Nathalie Burrows, Editor at EBnet
The Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town was buzzing as over 700 delegates gathered at the 2026 SAVCA Private Equity Conference, which kicked off yesterday, 10 March. The conversations between asset managers, DFI’s, advisors and other stakeholders just vibrates differently at this event.
Hosted by the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA), this year’s theme “Unlocking the Next Era of Private Capital” spotlighted private equity (PE) as a dynamic asset class driving growth in Southern Africa.
SAVCA Chairperson Vuyo Ntoi opened the day by sharing SAVCA’s expanded vision: to use their platform as an industry body to advocate the role that private capital – private equity, venture capital, private debt and related asset classes – can play in fuelling economic expansion through high return investments in underserved sectors. Vuyo also took the opportunity to introduce SAVCA’s new CEO, Anusha Naidu. Get to know Anusha a bit better by listening to our conversation with her in EBnet’s conference podcast booth here.
Renowned political economist and writer, Ronak Gopaldas, set the context of the new world order – the deck having been significantly reshuffled by COVID, Trump, birth rates in Africa and wars (some old, some new). By pointing out that the traditional playbook we’re all accustomed to is outdated and no longer relevant, Ronak issued the challenge: how does this delegation of minds unlock the value that Africa presents to the rest of the world at this unique moment in history?
To answer that question, delegates were treated to the insights of leading thinkers in this space.
One of the hotly debated questions was: Should private equity, infrastructure, private credit and venture capital be regarded as separate distinct allocations/asset classes, each with its own purpose, objectives and lifecycle? Or is the future defined by a grouped allocation under one asset class, tied together by the objective of the ultimate beneficiary? This impassioned debate-style format reminded me of the heated debates we used to have around balanced vs specialist mandates. At the end of this session, the team arguing for grouped allocation changed the minds of a greater number of delegates in the room.
A conversation I particularly enjoyed was the panel discussion on the allocation gap. There’s absolutely no doubt that there are needs and imperatives in our country – but what is stopping us in meeting those with the assets we steward? What’s with this persistent allocation gap, where South African pension funds hold just 2-3% in PE despite global benchmarks being much higher? Are pension funds being overly cautious, or is more education needed to overcome obstacles to investing? Grace Chauke (CIO of the Transport Sector Retirement Fund) said it best with her comment: Fiduciary duty does not mean avoiding complexity. It’s about understanding these issues enough to make informed decisions. What’s really holding institutions back? Is it risk, regulation or institutional culture? Is Regulation 28 a true barrier or simply a convenient excuse?
And the final session of the day was a panel presentation on the opportunity to raise capital differently. The LP landscape has changed – becoming more diverse with the inclusion of new players like family offices. New structures like Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen models may present the solution, so too could blended finance and creative secondary markets.
During each of these insightful sessions, keynotes emphasised PE’s capacity to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns and positioned it as essential, some using the word “compelling”, for diversified portfolios offering illiquidity (and other) premiums that outperform traditional equities over longer investment time horizons. Experts stressed PE’s role in bridging infrastructure gaps, with deals in renewables and logistics yielding both financial and developmental gains.
Networking among the 700+ attendees was loud, sizzling with energy and enthusiasm that matched MC’s Nozipho Tshabala’s firm hand in running the day’s sessions and expertly guiding discussion to forge understanding that could lead to demonstrable action and partnerships primed for larger commitments.
Definitely looking forward to Day 2.
ENDS
Ed’s note: Catch discussions with speakers and delegates from this year’s SAVCA Conference on their dedicated page on EBnet under the Industry tab here.
