CAIRO: Expectations are high for the first SuperReturn Africa conference, which kicks off Nov. 29 and goes through Dec. 1 in Cairo. The three-day event, to be held at the Fairmont Nile City hotel, will begin with opening remarks by the chairman of private equity firm Citadel Capital, and will focus on state of play and potential for private equity and venture capital. Representatives from Citadel Capital, CI Capital, the African Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation and many more will be on hand to offer industry insight. "It is very exciting that SuperReturn is coming to Africa and will put the great range and diversity of opportunities in private equity on the continent in the spotlight,” stated Ralph Keitel, senior investment officer at the International Finance Corporation, who will participate in the event. Karim Helal, group CEO of CI Capital, told Daily News Egypt in a previous interview that the overriding theme of the conference would be private equity as a driver of developing emerging markets' economies. He reiterated Keitel's comment, stating that the conference, which will be held for the first time on the continent, will play a major role in highlighting Egypt as a “hub for private equity” and as an economic gateway to the rest of the continent. It will also “deepen the level of knowledge and awareness,” he said, about the continent, which is often generalized as a single entity, rather than distinguishing each national market as unique due divergent dynamics — such as the government, infrastructure, and even culture. A range of topics will be discussed, including a special focus on the Egyptian private equity market, which will address critical issues, such as the state of the regulatory environment, deal flow, managing limited partnership's expectations, as well as a focus on various private sector areas, including infrastructure, small and medium enterprises. Panels will be held discussing how African private equity compares to other emerging markets; highlighting the expanding links between private equity in African and outside the continent; and the role of foreign direct investment in creating private equity and venture capital in sub-Saharan Africa. An entire panel will be dedicated to examining South Africa's private equity market, which will delve into issues such as “changes around black empowerment rules and implications for investors in South Africa; and the status and capacity of credit markets.” Panel speakers include Karim Helal, CI Capital Group CEO; Karim Sadek, Citadel Capital Managing Director; Martin Poulsen, chief private equity officer of the African Development Bank; Dirk Harbecke, African Development Corporation CEO; Kevin Njiraini, senior investment officer private equity and investment funds at the International Finance Corporation. In addition to panel debates and discussions, delegates will have the opportunity to pitch their funds in “90 seconds flat” without the support of visual presentations or financial performance data. The conference will also provide the chance to interact with individuals from limited partnership organizations.
