IMPACT INVESTMENT IN AFRICA – Give less, invest more! – Roland Decorvet

Where? EPFL Campus, Room ELA 1 (limited seats – please register below)

Presentation:

What Africa needs is neither the usual “Private Equity” model with (very) high return expectations nor the “Charity” model offering free money. The first one limits investments to a few industries with no true (positive) impact and forgets key industries such as Agriculture and Food-Processing while the second one is by definition not sustainable because not profitable.
Africa needs a new paradigm with a new breed of investors being less greedy and more patient, valuing both human, social and environmental impact as much as financial one.

About the speaker:

Roland’s passion is about Impact Investment in Africa through Agri-businesses. After working 25 years for Nestle, having been their CEO for markets such as Greater China, Pakistan or Switzerland he then left the corporate world to head the NGO and floating Hospital “Mercy Ships” (largest floating hospital, sailing around Africa, doing thousands of operations for free). Then he started the company “Philafrica Foods” in South Africa and grew it to reach about 17 factories before its majority shareholder took it over a year ago. Now he has started an Impact Investment company focused on investing in Food and Agriculture businesses in Africa.

The model is unique as it offers “good enough” IRR Return of net 7%  over a long horizon (20 years) with very clear and easy to calculate 15 KPI’s which highlight the 4 value-creation pillars, being Human, Social, environmental and financial. This model clearly puts quantified value on the impact it has in all its companies. It is also lead at all levels by true successful operators, covering every field and being motivated by the same values. Our motto : “We want to OPTIMIZE return and MAXIMIZE  impact”.

Roland is 57,  Swiss, but lives in South Africa with his wife of 23 years (originally from Madagascar) and his 4 daughters.