Reflections from Bloomberg Africa Business Summit 2025
- Henriot Investment Management LLC
- Nov 23
- 11 min read
I recently attended the inaugural Bloomberg Africa Business Summit (Nov 17–18 in Johannesburg), and it was a truly enlightening experience. The event’s theme of Unlocking Africa’s Investment Potential set the tone for discussions on how Africa can overcome challenges and grasp emerging opportunities. I found myself deeply inspired by personal interactions and insights from various leaders specifically, their perspectives on risk, talent, innovation, and Africa’s place in global markets gave me a lot to reflect on. I had the opportunity to listen to some of the speakers and my key takeaways were as follows:
Patrice Motsepe (Chairman, Africa Rainbow Corp.): “Africa need to start managing risk and not fear.” This was a powerful call to action for African businesses and governments. It reminds us that while risks are real, we must tackle them head on with smart strategies instead of letting fear paralyze us. (In fact, many bankers noted that African nations often pay a “scandalous premium" to borrow money due to perceived risk. And this is a gap we can close by managing risk better, and not succumbing to fear.) He also advised that African countries need to work on ensuring a safe and secure environment. You cannot attract stable capital when crime is at all time high. Ideally, I believe he meant that political stability is key in ensuring capital investments into the continent.
James Mwangi (CEO, Equity Group): “Africa needs to find innovative ways to connect talent to the markets.” He emphasized bridging the gap between the Africa’s abundant talent (especially the ever growing youth) and real market opportunities. Owen Omogiafo (Group CEO of Transnational Corp) noted that she leads a 6000 workforce but unable to fill some positions due to lack of technical talent and skills. And I took this as a challenge to create platforms and networks so that skills and entrepreneurial energy in Africa can be channeled into productive enterprises. Innovation in STEM education (not just education), mentorship, and advanced technology will be key to unlocking Africa's human capital.
Jeremy Awori (Group CEO, Ecobank): “Africa can replicate Asia’s growth over the next decades.” His optimism about Africa’s long-term growth potential was infectious. It underscored the idea that with consistent investment in infrastructure, supportive policy reforms, and regional integration, Africa could follow a trajectory similar to Asia’s economic miracle. And I believe this is a reminder to think in decades, not just quarters. Because real development is a long game.
Jonathan Oppenheimer (Executive Chairman, Oppenheimer Generations): “UK is slowly becoming uninvestable.” In a frank comparison, he warned that sluggish infrastructure projects and policy missteps are making the UK unattractive for Hearing this at an Africa-focused summit was striking: it showed that no market has a divine right to investment. Especially when Magda Wierzycka (CEO, Sygnia Ltd) shared the same sentiments as Jonathan. For me, it highlighted an opportunity, if Africa can accelerate reforms and execution, we can attract capital that is looking for better returns elsewhere. And it’s a bold reminder that capital formation will flow to where conditions are right.
Daniel Pinto (Vice Chairman, JPMorgan): “Africa’s risk premium is justified.” Coming from a global investor’s perspective, this was a sobering counterpoint. Pinto argued that the higher returns investors demand for African investments are, at least for now, warranted by the risks. This viewpoint stung a bit, but it reinforced how crucial it is to improve our fundamentals and narratives. Other speakers at the summit vehemently argued that this “perception premium” is outdated– that African economies are stronger than many think, and we’re paying for fear rather than reality. Changing that perception will be essential to lower our cost of capital.
Kenny Fihla (CEO, Absa) & Sim Tshabalala (CEO, Standard Bank): “East Africa is performing better than other regions.” They pointed out how East African economies have been outpacing others on the continent. This sparked discussion on what those countries are doing right, from prudent macroeconomic management to tech adoption. And how other regions might emulate their success. It was a proud moment for East Africa and a learning opportunity for all of us, reinforcing the value of regional best practices.
Owen Omogiafo (Group CEO, Transnational Corp): “Women-led initiatives can turn into billion-dollar empires.” Owen highlighted the power of diversity and inclusion in Africa’s growth story. Her point about women led businesses becoming huge successes was backed by examples of thriving women entrepreneurs. This was inspiring on a personal level and it reinforced that unlocking all of Africa’s talent (not just half of it) is not only fair but smart economics. Empowering women and underrepresented founders will broaden our base of innovation and prosperity.
Emmanuel Lubanzadio (OpenAI Africa Lead) & Chris Maurice (CEO, Yellow Card): “Stablecoins will replace SWIFT in the next decade.” Bringing a tech perspective, Chris predicted that new financial technology will leapfrog old systems. Considering that stablecoins already moved $27.6 trillion in global transactions last year (more than Visa and Mastercard combined) and can bypass slow networks like SWIFT this doesn’t sound far-fetched. Emmanuel also remarked that AI should become as common as electricity or the internet in Africa. And this means we should embed advanced tech into everyday life. These insights on innovation showed how Africa can leap ahead by adopting cutting edge technologies in finance and beyond.
Leila Fourie (CEO, JSE Group) stressed that AfCFTA is key to unlocking African markets. The African Continental Free Trade Area, by reducing intra-African trade barriers, can create the economies of scale and integrated markets needed for businesses to thrive. In her view, a unified African market is a foundation for attracting investment and fostering innovation across 54 countries, truly a game changer for the continent’s growth story.
Samaila Zubairu (CEO, Africa Finance Corporation) reminded us that Africa’s minerals are critical for global tech (even AI), yet remain underexplored and underutilized for Africa’s own benefit. Africa holds around 30% of the world’s critical minerals essential for AI hardware and green tech, but captures only ~10% of the value. By investing in exploration and value-add processing, Africa can supply the resources powering the AI revolution and crucially, share more in the profits.
Genevieve Sangudi (MD, Alterra Capital Partners) emphasized that we should view AI as a tool for transformation, not just efficiency. In her perspective, AI isn’t only about automating tasks or cutting costs; it’s about enabling new business models, solving long-standing African challenges (from agriculture to healthcare), and leapfrogging into a more competitive future. The real promise of AI in Africa lies in its power to fundamentally transform economies and lives, rather than merely streamline them.
Each of these insights resonated with me. Together, they paint a portrait of a continent on the rise, a region determined to tackle its challenges head on and capitalize on its advantages. From finance ministers to tech innovators, the consensus was clear: Africa’s trajectory will be defined by how well we balance risk and innovation. We need to de-risk and fix the fundamentals (from credit ratings to infrastructure) while boldly investing in our people, our startups, and new technologies. The summit left me with a renewed sense of purpose as an investor: to be part of this balancing act, supporting transformative innovation in Africa, grounded in sound strategy and research.
After hearing all these perspectives, a clear theme emerged for me: Africa must be bold and forward-thinking. We need to replace fear with informed risk management, unlock our immense talent through innovation, commit to long-term development plans, and actively shape our position in global capital markets. There was a shared sense that Africa is at an inflection point ONLY IF we make the right moves now, we can transform the continent’s economic trajectory for decades to come.
My Opinion?
After the two days at the Summit, I believe Africa is sitting on a wide open highway for AI‑driven growth. The road is empty enough. The question is whether we can build the right engine.
And for me that engine has three parts:
Capital markets. I believe we need deeper, more liquid stocks and bond markets that can fund African founders, infrastructure and platforms instead of forcing them to list or borrow offshore.
Minerals. Data centres, chips and batteries all need copper, cobalt, rare earths. Africa holds a large share of these resources, yet captures a small share of the value chain.
Talent infrastructure. The talent exists. The opportunity structure doesn’t. Without serious investment in STEM, digital literacy and research capacity, our young people will watch the AI wave on TikTok instead of building on top of it.
So my headline from the summit was this: We already have the raw ingredients for an AI‑powered economic leap. The work now is to invest in our people and platforms fast enough. And my conviction has always been that: 'Building Africa is everyone's responsibility'
Building Africa is not the job of “government” or “investors” or “development partners” alone. It’s collective work.
If millions of us make small but deliberate contributions in our lane like mentoring one student, backing one founder, sharing one useful insight, investing one extra percent of income for the long term, of course the compounding effect becomes tangible. And that is how real ecosystems are built.
And where does Henriot Fit?
I've had a couple of people ask why Henriot does not run a pure African public‑markets strategy. I mean, it's probably the only way to align with the theme: 'Building Africa is everyone's responsibility'
But, my honest answer has always been very simple. We invest mostly in very liquid global markets because that is where our current edge is strongest. We understand those markets deeply, we can scale risk properly, and we can pursue one clear goal. And that's where we can generate decent risk‑adjusted returns over long periods of time.
Then something important happens. That wealth is repatriated back to Africa. It is spent, reinvested, donated and recycled on the continent. Salaries, services, taxes, local investments. Quietly, capital return earned in New York and London finds its way back into African streets and schools and balance sheets.
And that's why our lane at Henriot has two parts:
Managing Capital Professionally through the 506 (b) hedge Fund- Henriot Capital LLC
Raising financial Literacy through Henriot Investment Management Ltd
On that second point, Africa has the lowest financial literacy levels of any continent as per GFLEC. And honestly, that is a structural handicap. If households cannot understand basic compounding, risk, diversification and inflation, they will always be on the wrong side of the trade.
And that's why I believe that if we can push financial literacy up even modestly through quality research and clear communication, the economic impact over 10–20 years will be enormous.
So, what next?
Coming back from the summit, I’m more energized than ever about what we’re building at Henriot. The discussions in Johannesburg weren’t just talk. They resonate strongly with our mission and the work we do every day. In fact, the summit’s focus on risk management, innovation, and unlocking opportunity is exactly what drives our strategy at Henriot.
For context, Henriot Capital LLC is a 506 (b) fund and also the parent of Henriot Investment Management Ltd, our research arm. One of the ways we put our beliefs into practice is through the alpha Brief Portfolio (aBP), a virtual model portfolio we launched to offer actionable, high-conviction investment ideas to our clients. It’s our way of turning deep research and quant analysis into concrete actionable insights that people can use. Here’s how aBP reflects the themes of autonomy, innovation, and long-term growth that were echoed at the summit:
Quant-Driven & Research-Backed: Every idea in aBP is generated by our proprietary quant model and then vetted with rigorous fundamental research. We leverage data (lots of it!) to manage risk and identify opportunity. And embracing innovation and analytical courage. This ensures the ideas are not driven by fear or hype, but by solid evidence and common sense.
Empowering African Investors: aBP is designed to give investors here at home more autonomy and flexibility. You can use it however it suits you, whether you want to mirror the whole model portfolio or just pick a few ideas that fit your strategy. The goal is to put high, quality insights directly into the hands of African investors, so you don’t always have to rely on foreign funds or generic advice. We believe in democratizing access to top-tier investment research, empowering people to make decisions confidently.
Built for Busy Wealth-Builders: We know many professionals don’t have the time to constantly research the market. aBP works for busy investors who still want to build long-term wealth, it’s like having a research team curating opportunities for you. Whether you’re saving for your kids’ education, planning for retirement, or aiming to leave a legacy, aBP provides ideas that can fit those long-term goals. It’s about patient, steady growth but with actionable steps along the way.
Institutional-Grade Insights for All: While aBP is great for individuals, it’s also a tool that institutions and investment clubs (including Chamas) can utilize. The ideas are the kind a hedge fund or asset manager might pursue, but we’ve packaged them in an accessible way. This means even small family offices, local asset managers, or fintech platforms can use aBP as a source of high-conviction ideas tailored to our markets. It aligns with the vibe that Africa can shape its own financial destiny and we’re providing the kind of research support that big global investors have, but for our local context.
Regularly Refreshed & Ideal for Monthly Savers: A key feature of the Alpha Brief Portfolio is that it’s refreshed regularly. We update the portfolio with new picks and analysis as market conditions evolve. For investors who are saving or investing on a monthly basis, this is ideal. You can keep adding to positions or starting new ones with each update, staying current with the best ideas we have. It brings discipline and consistency, much like having a monthly investment plan guided by expert insights.
Custom Strategies for Fixed Capital: If you have a lump-sum amount or a fixed pool of capital and you’re not sure how to allocate it, we’re here to help. aBS provides a general model, but we understand one size doesn’t fit all. Investors with specific goals or constraints can reach out to us for customized strategies. We’ve been researching the global markets for a while now, and we can tailor an approach that suits your needs (whether it’s more income-focused, growth-oriented, or risk-adjusted for peace of mind). This personal touch is our way of managing risk smartly for clients.
Ultimately, the Alpha Brief Portfolio is about putting these summit lessons into practice. It’s our answer to the question: How do we empower more people to participate in Africa’s growth story? By providing a tool that combines world class quantitative models with deep local research, we hope to nurture a generation of African investors who are proactive, well-informed, and confident. This is how we create an ecosystem where capital can form and flow to the best ideas on the continent, whether it’s funding a startup, buying stocks in a high-potential sector, or investing in infrastructure.
I’m grateful for the insights from the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit, and even more excited to channel that energy into building solutions. If you’re curious about the Alpha Brief Portfolio and how it works, you can explore it here: alpha Brief Portfolio. We’re always looking to welcome more like-minded investors into the fold, be it individuals or institutions, to join us on this journey of long-term wealth creation in Africa.
My hope is simple. If more Africans understand markets, allocate capital intentionally and participate in global growth themes like AI, then the summit conversations in Johannesburg turn into something more than soundbites.
And that is how we slowly build the Africa we keep talking about!
Disclosure: This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any securities or investment products. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not constitute investment advice or a guarantee of future performance. Investors should conduct their own due diligence or consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Henriot Investment Management Ltd || Henriot Capital LLC is not a licensed securities dealer, broker, U.S. investment advisor, or investment bank.
Comments