What does the Chief Operating Officer inside a private investment firm actually do? In this episode, Nima Yussuf, COO at Silverbacks Holdings, a Mauritius-based pan-African investment firm backing growth-stage companies, explains. She goes further and shares why the operational function sits at the intersection of strategy and execution. She also delves into a variety of themes, for example: some common operational challenges that come from working across diverse African markets; why emerging managers should take operations seriously from Day 1; the early operational signs that a portfolio company may be in trouble; and why Silverbacks likes "second-act" founders. It's a different conversation to the ones we normally host on the podcast, but a very insightful and important one. Enjoy!

Learn more about Nima Yussuf | Silverbacks Holdings

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimayussuf/

Website: https://silverbacks.holdings/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why would a global value investor allocate almost half of its EM portfolio to African public equities? In this episode, Brad Virbitsky, Co-Portfolio Manager of the Emerging Markets Fund at US-based Equinox Partners, explains why Africa wasn't a top-down allocation decision but the natural outcome of a disciplined value investing process. He shares how Equinox identifies dominant businesses trading at attractive valuations, why many investors misunderstand risk on the continent, and how investor psychology creates opportunities where others see uncertainty. Enjoy!

Learn more about Brad Virbitsky | Equinox Partners

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-virbitsky-395b5662/

Website: https://www.equinoxpartners.com/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why would a private equity investor pay 9-10x EBITDA for an unlisted business when a comparable listed company trades on 5-6x EBITDA? In this episode, Yasser El Halaby, CEO at Cairo-based Compass Capital, explains why his firm sees the market's mispricing of risk as one of Egypt's biggest investment opportunities. Rather than trading stocks, Compass invests in public companies with a private equity mindset – building concentrated positions, aligning with major shareholders and taking a long-term ownership approach. Yasser also discusses Compass' evolution from a deal-by-deal private equity firm into a multi-strategy alternatives manager, investing across public equities, commercial real estate and M&A advisory. Enjoy!

Learn more about Yasser El Halaby | Compass Capital

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasser-el-halaby-aa326539/

Website: https://compass-cap.com/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prior to founding Urquhart Partners, Richard Cheesman built a reputation anonymously, running one of South Africa's largest corporate finance Twitter accounts. This was 2017, around the time of the Steinhoff scandal. That online work, and Richard's deeply analytical mindset, so impressed the founder of one of the country's largest hedge funds that he offered Richard a job. In 2019, Richard joined the firm. He left in 2024 to launch Urquhart Partners. In this episode, Richard shares the details of this cool story. He also makes the case for special situations investing. His strategy is focused on JSE corporate actions such as takeovers, spin-offs, restructurings and liquidations. Enjoy!

Learn more about Richard Cheesman | Urquhart Partners

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-cheesman-43063014/

Website: https://urquhartpartners.com/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you go from tourist to investor? In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Herta von Stiegel shares how trips to Africa as a holidaymaker soon turned into philanthropy, and then into a mission to join others in developing and financing the continent's energy future. She talks about how smart capital allocation can support long-term energy security, the vital role that domestic African pension funds can play in that, and more. Enjoy!

Learn more about Dr. Herta von Stiegel | Ariya Capital Group

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herta-von-stiegel-j-d-b51b2a13/

Website: https://www.ariyacapital.com/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The best investment opportunities often emerge after everyone else has left. (Yes, you read that right). In this episode, Johan de Bruijn, Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager at 337 Frontier Capital, breaks down the capital cycle driving today's opportunity within Frontier Africa public equities. He explains why today's opportunity reminds him of the early 2000s, how he uncovers overlooked businesses capable of compounding in dollars, and the hard-earned lessons that shape his investment decisions today. Enjoy!

Learn more about Johan de Brujin | 337 Frontier Capital

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johan-de-bruijn-2a4aa937/ 

Website: https://www.337frontier.com/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sango Capital was created to be a bridge between global capital and African opportunity. In this episode, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Richard Okello (formerly of Bridgewater Associates and Makena Capital Management) talks about the journey since 2011. He explains his philosophy and approach to capital allocation, why he thinks sustainable impact comes only from commercially viable businesses, and what he's learned about people and resilience. Enjoy! African Allocator is an Allocator Media Ltd company.

Learn more about Richard Okello | Sango Capital

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-okello-8201b09 

Website: https://www.sangocapital.com/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/ 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you grow a logistics business when disruption becomes the norm? In this episode, Abir Leheta, Co-CEO of Egytrans NOSCO, a listed Egyptian transport and logistics group, discusses navigating crises, the strategic logic behind the 2025 NOSCO acquisition (one of the first non-cash share swap deals on the EGX), and more. Enjoy! African Stock Hunter is an Allocator Media Ltd company.

Learn more about Abir Leheta | Egytrans-NOSCO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abirleheta 

Website: https://www.ir.egytrans.com

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For generations, Africans measured wealth in cattle long before modern finance arrived. Could fractional ownership of this familiar, everyday asset be the bridge between traditional wealth and modern investing? Since 2017, this has been the core idea driving SV Capital, a Johannesburg-based alternative real assets manager. In this episode, Co-Founder & COO Kagiso Tloubatla explains why everyday, asset-backed investments can generate resilient returns, create economic opportunity, and reconnect wealth creation with assets Africans already know and value. Enjoy! African Allocator is an Allocator Media Ltd company.

Learn more about Kagiso Tloubatla | SV Capital

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kagiso-tloubatla-b0097462/ 

Website: https://www.svcapital.co.za/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andre Steyn, CEO and CIO of Steyn Capital Management, explains how forensic accounting and investor psychology create opportunities on both the long and short side. From spotting frauds, fads, and broken balance sheets to finding dominant businesses trading at attractive valuations, Andre shares the lessons behind his quality-value approach, and why African equities may be one of the most overlooked opportunities in global markets. Enjoy! African Stock Hunter is an Allocator Media Ltd company.

Learn more about André Steyn | Steyn Capital Management

LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/andre-steyn-a7b565b 

Website: https://steyncapitalmanagement.com/

Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media Podcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/

Website: https://allocator.media/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.