Nathalie Burrows, Editor at EBnet
Day 2 of the SAVCA PE Conference 2026 did not disappoint, with more thought provoking content and shared lessons. MC Nozipho Tshabalala kept things lively for the 700 attendees who came back for a second day of sharp insights mixed with the unmistakable conference buzz.
Max Moyo’s leadership take on talent in the PE space
Max Moyo opened the day with a thought provoking session on leadership in PE, zeroing in on talent attraction, retention and diversity. He stressed hiring for cultural fit and growth mindset over just pedigrees, with mentorship programs to keep top talent hooked amid fierce competition. Diversity? Non-negotiable – and not just as tokenism – Moyo pushed for women and next-gen leaders at decision tables, sharing how inclusive teams spot opportunities others miss. It’s about building pipelines for tomorrow’s PE and VC fund managers, not just filling seats.
Cuma Dube’s infra panel: Getting specific
Cuma Dube (Krutham) led a no-fluff panel on private capital in infrastructure, aiming straight for implementable fixes. They tackled South Africa’s water crisis head-on, pitching blended finance models with DFIs to de-risk projects, plus public-private partnerships with clear KPIs for speed. Specificity ruled: think ring-fenced Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for renewables and toll roads, with ESG metrics baked in from bid stage. The answer to my question on the live conference Q&A app: What is the one specific thing that this group of individuals needs to focus on to unlock bottlenecks in infra? Collaborative partnerships, said Lungile Mashele from the PIC.
Akani Simbine’s motivational fire
Olympic sprinter Akani Simbine was the drawcard motivator, racing through his gold-medal highs – like Paris 2024 – and drawing dead-on parallels to PE and VC. It was standing room only in the venue as Akani shared his experiences of discipline, grit, coming back from failure and pure conviction and self-belief under pressure. “There are people in your industry who know more than you, ask them” was a strong comparison between business and how Akani refined his training and overall process by learning from others. From me this conjured the image of building up relay business teams for the wins, as one of the strong themes coming out of this year’s conference was partnerships. EBnet was lucky enough to catch Akani for a quick chat after his session – which you can listen to on our full conference coverage page.
Next-gen fund managers panel
This panel discussion entitled “Who manages tomorrow’s capital?” deliberated the building of the next wave of private capital GPs – after all, the sustainability of private capital in Africa depends on who gets to manage capital next. Talking to the bottlenecks, Mark Davids, Motswedi Economic Transformation Specialists, challenged the audience to make private markets accessible and understandable to investors. Overall the panel agreed that consolidation of fund managers is starting to become acceptable of PE asset managers – with a specific noting of the comment: Consolidation in a starved environment is survival, whereas in an environment of plenty, it’s strategic.
GP exits: Lessons from the trenches
After lunch, conferencing resumed with the sharing of two case studies.
Showcase 1: “From conviction to crystallisation: A GP’s journey to a successful exit.” Capitalworks’ Darshan Daya shared how they scaled Robertson and Caine International Yachts and the decisions that shaped the outcome.
Showcase 2: “Operational Alpha in action: A GP’s playbook for successful AI integration in portfolio companies”. In this conversation, HAVAIC’s Ian Lessem broke down RapidDeploy’s path and dropped five “exit truths” we all need – conviction that weathers storms, governance that quietly builds value, prepping for exits from day one, true alignment beating fancy finance tricks and reputation as your secret weapon in auctions. The bottom line: great exits start at entry, not in panic mode.
Global markets quick hit
This fireside chat style discussion facilitated by SAVCA CEO Anusha Naidu, offered up an international lens on innovations that are shifting the private capital ecosystem. Commentary turned to how AI is changing deal sourcing, due diligence and portfolio structure. With Alison Collier (Endeavour) making the comment that while AI helps with deal sourcing and DD, in their experience the best deals come through trusted networks and relationships. The comment: “PE is an access class, not an asset class” definitely gave me something to reflect on long after this conference was over.
In closing, SAVCA raised the bar with two days of expert insights, shared practical experience, real networking and a buzz and energy that kept attendees wanting more. EBnet as the exclusive media partner to this event, shares much of this with you on our dedicated conference page.
ENDS
