The World to Africa
A ValueExchange Report

African economies continue to evolve in a challenging macro environment, with growing foreign investment interest globally. Yet a common issue with African investments is the relative lack of transparent data on investor interest in Africa. Which markets are global investors targeting? What sectors are most appealing? Which risk factors are holding them back? To address this gap, Standard Bank and ValueExchange have led a first-of-its-kind industry-wide study - in an effort to ‘demystify’ the African markets. In cooperation with the Bank of New York Mellon, Africa Venture Capital Association (AVCA), South African Venture Capital Association (SAVCA), Global Custodian and MiDA we have gathered feedback from over 200 global investors and on the issues that they face today. Some 76% of global investors polled in the research claim to be studying the markets, preparing for entry or readying to deploy additional investments into the continent with 45% of global investors already having some exposure to African markets. Although volumes of Africa-bound investments are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, the study reveals that 34% of investors planned to increase their investments into Africa in 2022. In Africa the opportunity to 'do right' through investments is widespread. We see significant opportunities for global investors to support Africa’s long-term growth through investments in green-field projects that drive financial inclusion and social benefits as well as investment returns. Since the release of our survey's Key Findings in Q1, 2022, Standard Bank has engaged with numerous global investors for detailed discussion via webinars and individual meetings. This ‘World to Africa’ Handbook provides insights from these discussions and other research to provide you a comprehensive view of survey findings and hope to address many questions of the global investor looking to start their investment journey in Africa.   Click Here to Read Key Findings