SouthBridge Investments

What SouthBridge Investments does

SouthBridge Investments is the asset management and investment arm of SouthBridge Group, a privately-held pan-African financial services firm founded in 2017 by Dr. Donald Kaberuka (former African Development Bank President) and Lionel Zinsou (former Prime Minister of Benin). The group operates as an investment bank providing corporate and sovereign advisory, asset management, and transaction execution services to public and private clients across Africa. SouthBridge Investments (SBI) was incorporated in December 2020 as the dedicated multi-strategy asset management entity, managing investment vehicles dedicated to African markets and advising partners on investment opportunities.

The firm's core products span three layers. At the institutional level, SouthBridge advises on sovereign financings (Eurobond issuances for Rwanda), privatizations (NSCT sale and Adétikopé Industrial Park development in Togo at EUR 200M), M&A (KCB cross-border acquisitions), and fund structuring (Accor/Kasada $500M hospitality fund). At the asset management level, SBI runs multi-strategy vehicles including a $2 billion landscape restoration fund partnered with BADEA (2022), the Energy Go-Getters Fund with On.Capital (2023), and SBNA (SouthBridge North Africa) permanent capital fund (2021). At the impact level, PesaPoa is a digital working capital facility launched in 2021 applying a gender-smart investment approach to finance MSMEs, with a parallel accelerator program offering coaching and mentoring.

Revenue derives from professional services fees (advisory mandates), recurring management fees (asset management vehicles), and transaction-based fees (deal execution). The firm operates from Kigali (headquarters), Abidjan (West Africa hub), Paris (European clients), London (green finance), and Casablanca (North Africa), with approximately 50 staff drawn from 20 African countries. Customer segments include sovereigns (governments and agencies), African champions (large cross-border corporates), global multinationals seeking African market entry, and MSMEs via PesaPoa. Pricing is tailored and not publicly disclosed; the firm has advised transactions totaling EUR 2 billion across 15 African countries, with disclosed MSME impact metrics of 6,766 unique borrowers, 80,000 loans disbursed, and approximately 10,149 jobs created.

Name

SouthBridge Investments

Legal name

SouthBridge Group

Website

https://southbgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SouthBridge Investments is the asset management arm of SouthBridge Group, a privately-held pan-African investment bank founded in 2017 providing sovereign and corporate advisory, asset management, and MSME financing across African markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking and Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geography-Specialist Buyout (Regional/Country-Focused) (FSANABAF), Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG)

Keywords

• Pan-african investment bank
• Sovereign financial advisory
• Corporate advisory services
• Asset management africa
• MSME working capital financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Abidjan

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Corporate and Sovereign Advisory: Financial advisory services to corporations and governments across Africa, including M&A transactions, privatization advisory, Eurobond issuances, and strategic consulting.
2. Asset Management and Investment Advisory: Multi-strategy asset management providing investment vehicles dedicated to African markets, including fund management fees and investment returns from managed vehicles.
3. Transaction-based Advisory: Fees from advising on specific transactions including acquisitions, privatizations, and fund structuring.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SouthBridge Investments is the asset management and investment arm of SouthBridge Group, providing multi-strategy asset management and investment vehicles dedicated to African markets, alongside the PesaPoa digital working capital facility that finances MSMEs using a gender-smart investment approach combined with non-financial accelerator support. The firm also delivers corporate and sovereign financial advisory, including M&A, privatizations, Eurobond issuances, and project structuring for governments and large African corporates.

Product overview

SouthBridge Investments operates as a multi-strategy asset management platform offering a portfolio of investment vehicles and advisory services dedicated to African markets. The core offering includes SouthBridge Investments (SBI) as the primary asset management entity, supplemented by the PESAPOA digital working capital facility for MSMEs, and supported by four strategic investment pillars: SME Growth, Financial Inclusion/Women Empowerment, Digital Innovation, and Climate Resilience. Services span corporate and sovereign advisory, direct investment management, and impact-focused financing solutions across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PESAPOA: Digital working capital facility launched in 2021 providing gender-smart investment approach to finance MSMEs
• SBNA

Products and services

• Corporate and Sovereign Advisory

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,766 unique MSMEs funded, 80,000 loans disbursed, ~10,149 jobs created
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and secondary.

• On.CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 September 2023Joint venture to launch the 'Energy Go-Getters Fund' for clean energy access investments in Africa, announced at Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi. Addresses energy access challenges while supporting climate action.
• BADEA (Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2022Joint announcement of $2 billion fund to finance landscape restoration and reforestation projects in Africa. SouthBridge Investments partnered with BADEA and another major financing partner to address climate resilience and environmental restoration across the continent.
• New African Capital Partners (NACP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021Innovative joint venture creating SBNA (SouthBridge North Africa) as an Africa-focused permanent capital fund. Led by Charles Kié as CEO, targeting investment opportunities across North Africa.
• Brazil Africa Institute (IBRAF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2020Partnership to create a platform making it easier for Brazilian investors to access African opportunities. Supports identification and analysis of business possibilities across the continent and endorses the Brazil Africa Forum as a key business environment for partnerships between the two regions.
• Arise Special Economic Zone / Africa Finance CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership for Platform Industrial Adétikopé (PIA) project in Togo, with Arise (Olam subsidiary) and Africa Finance Corporation. Total investment of EUR 200 million for integrated industrial platform.
• Shelter AfriquesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerExploration of opportunities to expand sustainable housing across Africa through potential collaboration on fundraising and alternative technologies in affordable housing. Shelter Afrique is a pan-African housing finance institution.
• HomeProductionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership discussions for affordable housing solutions using AAC technology. HomeProduction has track record in cost-effective home building with presence in Côte d'Ivoire and Rwanda.
• IFC (International Finance Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing engagement with IFC delegation to discuss preparation for Africa CEO Forum. IFC monitors preparation and discusses potential roles SouthBridge can play in making the event successful.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Africa Finance Corporation (AFC): Pan-African development finance institution providing capital and advisory solutions across African infrastructure and industrial sectors. Andrew Alli, SouthBridge's Group CEO, previously led AFC, making it a natural direct peer in mandate, geography, and client profile.
• Development Partners International (DPI): Pan-African private equity firm managing multi-billion-dollar funds focused on African growth investments. Closest peer to SouthBridge's SBNA permanent capital vehicle and overall Africa-focused PE/asset management strategy.
• Helios Investment Partners: Large-cap Africa-focused private equity firm managing multiple funds across the continent. Directly comparable to SouthBridge's fund management activities and African institutional LP base.
• Phatisa: African private equity firm managing sector-specific funds across food, housing, and infrastructure. Comparable to SouthBridge's sector-pillar investment approach and SME/Jobs focus.
• Actis: Emerging markets private equity firm with dedicated Africa and energy/infrastructure strategies. Comparable to SouthBridge's climate finance and permanent capital fund ambitions through vehicles like Energy Go-Getters and the BADEA landscape fund.

Emerging players

• Africa50: Pan-African infrastructure investment platform backed by African governments and AfDB. Comparable to SouthBridge on Africa-focused infrastructure and project development advisory, though more capital-heavy and government-led.
• Climate Fund Managers (CFM): Climate-focused fund manager developing renewable energy and resilience projects in Africa and emerging markets. Directly comparable to SouthBridge's $2B BADEA landscape restoration and Energy Go-Getters mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Standard Chartered Bank (Africa Advisory): Global bank with deep Africa presence offering corporate advisory, sovereign financing, and capital markets services. Overlaps with SouthBridge's Eurobond advisory, sovereign mandates, and large African corporate transactions, but at materially larger scale.
• Rothschild & Co (Africa Coverage): Independent global advisory house with active Africa practice in M&A, sovereign advisory, and restructuring. Comparable to SouthBridge in mandate types (privatizations, cross-border M&A) with substantially more global reach and balance sheet support.

Regional players

• Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD): West African multilateral development bank that has been a SouthBridge client (benchmarking assessment). Comparable institutional counterparty in West African sovereign and development finance, though not a direct competitor for advisory mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SouthBGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southbgroup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SouthBridge Investments