2024 Awards Report
The state of play While the African impact investment market provides many examples of innovation and substantial impact, it faces some challenges and constraints, not least of which is the poor visibility and credibility of interventions seeking investment, which can struggle to meet international best practice standards for “labelling”. In addition, while capital…
Impact fund of the year: Inspired Evolution (Evolution III)
This award recognises fund managers who have a dedicated impact investment fund within their overall portfolio. About Founded in 2007, Inspired Evolution is one of Africa’s trusted specialised clean energy, energy access and resource efficiency fund managers. As a first mover investing in the African continent for almost two decades, Inspired Evolution has financed more…
Outstanding individual achievement: Amma Lartey
This award is for an individual that has made an outstanding contribution in the past year to support the growth of the impact investments ecosystem. About Amma is a celebrated trailblazer in the West African impact investing ecosystem and has served the market in numerous capacities in recent years, including as CEO of Impact Investing…
Judges’ Award: Sahel Capital
These awards exist to provide recognition to any nominees that were either not shortlisted or did not win in their respective categories, but that are contributing materially to the development of the impact investing market through their impact investing intervention. Such awards can be made by the judging panel at its discretion. About The Social…
Judges’ Award: 60 Decibels
These awards exist to provide recognition to any nominees that were either not shortlisted or did not win in their respective categories, but that are contributing materially to the development of the impact investing market through their impact investing intervention. Such awards can be made by the judging panel at its discretion. About 60 Decibels…
Social enterprise of the year: eBee Africa
This category recognises social enterprises, i.e. businesses that aim to generate profit and have positive social or environmental impact, that are solving some of the continent’s most entrenched social or environmental problems. About eBee is a pan-African e-mobility company that was founded in 2021 with roots in Kenya. It now also operates in Uganda and…
Impact funder of the year: Phatisa
This award applies to funders deploying capital to support impact projects. These can include pension funds, endowments, corporations, banks, governments, development finance institutions, high-net-worth individuals, private equity, venture capitalists and public funders. The award seeks to highlight funders who have opted for a non-traditional funding approach, either as a provider of catalytic capital or a…
Financial structure of the year: Villgro Africa
This award is specifically for the innovative financial structures using new instruments and other mechanisms for impact investments. Innovations can include funding instruments or structures, impact delivery mechanisms and innovation in lending schemes to targeted beneficiaries. About Villgro Africa is an incubator and impact investor supporting emerging healthcare businesses in Africa. Offering research grants and…
Impact intermediary of the year: Africa GreenCo
This award recognises intermediaries that support and enable impact investing, including arrangers, accelerators, incubators, government departments, research & consulting firms, policy think-tanks or professional services companies that promote impact investments through thought leadership, project implementations and advisory work. About Africa GreenCo “GreenCo”, operating through its subsidiaries in Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, is a…
