-
Public Investment Corporation
Additions to AVCA’s Venture Capital committee were made to steer progress in African VC:
-
Ndidi Ezenwa, General Counsel, Juven
-
Nonnie Wanjihia Burbidge, Principal at Enza Capital
New appointments to the Legal & Regulatory Committee include:
-
Bayo Odubeko, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
-
Chinyerugo Ugoji, Partner, AELEX
-
Dominic Rebelo, Partner, ALN
-
João Lima de Silva, Principal Counsel, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
-
Louise Ollier, Deputy Chief Legal Officer, Funds, British International Investment
-
Matthew Dickman, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton
-
Matthieu Ducorroy, Head of Equity and Funds Division at the European Investment Bank
The association acknowledged the outgoing committee members, including Mark Kenderdine-Davies, Chief Legal Officer, British International Investment; Aurélie Pujo, Senior Advisor, Amethis; Rafik Mzah, Chief Legal Officer, AfricInvest; Folake Elias-Adebowale, Partner, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie; Pierre-Yves Denez, Senior Legal Counsel, Bpifrance; Folasade Olusanya, Managing Partner, Jackson Etti and Edu, and Roddy McKean, Partner, Anjarwalla & Khanna, for their contribution to strengthening regulatory frameworks and industry standards across African private capital markets.
Abi Mustapha-Maduakor, CEO, AVCA, said: “I am delighted to welcome the pan-African industry association’s new committee members. Their deep expertise reflects the calibre of leadership required to build on the momentum the association has generated over the past two decades in transforming Africa’s private capital landscape. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the outgoing committee members for their commitment and counsel, which have strengthened AVCA’s ability to convene and drive the private investment agenda in economies we are dedicated to. As we conclude AVCA week, our work goes on, and I look forward to welcoming you to Abidjan in 2027.”
