The Summit will convene delegates from across the continent and around the world to
showcase investment opportunities and market-building efforts that generate social or
environmental impact alongside a financial return.
The National Advisory Boards (NABs) for Impact Investing in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria
and Zambia, supported by affiliated African task forces, Bertha Centre for Social
Innovation & Entrepreneurship, as well as the Global Steering Group for Impact
Investment (GSG), will be hosting the first Africa Impact Summit in South Africa on 13 and
14 July at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
This hybrid event, themed “Unleashing African potential through impact investing”, will
serve as a platform for dialogue between leaders and experts from various sectors
influencing impact investing across the continent, including policymakers, early-stage
businesses and enterprises, fund managers, institutional investors, development finance
institutions, and international organisations.
Motshegwa More, a sustainability and development consultant to Impact Investing South
Africa, and one of the organisers of the summit, explains that this is the first-of-its-kind
event for the continent. “We believe that it is important to create an African platform where
the continent’s most persistent challenges including poverty, inequality and climate
resilience are debated”. She adds that whereas summits of this nature are typically organised by one host country, this is the first collaborative regional event organised by credible African voices. “Impact
investing is still quite new globally and many people don’t yet fully understand it. We want
to show that it is a tried-and-tested investment approach which can solve persistent social
and environmental challenges, and to showcase examples of where it has been successful
across the continent. We hope this summit will act as a catalyst to open doors for people
to consider impact investing and to pivot towards operating sustainably as organisations.”
According to a report by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), the amount of money
committed to impact investing globally reached over $1 trillion in 2022, a ten-fold increase
in the past five years, in funds targeting investments that not only generate a financial
return, but deliver positive environmental and social outcomes as well. However, while the
6th edition of the African Investing for Impact Barometer (AIFIB) shows that impact
investing is growing in Africa, the continent lags behind the rest of the world in terms of
investment.
According to estimations by the Brookings Institution, the continent requires an
additional $256 billion in funding every year until 2030 to meet the Sustainable
Development Goals. “Yet Africa offers investors credible investment opportunities,” says Elias Masilela,
Chairman of DNA Economics and Chair of the South African Impact Investing National
Task Force. “As home to the world’s youngest population and with the new free trade
agreement AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) creating the largest free trade
area in the world, the continent has the potential to experience tremendous economic
growth this century. But to capitalise on these opportunities we need to equip investors
with a better understanding of pipeline opportunities and tap into innovative financing
mechanisms and work together to de-risk and grow the market.”
The Africa Impact Summit will seek to do exactly this. With over 40 participating speakers,
delegates will have the opportunity to learn about the sectors that are driving development
and impact in Africa – agriculture, climate change, education, energy, financial services,
healthcare, infrastructure, technology, and water – and gain an understanding of the key
actions required to accelerate sustainable development on the continent.
Amma Lartey, CEO of Impact Investing Ghana and fellow summit organiser, says the
summit will provide an opportunity to share knowledge and insights about innovations, and
build meaningful relationships that can significantly accelerate the growth of impact
investing across Africa.
“This summit is being convened by a diverse set of actors who are leading the impact
movement in various countries across Africa, and it’s the best place to come and
experience and contribute to the innovation and growth that is happening.”
The programme line-up includes a wide range of topics including Africa’s progress towards
the SDGs, supporting women entrepreneurs, investing in SMEs and startups, and more.
The winners of the inaugural Intellidex Africa Impact Investment Awards, aimed at shining
a spotlight on impact investing in Africa, will also be announced during the Africa Impact
Summit.
For further information and to register please visit [https://africaimpactsummit.org/]
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