SWEACC

At SWEACC

Direct Investments and Financing in East Africa

What a success! SWEACC Cluster Investments & Financing had a meeting (event) today at DLA Piper (also todays sponsors) and it was a fully booked cluster meeting over lunch focusing on investment in East Africa. Today’s topics;

- Investment and financing climate in East Africa outlook – Presentation by Mr. John Small, CEO of Eastern Africa Association (EAA) that was established over 50 years ago and is registered in the UK but have office in Nairobi and more than 400 investors from more than 25 different countries as members, representing all major sectors of business investment, in agriculture, industry, commerce, IT and financial services. SWEACC have partner with EAA as we both belong to the European Business Council for Africa (EBCAM).

- Off-GRID solutions for East African businesses – Presentation by Mr. Stefan Issler, Head of Direct Investments in energy debt at Responsibility Investment AG, an asset manager in the field of development investments and offers professionally-managed investment solutions to private, institutional and public investors. Responsibility Investment AG has their Nordic office in Norway but are member of SWEACC and now our Investments & Financing Cluster.

- Debt financing of SME's in East Africa – Presentation by Dr. Pontus Engström, CEO of MTI Investment (MTI) and Dr Engström has 15 years of portfolio investment and consulting experience from firms such as Credit Swiss, DnB, and Boston Consulting Group. MTI pursue investment in firms that have potential for scale economy and development of a strong market position through brand names and distribution capacity. MTI specifically seek to invest in food distribution and processing (e.g., dairy), various scalable services (e.g., engineering, retail, waste management, fish farming etc.) and production for a scalable local market (e.g., property development). MTI Investment are member of SWEACC Investments & Financing Cluster.

Today’s cluster meeting was fully booked (40 people), but we had to place out extra chairs. It was a great success and a very productive discussion about investing in East Africa, also including discussions with Ambassadors representing Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda (Uganda was today representative by Consul Kerstin Borglin). Just some of the companies that attended today besides SWEACC members was Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Den Danske Bank, Garantum Fondkommission, Ikare, Loudspring, NABA (Norwegian African Business Association),

Omoikane, Swedfund, Tillväxtverket, Hifab International, Pepins, SAS Institute, Stockholm Economics and The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket).

Cluster Manager is Mr Carl Schwieler, Deputy Chairman of SWEACC and Executive Partner at DLA Piper (hosting and sponsoring today’s event). We look forward seeing even more companies and investors next time during our cluster gatherings within SWEACC.