Considering that Africa is one of the greatest growth investment opportunities for investors, Hlayisani Capital is a private equity and venture capital firm that is focused on growing sub-Saharan African businesses and entrepreneurs; putting them on the global map and transforming local economies and communities has secured $23.7-million (R350-million) in funding led by Standard Bank and prominent South African family offices.
Dr Eugene van Rensburg, a partner in Hlayisani Capital comments on receiving the funding.
“Finding growth in the current global economic climate is challenging, and not backing SMEs with the right investment is a missed opportunity. The Hlayisani Growth Fund offers investors a unique opportunity to gain exposure to the exciting entrepreneurial talent of Southern Africa. The fund provides much-needed strategic capital to a fragmented and underserviced regional SME ecosystem. Investment into the right SMEs unlocks significant investment value opportunity in globally exportable technology businesses.”
Hlayisani Capital
As a South African private equity investment, Hlayisani Capital focuses on the SME ecosystem and aims to tackle the existing SME funding gap between early-stage venture capital and traditional private equity in the country. Offering strategic support and capital to high-growth and scalable SMEs in South Africa, Hylayisani Capital has funded a reported R200-million collectively in seven award-winning businesses such as Snapplify, Gometro, Wyzetalk, LEAP, Opennetworks, Sudonum, and Ikeja. The capital-funded into local SMEs enables these ground-breaking businesses to create jobs, generate export revenue, operate globally, and become a successful enterprise.
Gys Kappers, co-founder and CEO of Wyzetalk comments on the assistance provided by Hlayisani Capital.
“The partners at Hlayisani are a phenomenal asset to our business. As a business leader, you’re often coming across new challenges and it is important to recognise that you may not have all the answers – but surrounding oneself with the right people who have the necessary skill sets is key to overcoming them. This is where the guidance, advice, and viewpoints from Hlayisani have been pivotal in helping me make more informed decisions. Their depth of knowledge and input around structure and strategy has been invaluable to myself, my team, and the overall growth of Wyzetalk.”
According to reports, Hlayisani’s portfolio of companies has educated and trained 404 000 learners and 3900 teachers.
