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VC4A Technical Residency program elevates female founders to the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (AESIS2024) spotlight

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AESIS, cohosted by VC4A and ABAN, showcased the growing collaboration among investors, startups, and support organizations across Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, December 10, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Eight high-potential female founders captivated over 300 investors, ecosystem leaders, and delegates during Deal Morning at the 11th annual Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (AESIS2024). These bold founders, representing the VC4A Venture (http://VC4A.com) Showcase – She Wins Africa edition, pitched their inspiring solutions that address critical challenges in agriculture, fintech, e-commerce, and health in Africa. Their participation was the culmination of VC4A’s award-winning Technical Residency program, an investment-readiness intervention aimed at preparing early stage founders for scale and funding.

AESIS, cohosted by VC4A (http://VC4A.com) and ABAN (http://ABANAngels.org), showcased the growing collaboration among investors, startups, and support organizations across Africa. In the opening remarks, VC4A CEO – Vincent Hoogduijn set the tone for the two-day summit. “Why does VC4A organize AESIS every year? The answer is simple – we are here to unite the African early stage investment ecosystem”. Through panels, pitches, networking sessions, and investor experiences, the summit reinforced the importance of ecosystem-wide cooperation.

VC4A Technical Residency

The She Wins Africa program, implemented by VC4A in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs with the tools, networks, and exposure needed to thrive. Each participant for the VC4A Technical Residency was handpicked from more than 100 founders in the program. The eight ‘She Winners’ received tailored training, and expert mentorship during the Technical Residency in Cape Town, enabling them to pitch confidently to the AESIS2024 audience.

We are here to unite the African early stage investment ecosystem

Anne Kabugi, Regional Gender Lead at IFC opened the showcase pitches with a thought-provoking question: “What if I told you that Africa’s food crisis is going to be solved by women?”

At the Deal Morning, the following eight companies took to the stage:

  1. Cladfy Inc (Kenya) (http://apo-opa.co/4gpvV7G): Fintech innovation enabling lending for the informal sector.
  2. GoBEBA Everything Ltd (Kenya) (http://apo-opa.co/4g4FBVf): E-commerce utility platform expanding access to essential resources.
  3. Paycard SA (Guinea) (http://apo-opa.co/4g8gKjm): Mobile money app advancing financial inclusion.
  4. Agriarche Limited (Nigeria) (http://apo-opa.co/4g4FBVf): Digitized platform revolutionizing agricultural trade.
  5. Eshandi (Zambia) (http://apo-opa.co/4g86g3z): Financial services platform empowering underserved populations.
  6. Farmio (Ghana) (http://apo-opa.co/3Zw7hLS): Tech solutions addressing agricultural supply chain inefficiencies.
  7. Yellow Factoring (Cameroon) (http://apo-opa.co/4gj3jgw): Invoice factoring platform for SMEs
  8. Advantage Health Africa (Nigeria) (http://apo-opa.co/3BuYL7F): Providing access to genuine and affordable medicines

Each of the `She Winners’ pitched alongside 15 highly promising portfolio companies from 5 other organizations – DEG Impulse: develoPPP Ventures, Digital Africa: Fuzé, Ennovate Ventures: TheNextFund, Open Startup and the GIZ: SAIS program. The high caliber of startups and the strategic insights shared by the judging panel created a launchpad moment for the future of the African startup ecosystem, showcasing innovative and impactful solutions to real problems.

A statement that perfectly sums up the experience of co-hosting this edition: “AESIS2024 once again pointed out that collaboration is a must,” said Vincent Hoogduijn. “It’s been a tough year and we all need to work together to overcome the challenges ahead. Persistence, resilience and adaptability will be key ingredients to see the ecosystem thrive – go fast alone, go far together”

After a year of planning, VC4A is grateful for the opportunity to serve the ecosystem as a platform to connect, inspire, and empower. Looking ahead, the collective efforts of investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers will be essential to unlocking Africa’s full potential and driving its economic growth. VC4A’s commitment is to continue to unite Africa’s startup ecosystems as we look forward to reconnecting with old and new friends at AESIS2025 next year.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VC4A.

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African Development Bank and Bank of Africa Tanzania sign $7.5 million facility to boost trade finance

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The facility will support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and local corporates engaged in the import sector

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, April 7, 2025/APO Group/ –The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the Bank of Africa Tanzania (BOAT) have signed a $7.5 million trade finance transaction guarantee facility to boost trade finance activities of the Bank of Africa in Tanzania.

Under this facility, the African Development Bank will provide a guarantee of up to 100% to confirming banks against non-payment risks arising from letters of credit and similar trade finance instruments issued by the Bank of Africa Tanzania. The facility will support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and local corporates engaged in the import sector. The facility aligns with efforts to bolster intra-Africa trade, contributing directly to the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) (https://AU-AfCFTA.org/).

This partnership strengthens our ability to support businesses across various sectors by providing seamless trade finance solutions

Speaking at the signing event on March 10, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, the Bank’s Country Manager for Tanzania, Patricia Laverley, stressed the importance of the facility in addressing Tanzania’s trade finance needs, saying that given the country’s import requirements, it will aid priority sectors such as trade, agriculture, manufacturing, and energy. “This facility will support trade by enabling BOAT to play a more strategic role in the regional and international market.”

Representing BOAT’s management, Deputy Managing Director Hamza Cherkaoui lauded the strong partnership with the African Development Bank, emphasizing its role in expanding trade finance capabilities across the continent. “This partnership strengthens our ability to support businesses across various sectors by providing seamless trade finance solutions, expanding our confirmation network, and enabling access to top-tier confirming banks,” he said.

The new Trade Guarantee facility aligns with Bank of Africa Tanzania’s strategic priorities and the African Development Bank’s broader objectives, including promoting regional integration, increasing food security, and industrializing Africa. It also supports Tanzania’s Country Strategy paper 2021-2025, which focuses on enhancing the private sector business environment for job creation. It also aligns with the country’s development vision (Vision 2025), which aims to build a strong and resilient economy capable of competing globally.

The signing of the agreement marks a significant milestone in the African Development Bank Group’s direct engagement with Tanzania’s private sector, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the country’s financial sector and economic development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB

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PAC Capital Limited Named Best Transaction Advisory Firm in Nigeria at the Grand Annual Awards Ceremony 2025

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As part of the PanAfrican Capital Holdings Group, PAC Capital continues to expand its footprint across Africa and globally, with a focus on impact-driven transactions that promote sustainable economic growth

LAGOS, Nigeria, April 7, 2025/APO Group/ –PAC Capital Limited (www.PACCapitalLtd.com), a leading investment banking and advisory firm, is proud to announce its recognition as the Best Transaction Advisory Firm – Nigeria 2025 by the International Business Magazine Awards!

The award celebrates PAC Capital’s consistent track record in structuring and executing high-impact transactions across various sectors, including infrastructure, energy, transport, and financial services. This international recognition highlights the firm’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and delivering value-driven advisory services.

At PAC Capital, we are committed to delivering transformative financial solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations

Humphrey Oriakhi, Managing Director of PAC Capital, expressed his pride and appreciation for the recognition:

“This award is a strong validation of our efforts to lead with insight, integrity, and innovation in the transaction advisory space. We are truly honored to be acknowledged on a global platform. I dedicate this achievement to our clients who trust us with their most strategic decisions and to our team whose dedication fuels our success.”

Bolarinwa Sanni, Executive Director of PAC Capital, emphasized the importance of collaboration and resilience in the firm’s journey:

“Winning this award reflects the strength of our advisory team and the boldness of the clients we serve. At PAC Capital, we are committed to delivering transformative financial solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. This recognition inspires us to keep pushing boundaries and shaping Africa’s investment landscape.”

As part of the PanAfrican Capital Holdings Group, PAC Capital continues to expand its footprint across Africa and globally, with a focus on impact-driven transactions that promote sustainable economic growth.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of PAC Capital Limited

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Intra-African Trade, Investment and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) can Address Africa’s $15B Infrastructure Gap

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Speaking at ARDA Week 2025, the African Energy Chamber underscored the need for aligned policies to advance downstream oil and gas projects in Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 7, 2025/APO Group/ –NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC)  (www.EnergyChamber.org), has called for greater utilization of African financial solutions to address the continent’s $15.7 billion infrastructure deficit. With these sources of capital, the continent stands to maximize the production, processing and distribution of local oil and gas resources amid efforts to make energy poverty history by 2030.

Speaking during an event organized by the African Refiners & Distributors Association (ARDA) in Cape Town this week, Ayuk proposed tapping into the $400 billion available through Africa’s pension funds to support oil and gas projects. With this capital, Africa can advance key infrastructure projects, such as pipelines, refining facilities and power generation, ensuring enhanced intra-Africa energy trade to address energy poverty. With over 600 million Africans living without access to modern energy and 900 million people living without access to clean cooking solutions, securing greater investment is key.

As such, Ayuk called for greater regulatory reform in Africa, citing the need to advance intra-African trade through the ease of movement of products and industry stakeholders, while ensuring infrastructure sharing across the continent. He pointed out that the greatest obstacle to realizing an ‘Africa-First Vision’ is not external challenges, but rather internal, owing to outdated and restrictive regulations that hinder trade and the free movement of people across borders.

Our competition should be with international markets

“How can we move commodities across the continent yet we struggle to move people?” stated Ayuk, advocating for improved visa and immigration policies to facilitate mobility for industry stakeholders and citizens.

Ayuk also called for African policymakers to address high intra-African taxes that hinder trade, while encouraging greater collaboration between African energy markets. By addressing key challenges to trade, including lack of shared infrastructure and funding, Ayuk highlighted that the continent can achieve its downstream goals. A strategy for this is collaboration. Rather than competing against one another for limited capital, Africa can pool its resources to create an integrated value chain across the continent.

“We shouldn’t compete for capital amongst ourselves,” he said. “Our competition should be with international markets.”

Besides increasing investment in downstream infrastructure and revamping policies, Ayuk highlighted that achieving the ‘Africa First Vision’ requires fully utilizing every drop of oil and gas available on the continent to power Africa’s development. He emphasized the crucial role LPG and LNG will play in advancing access to clean cooking as well as the role of natural gas in providing baseload power for the foreseeable future.

In closing, Ayuk applauded ARDA for promoting investment in African oil and gas, despite challenges posed by the energy transition. Centered around the theme Africa First: Delivering Our Energy Future, the event sought to chart a course for energy security and industrial development through increased investments across the downstream sector across the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber

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