AVPA is announcing the 2023 Africa Impact Investing Fellowship to nurture deployers of impact capital – Grants, Debt, and Equity – into becoming more effective impact investing practitioners. This Fellowship will build the capacity and knowledge of Fellows in areas such as Innovative Finance, Impact Measurement and Management, and Leadership in Complexity. The Fellowship aims to ultimately increase the flow of social investment capital into Africa.
The Fellowship will select individuals in Africa who embody the values and skills needed to develop a strong impact investing sector. The programme will equip the Fellows with the right information and resources, knowledge, networks, and insight on how to build an impact strategy, manage a portfolio, define, evaluate and manage impact, among other skills. The Fellowship runs from September to early December.
Impact investing is at its nascent stage in Africa. Although it is now getting an increasing level of attention from various actors in the social investment ecosystem, only a handful of impact funds and foundations are actually practising impact investing. The obstacles that are hindering impact investing from gaining traction in Africa amongst wealth holders and their advisors include the lack of capacity building programmes, the perception that it will necessitate a trade-off on financial returns, a lack of an investment-ready pipeline, inexperience in managing a portfolio, and the complexities in defining and evaluating impact measurement.
To qualify for the Fellowship, one has to be deploying capital along the Continuum of Capital – Grants, Debt and Equity. The potential applicants would ideally come from Foundations, DFIs, Private Equity and Venture Capital Funds, Family Offices, (I)NGOs, Aid Agencies, Governments, Corporates, Incubators, and Accelerators; those who have access to capital, or have responsibility for investment portfolios and are used to managing assets of High Net Worth Individuals, families or funds. These individuals are either deploying or intend to deploy capital with an impact investing lens in Africa.
Please register your interest by filling out this form. Applications close on August 4, 2023. The Fellowship costs USD 1500 to be paid in full upon acceptance.
Be immersed in a strong impact investing network and deepen your knowledge
Build rapport with leading practitioners in Africa and explore collaboration opportunities
Enhance know-how and gain innovative tools to apply an impact lens to your investing strategy
September :
Introduction and Orientation
Module 1—Navigating the Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing Ecosystem
October:
Module 2—Strategic Learning and Impact Measurement and Management
November:
Module 3 — Sustainable Finance and Impact Capital
Early December — Graduation
Please register online using this link and provide all required information accurately and in full. An enrollment committee will review all the applications and inform all applicants of the decision via email. Should the committee have any questions, an AVPA representative will reach out to you.
Registration will close on August 4, 2023. As applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, we encourage you to apply for the Fellowship as early as possible.
The Fellowship costs USD 1500 to be paid in full upon acceptance. The cost covers full access to highly curated course materials, connections to leading practitioners, closed-door learning sessions, and AVPA platforms, services, and events.
Upon successful completion of the Fellowship, Fellows will receive a certificate of completion from AVPA. In order to qualify to receive a certificate, you must attend at least 80% of the modules and complete the coursework.
To make the most of your impact investing learning journey, we strongly encourage all Fellows to commit to the full Fellowship. Please save the dates, set aside sufficient time to attend the tutorials and discussions, and complete the required readings and assignments.
Failure to do so may result in an incompletion of the Fellowship and disqualify you from receiving the certification.
Cancellation of the registration 30 days prior to the start of the Fellowship is entitled to a full refund. No refunds will be provided for cancellations made less than 30 days prior to the start of the Fellowship or after the Fellowship is started.
Please reach out to Abu Okari at info@avpa.africa
