The advisory group has been established to inform the strategy and implementation of Sabi’s vision as the company continues its growth trajectory
LAGOS, Nigeria, June 15, 2022/APO Group/ —
Sabi (Sabi.am), Africa’s leading provider of commerce infrastructure for the distribution of goods and services, is pleased to announce the appointment of four new advisory group members whose experience and networks will support Sabi in its mission to resource and grow SMEs in the informal sector.
The advisory group has been established to inform the strategy and implementation of Sabi’s vision as the company continues its growth trajectory. The group consists of Vidit Aatrey, Founder & CEO of Meesho, Ian Black, Managing Director of Shopify, Sapna Goyal, Corporate Development Director of Udaan, and Bame Pule, Founder of Africa Lighthouse Capital.
Our goal has always been to build and establish a robust team of experts – from our leadership team right down to our agent network – that lives and breathes our core values
Vidit Aatrey, one of the leading Indian entrepreneurs of his generation, is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Meesho. Vidit, an alumnus of IIT-Delhi embarked on the journey of creating Meesho back in 2015, together with his college batchmate and friend Sanjeev Barnwal, with an aim to build an ecommerce start-up for small businesses at a time when everyone told them that ecommerce is saturated. Seven years later, they have today built India’s largest social commerce platform at Meesho. Meesho has already empowered 2 million+ entrepreneurs, mostly women, and is on its way to create more. Through its platform, it enables entrepreneurs to start an online-business with zero investment and provides them with the resources, tools, logistics and payment capabilities to run their business. Prior to Meesho, Vidit worked with ITC and Inmobi.
Ian Black is the Managing Director of Shopify Canada. Prior to that, he was the Director of Retail at Shopify. In that role, Ian managed the business and go-to-market strategy for Shopify Retail in Toronto, by overseeing sales, solutions, partnerships, and operations, working alongside marketing and R&D leadership. Prior to joining Shopify, Ian was head of UberEATS’ American and Canadian divisions. He was also a management consultant with Bain & Company in Toronto and New York where he advised companies and private equity funds on strategy and growth.
Sapna Goyal is the Corporate Development Director (strategic investments, partnerships, and M&A) at Udaan, a leading B2B e-commerce platform in India. For over ten years, she has investing experience in early and growth-stage internet start-ups in India. Prior to Udaan, Sapna worked with Goldman Sachs Investment Partners VC & Growth Equity Fund and was responsible for investments in the Indian internet space. She also has investing experience in Indian Public Markets as part of a hedge fund at Goldman Sachs. She is passionate about the power of digital transformation on the Indian economy and how it is a great leveller. She is an active angel investor.
Bame Pule is the founder of Africa Lighthouse Capital, an independent private equity firm founded in 2012 to invest in and nurture businesses into African champions. The firm has a particular focus on helping investee companies adopt global best practices regardless of sector, attain benchmarks equivalent to those of global peers, and expand into multiple key African markets. Prior to founding Africa Lighthouse Capital, Mr. Pule worked at Actis Capital, ShoreView Capital, Goldman Sachs & Credit Suisse in New York and Salomon Brothers/Citigroup in Los Angeles.
Commenting on the appointments, Anu Adasolum, Co-Founder & CEO of Sabi: said “Our goal has always been to build and establish a robust team of experts – from our leadership team right down to our agent network – that lives and breathes our core values and mission to transform the B2B commerce industry in Africa. We’re extremely pleased to announce that the four members are talented and strategic business leaders whose broad experience will further strengthen our commitment to enable financial inclusion within the B2B community in Africa’s growing informal economy, while providing world class solutions for our merchants. I look forward to working closely with the team to drive forward the next phase of growth.”
New insights highlight infrastructure, digital innovation, and sustainability shaping regional trade
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 24, 2025/APO Group/ –As trade corridors expand and the demand for sustainable supply chain solutions grows, Reload Logistics (www.ReloadLogistics.com) has released an industry outlook report titled “Unlocking Southern Africa’s Trade Potential in 2025 and Beyond.” The report sheds light on transformative trends in infrastructure, trade integration, and digital innovation driving Southern Africa’s logistics landscape.
Key insights from the report include:
Critical Minerals Driving Growth: Southern Africa provides around 30% of the world’s critical minerals for electric vehicles, including cobalt and copper, contributing to the transition towards cleaner energy.
Strategic Infrastructure Investments: The Kasomeno-Mwenda Road Project is removing over 300km from DRC-to-Tanzania routes, while the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project plans to double port capacity to 30 million tons by 2030.
Technological Transformation: Tech logistics solutions have improved route optimization by up to 15%.
Sustainability Imperatives: By 2030, demand for green logistics could reach approximately $350 billion globally, with exporters increasingly adopting lower-carbon transport options.
Transformative Trade Corridors: Port developments at Dar es Salaam, Durban, Walvis Bay, and Beira are enhancing efficiencies and opening cross-border opportunities.
The report projects that by 2030, the African Continental Free Trade Area will boost intra-African trade by over 50%, creating new commodity flows while regional infrastructure investments address network gaps.
Download the full report (https://apo-opa.co/3RuAwLx) to explore how your business can stay ahead in the evolving logistics landscape of Southern Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Reload Logistics
African Mining Week 2025 will convene global investors in Cape Town to explore financing strategies, geopolitical trends and ESG factors driving Africa’s mineral industrialization
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 24, 2025/APO Group/ –African Mining Week (AMW) – taking place from October 1–3, 2025, in Cape Town – will connect global investors with high-impact opportunities across Africa’s mining sector, spotlighting the strategies fueling the continent’s mineral industrialization.
A key highlight of the event will be a high-level panel, The Investor Perspective: Financing Africa’s Mineral Industrialization. The session will explore the evolving investment landscape and examine diverse financing mechanisms – including bank loans, private equity, venture capital and impact investing – that are mobilizing capital into African mining.
DFIs Drive Infrastructure Investments
Attracted by strong returns and Africa’s long-term growth potential, development finance institutions (DFIs) are ramping up investments into the continent’s mining infrastructure. In March 2025, the African Development Bank approved a $150 million loan to Mauritania’s state-owned mining company SNIM and committed $500 million to the Lobito Corridor – a strategic railway project linking Angola, the DRC and Zambia to international markets. Meanwhile, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) is backing several critical mineral projects, including Nyanza Light Metals’ $780 million PGMs facility in South Africa, Gecamines’ expansion in the DRC, Giyani Metals’ manganese development in Botswana and FG Gold’s project in Sierra Leone. Between 2014 and 2024, AFC invested over $1 billion into Africa’s mining sector. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is also deepening its commitment, providing more than $750 million toward the Lobito Corridor, $34 million for Pensana’s Longonjo rare earths project in Angola and $3.2 million to Chillerton’s green copper development in Zambia.
Geopolitics and African Prospects
Geopolitical shifts are intensifying the global race for Africa’s critical minerals, vital for the energy transition and digital economy. From 2019 to 2023, companies from the United Arab Emirates committed over $110 billion to African projects. In early 2025, UAE-based Ambrosia Investment Holding acquired a 50% stake in Allied Gold’s projects in Ethiopia and Mali, investing $375 million to scale up gold production. Canadian mining investment on the continent has now surpassed $37 billion, with companies like Ivanhoe Mines, Fortuna Silver, Pioneer Lithium and Trigon Metals leading expansion efforts. Similarly, Australia’s mining footprint in Africa reached $60 billion in asset value in 2024, supported by firms such as Sovereign Metals, Cazaly Resources and Atlantic Lithium.
Private Placements
Private placements are emerging as a preferred capital-raising vehicle for mining ventures across Africa. Companies including Zanaga Iron Ore, Moab Minerals, Global Atomic Corporation, Premier African Minerals and Trigon Metals are leveraging this mechanism to fast-track project development and attract investor interest. As ESG criteria take center stage in investment decision-making, AMW will serve as a platform for financiers and project developers to engage on sustainability metrics, transparency and responsible investing.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power
Moore Global has partnered with the U.S.-Africa Energy Forum in Houston to enhance investment in Africa’s energy and critical minerals sectors, leveraging its financial expertise to support sustainable resource development and global market integration
HOUSTON, United States, April 24, 2025/APO Group/ –The U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Moore Global, a leading global accounting, audit and advisory network, to drive investment and collaboration in Africa’s energy sector, with a focus on critical minerals. This partnership underscores the growing significance of Africa’s mineral resources in supporting global energy transitions and securing supply chains for key industries, including oil and gas, renewables and battery technologies.
Moore Global brings decades of expertise in financial advisory, investment facilitation and strategic consulting across key markets, including Africa. With a strong presence in the region, the firm has played a pivotal role in guiding energy and natural resource investments, helping stakeholders navigate regulatory environments and optimizing project financing. Given Africa’s vast reserves of critical minerals essential for clean energy and industrial applications – estimated to hold approximately 30% of the world’s proven volumes – Moore Global’s involvement in USAEF will enhance discussions on sustainable extraction, value chain development and the continent’s positioning in global markets.
As part of the forum, Moore Global will lead a dedicated private equity session on financing African energy projects, featuring in-depth discussions on deal structuring, risk mitigation and capital deployment. As a premier platform for U.S.-Africa energy cooperation, USAEF brings together investors, policymakers and industry leaders to catalyze deals and partnerships across the energy value chain. Through this collaboration, Moore Global will provide thought leadership, financial expertise and strategic insights – reinforcing USAEF’s mission to accelerate investment in Africa’s oil, gas and critical minerals sectors. With energy security and resource independence high on the global agenda, the partnership aims to shape impactful investment strategies and policy frameworks that support Africa’s long-term growth.
Moore Global’s partnership with USAEF marks a crucial step in advancing Africa’s energy and critical minerals sectors
“We are delighted to be a key part of this forum. Our global expertise, coupled with our sector knowledge and global relationships, means we can add real value to these conversations and ongoing energy projects. Moore has a wealth of knowledge and insight to share, and I look forward to working closely with all of those involved,” said Candice Czeremuskin, Moore Global Leader, Private Equity.
“Moore Global’s partnership with USAEF marks a crucial step in advancing Africa’s energy and critical minerals sectors. With their deep understanding of financial structures and investment landscapes, they bring valuable expertise that will help bridge the gap between African resource holders and global capital markets. We look forward to working together to drive meaningful engagement and sustainable investment in Africa’s future,” said James Chester, CEO, Energy Capital & Power.
For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com. Join us in Houston this August to connect with the leaders shaping Africa’s energy landscape and experience the momentum that drives ECP’s events worldwide.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power
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