Africa’s healthcare sector will be brought to the fore during the Africa Finance & Investment Forum 2015 (http://www.apo.af/Diw38l) with BlueCloud Healthcare and Pfizer Inc overseeing an entire session dedicated to health & investment opportunities for SMEs as the sector becomes a source of potential interest for international investors.
“Investment in the healthcare sector has been overlooked by many investors on the continent. However, it is one of the fastest growing sectors in Africa at 7% in from 2002 – 2013, growing faster than real estate (5.9%), manufacturing (4.5%) wholesale and retail (6.8%) and even agriculture (5.5%), explains Steven Adjei, Founding Partner & Managing Director of BlueCloud Healthcare in the run up to AFIF2015. “It’s obvious where the next hotspot for healthcare investment will be in the next 10 years”.
AFIF 2015, entitled “Access to Finance & Entrepreneurship”, will also put emphasis on what is termed the ‘Missing Middle’, which is the lack of access to finance by small and medium enterprises in developing countries. “This ‘missing middle syndrome’ is one of the primary reasons BlueCloud decided to work with EMRC for this year conference”, adds Steven Adjei. “To enable increased investment in this space, BlueCloud is currently partnering with Money Physicians (represented at this conference) who are raising a funding round of $100 million to release much needed funds to this sub-sector. The missing middle healthcare sector holds much promise, for this is where exponential growth is likely to take place with minimum effort after a few years,” Adjei adds.
Alongside BlueCloud Healthcare, Pfizer Inc.’s Bill Burkoth, an Executive Director of Pfizer Ventures, will spotlight the exciting and necessary investment opportunities for the sector in AFIF’s first ever plenary session dedicated to health.
“Previously, the healthcare sector was thought of as an area limited to multi-million businesses. However, there is clearly room and massive opportunities for smaller sized companies as Africa’s middle class grows exponentially, bringing with it increased healthcare issues and therefore much needed solutions and investment,” explains Ines Bastos, EMRC’s Sr Project Manager. “We can no longer underestimate its potential for growth and the necessity to be inclusive to all sizes of businesses to spark this growth,” she adds.
This year’s edition is organized in collaboration with the EIB (European Investment Bank), DEG (German Development Finance Institution), Rabobank and in partnership with OLD MUTUAL Investment Group, ECOWAS-TEN, Agri Academy (South Africa), Pfizer, BlueCloud (United Kingdom), ICD (Islamic Development Bank) and IFC (Intl. Finance Corporation, World Bank).
With an expected 300 people from all over the world, the three-day event will see North & South policymakers, investors and private sector entrepreneurs discuss and find practical business solutions.
The forum brings to the table financiers who are looking to find real projects, investment opportunities and long-term partnerships. There is a spirit to get things done which is demonstrated through the B2B sessions, tailor-made one-on-one sessions, which are organized throughout the forum. A pre-forum training workshop, will also offer participants professional coaching on how to set up a business plan and target the appropriate funding.
To read the enter interview of Steven Adjei founding Partner & Managing Director of BlueCloud Healthcare, please click here: http://www.apo.af/otCFN8
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About EMRC Established in 1992 in Brussels, EMRC (http://www.emrc.be) is an international organization composed of a network of entrepreneurs, financiers, consultants and officials based throughout the world. EMRC’s mission is to lead the private sector in Africa to sustainable economic development and to drive regional change via partnerships.
About AFIF The Africa Finance & Investment Forum (AFIF) (http://www.apo.af/Diw38l) is an annual business event organized in the framework of EMRC International’s activities, aimed at strengthening the private sector in Africa, encouraging entrepreneurship and attracting investment to the African continent. AFIF has a double objective: to strengthen the financial capacities of Africa’s private sector and to promote the creation of new partnerships through the encouragement of joint projects and trade relations North-South & South-South.
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