Constructing 7,500 New Homes
In December 2012, CDC committed US$20m to Phatisa’s Pan African Housing Fund (‘PAHF’) with the aim of catalysing finance for the construction of up to 7,500 new homes over ten years. This will create an estimated 22,500 jobs. FUNDING HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS The Fund will provide risk capital on a joint venture basis with selected local […]
Retail Supply Chains Supporting Indirect Jobs
By CDC Mr Basher is a farmer who supplies fresh vegetables to Agora Supermarkets “I’ve now learnt to think on a broader level. Before Agora, I used to think very traditionally. Now there is a lot of opportunity to expand my business which will help me invest in my children’s education.” BUILDING BUSINESSES It is […]
Expanding Broadband Using Wimax Technology
By CDC Nigeria, with a population of over 155m people, had been starved of extensive telecommunication services until 10 years ago when the industry was liberalised. Since then, mobile phone use has grown impressively – from just 400,000 in 2001 to over 90m GSM subscribers in June 2011 – the highest in Africa. The country […]
Pharmaceuticals in East Africa
By CDC In 2010, CDC committed €12m to the AfricInvest Fund II, which in turn made a €6.8m investment in Kiboko Holdings Limited, a manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceuticals. The benefits of a thriving local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector are manifest – skilled employment, potential for lower-priced products, technology and knowledge transfer. Domestic production in Uganda, […]
Sustainable Forestry Fund Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa
By CDC CDC views forestry as a strong sector for investment in Africa. Timber offers consistent long-term returns and has side benefits such as preserving biodiversity, protecting against soil erosion and the potential to generate income from carbon trading and sequestration. The sector also provides employment and training opportunities in rural areas. Like many sectors […]
Micro-finance in West Africa
By CDC Liberia is a country that faces many problems. A shortage of entrepreneurs, however, is not one of them. Take Addy Nyemah, a textile trader in the capital Monrovia, for example, or 34 year-old Henry Wellington. HENRY’S STORY Twelve years ago Henry Wellington started his cement block production business after his grandfather had passed […]
Job Creation Through Manufacturing And Retail
By CDC “Foreign investment is very positive. When CDC and the IFC invest in Bangladesh,that makes us hopeful. It’s an indirect impact that makes us feel good. We can use the expertise of Brummer and Partners and CDC in areas we are lacking.” Mustafizur Rahman Shazid, Director of Sales and Marketing, Butterfly Marketing(Importer and manufacturer […]
Financial Inclusion: Reaching Over 1.2M People In Rural India
By CDC In India approximately 75% of poor people live in rural areas and face limited employment opportunities outside the agricultural sector*. Access to financial services will help people move out of poverty, but the geographical challenges in bringing banking to a large rural population are significant. There are currently 180 million people in India […]
Reliable Travel On India’s City Buses
By CDC Transport demand in most Indian cities has increased substantially. This is due to both natural population increases and migration from rural areas and smaller towns.* Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh has a typically poor public transport system that holds back economic development. When CDC visited Ujjain in 2010 one traveller told the team: “The […]
Reliable Travel On India's City Buses
By CDC Transport demand in most Indian cities has increased substantially. This is due to both natural population increases and migration from rural areas and smaller towns.* Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh has a typically poor public transport system that holds back economic development. When CDC visited Ujjain in 2010 one traveller told the team: “The […]
Low-cost Pharmaceuticals In Bangladesh
“We are a least developed country, but in pharmaceuticals, we are ahead” DR. M.A. MALEK CHOWDHURY Director, Industrial Operations In the photo above he demonstrates the infusion bags, used for diarrhoea and post–operations, which are now manufactured by Popular Pharmaceuticals in Bangladesh ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE MEDICINES Popular Pharmaceuticals is one of Bangladesh’s largest companies producing […]
Providing Finance To Growing Companies In Sub-Saharan Africa
Towards the end of 2012 CDC committed US$30m to the Investec Africa Credit Opportunities Fund I, sub-Saharan Africa’s first corporate debt fund, which is run by Investec Asset Management. The commitment was the first made by CDC’s debt and financial institutions team. Debt investments, which are made directly to companies and financial institutions as well […]
ESG Standards In Heavy Manufacturing
“I’m proud to say Athi River Steel Plant is one step ahead of any other steel manufacturing company in Kenya. We are the benchmark as far as health and safety policy implementation is concerned. Our safety record has improved tremendously.” IMPROVING ESG STANDARDS The air rings with the jangling sounds of banging metal and the […]
Supporting Jobs In Dhaka
“My father was sick and I had to support the family. I have a younger brother and sister who go to school.” Rupa Sewing Operator, Ananta Apparels HAVING A JOB When Rupa’s father fell ill, she found she had to earn an income to support the family to supplement the income earned from her father’s […]
Supporting Rural Employment
BACKGROUND Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with over 70% of its population living below the poverty line. It is also ranked 163 out of 189 on the World Bank’s ease of doing business index, making it even harder for businesses to flourish and drive economic growth. The lychee industry is a […]
Vehicle Finance For Entrepreneurs That Can't Access Bank Loans
By CDC Lalu Ram bought a tractor for US$8000 with a loan from Au Financiers, a non-bank finance company based locally in Jaipur. Farmers like Lalu Ram would find it almost impossible to obtain a loan from a ‘traditional’ bank as they often do not have the proper documentation.With the use of a tractor, Lalu […]
Vehicle Finance For Entrepreneurs That Can’t Access Bank Loans
By CDC Lalu Ram bought a tractor for US$8000 with a loan from Au Financiers, a non-bank finance company based locally in Jaipur. Farmers like Lalu Ram would find it almost impossible to obtain a loan from a ‘traditional’ bank as they often do not have the proper documentation.With the use of a tractor, Lalu […]
Linking Small Holder Farmers in Africa to Global Consumers
The first investment made by CDC’s new equity investment team was made in the autumn of 2012 when CDC provided US$32.5m to the founders of Export Trading Group (ETG). ETG is an African agribusiness with operations in crop buying, warehousing, distribution and merchandising that employs over 7,000 people. THE FIRST EQUITY INVESTMENT UNDER NEW STRATEGY […]
Job Creation In Kenya
“Now I have a steady income there is no hassle of meeting my financial obligations to the family or to dependents. In Africa, if you have a job, you usually have a lot of dependents, not only your family.” Christopher Wangul has been working at Athi Steel for more than 14 years. HAVING A JOB […]
Land in Investment – Navigating the Risks and Opportunities
Investors, fund managers and companies are currently reconsidering how to manage issues associated with the development of land. In the last year, land conflicts have hit the share price of a publicly-listed rubber company in Asia; forced asset owners to divest from agricultural projects in sub-Saharan Africa; generated losses of up to US$2 million a […]