Deals

Being part of the FirstRand Group, we are continually exploring ways to address environmental concerns and how we can play our role in delivering reliable, affordable, safe and acceptable energy to counter climate change. We believe that by using the abundance of natural resources (sun and wind energy) on the continent, Africa can become a manufacturing hub of renewable technology components.

The financial services industry has a critical role to play in unlocking Africa’s full potential. Without sustainable funding, infrastructure, healthcare and energy, projects are mere ideas. Financial services institutions will need to play a larger role in financing projects of this nature if development is to keep pace with demand.

The ICT sector is one of the most promising sectors for future growth and development across Africa. Over the past five years, fiber-optic cables and a backbone network to support them have connected the continent in unprecedented ways, slashing the cost of Internet access and opening up new markets for content, software, mobile apps and social media.

The need for infrastructure development in Africa is critical, as it emerges as a major constraint on doing business on the continent. African cities are seeing a rate of urbanisation that far exceeds the rate at which they can provide the required infrastructure. We view these challenges as sustainable investment opportunities.

Africa is home to some of the world’s rarest resources—with huge tracts still largely under-explored. The high cost of mining in developed countries has forced major global companies to seek investment opportunities in Africa, which offers relatively low costs of production. These investments are critical for boosting mineral production, value-added processing and provide an impetus for scaling up infrastructure development.

Africa has the fastest growth rate in natural gas production globally, which is why the oil and gas sector in Africa represents a prime mover for employment, infrastructure development and the improvement of the broader social well-being of society. .

Africa still lacks adequate transport infrastructure—roads, rails, ports and aviation. An aged railway system, insufficient roads and underdeveloped airports and ports create massive trade barriers. To capitalise on opportunities to increase intra-African trade and foreign direct investment, Africa needs to develop its logistical supply chain issues.