SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA – AgDevCo, a specialist investor in early-stage African agribusinesses, has announced a US$90 million package of new funding from the CDC Group, Norfund and DFC which will allow AgDevCo to continue to grow its investment activities in agriculture across Sub-Saharan Africa.
This is in addition to the announcement of supplementary funding of up to US$5.4 million from CDC, Norfund and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for AgDevCo’s integrated technical assistance facility.
“Securing investment from CDC, Norfund and DFC is a major milestone in AgDevCo’s history. It is a strong endorsement of AgDevCo’s team and our strategy,” Keith Palmer, AgDevCo’s founder and Chairman, said.
“We are excited that our vision is shared by our new funders, who recognise the important contribution that AgDevCo investments can make to productivity, sustainability, and inclusivity in Africa.
“Their funding marks the beginning of a partnership in which AgDevCo will use its sector specialism, drawing on our new funders’ networks and resources, to increase the number of impactful investments in African agriculture.”
Established in 2009, AgDevCo’s vision is a thriving commercial African agriculture sector that benefits people, economies, and the environment.
The organisation contributes to this goal by providing investment capital and technical assistance to grow sustainable and impactful businesses across the agricultural value chain. In doing so, it aims to promote resilience, gender equality and the production of better-quality, more nutritious food.
“I am proud to see how AgDevCo’s investing has boosted sustainable agriculture across Sub-Saharan Africa over the past 10 years, including deepening impact on smallholder farmers and SMEs,” UK Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, said.
“This new investment will bring continued growth, by enabling agribusiness SMEs to expand, improve farmer incomes, create new jobs and strengthen climate resilience across Africa.”
This new funding builds on the original endowment funding provided by the UK government which helped establish AgDevCo over the past decade.
“This investment reinforces our long-term commitment to investing in key sectors in Africa including agriculture, which is critical for creating jobs, promoting gender equality and supporting people to build a better life for themselves and their families,” Tenbite Ermias, CDC’s Managing Director for Africa, said.
“Furthermore, it reflects our continued focus on climate finance which is central to our new strategy over the next five-year period, to support emerging economies that are most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate emergency.”
This endowment has provided capital to agribusinesses that have directly created or sustained more than 15,000 jobs and to work with 750,000 smallholder farmers to help increase their income and improve their resilience to climate change.
It has also allowed AgDevCo to build a capability and track record to the point where it can secure external investment capital.
Liked this article? Subscribe to DealStreet Africa News, our regular email newsletter with the latest news, deals, and insights from Africa’s business, economy, and more. SUBSCRIBE HERE
