August 17, 2025

265 - Dr. Frank Aswani, CEO: BRICS Series, African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) - Capital Security to Capital Growth: Africa’s Bankable-to-Investable Journey

1 hour

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Episode Title: 🇿🇦Capital Security to Capital Growth: Africa’s Bankable-to-Investable Journey🇿🇦

We continue the #HTBRICSSeries on Heads Talk with a dynamic C-suite leader, investor, and influential figure in Africa’s tech, finance, and impact investment Ecosystems.

Dr. Frank Aswani is the CEO of the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), a pan-African network mobilising capital grants, debt, equity, and expertise, to drive social impact across the continent.

He’s leading efforts to raise a $200 million catalytic fund to unlock at least $2 billion in private investment for African social enterprises.

In this episode, we look at Africa’s evolving role in the shifting landscape of global governance, where BRICS+ offer new opportunities but also familiar risks. While partnerships with BRICS nations can bring alternative financing and market access, the focus must first be on building strong intra-African trade, value chains, and industrial capacity, ensuring infrastructure deals protect sovereignty and drive long-term growth rather than decades of dependency.

We discuss the leadership, strategy, and entrepreneurial spirit needed to make this shift, starting in schools and extending to the negotiating table, so Africa can move from being a supplier of raw materials to a driver of innovation, manufacturing, and sustainable prosperity.

Topics Covered:
◽️BRICS+ expansion and Africa’s role in shaping global governance
◽️ Managing China and other BRICS partners’ influence on African infrastructure and social sectors
◽️ Redirecting resource wealth into domestic industrial capacity
◽️ Capability versus political will in Africa’s economic positioning
◽️ Strategic avenues for channeling BRICS+ capital into sustainable development
◽️ Mobilising scalable social impact investments across Africa
◽️ Closing the SDG financing gap through sustainable finance
◽️ Dissecting the philanthropy model in venture and social impact
◽️ Moving Africa from raw material supplier to high-value innovation hub
◽️ Inspiring leadership shifts from corporate boardrooms to impact ecosystems
◽️ Defining decisions for Africa’s global positioning over the next decade

So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Peppy Mint Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋

Episode Sponsored by
◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟

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By Elaine Pringle Schwitter

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