This investment was made when British International Investment was named CDC Group.
Our investment
Description of the investment.
Description of the investment.
In 2015, CDC invested $15 million in the Ascent Rift Valley Fund, alongside other DFIs, including Austria's OeEB and Norway's Norfund, as well as commercial and institutional investors. It closed at a final fund size of $78 million. The fund provides much-needed growth capital for small businesses in these underinvested countries.
Expected impact
Expected impact of investments made between 2012 and 2018. From 2019 onwards, we have published a fuller set of impact information, assessing each investment against six dimensions of impact.
Expected impact of investments made between 2012 and 2018. From 2019 onwards, we have published a fuller set of impact information, assessing each investment against six dimensions of impact.
SMEs generate up to 90 per cent of all business activities in East Africa and employ half of the working population, making a significant contribution to the region's economy. However, lack of access to affordable finance and challenging regulatory conditions are a major barrier to trade and innovation. Our investment enables the fund manager to provide finance to support fast-growing and scalable businesses, driving wider business and industrial development, particularly in the agri-processing, healthcare and manufacturing sectors.
Since its launch, the fund has made investments in International Clinical Laboratories (previously Medpharm Holdings), a diagnostic laboratory in Ethiopia; Kisumu Concrete Products in Kenya; and Chims Africa, a mobile money network in Uganda. Several of Chims’ agencies are sited near agricultural markets to support smallholder trading; NGOs also use the service to distribute funds in refugee camps in the north of the country.
Environmental and social information
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Environmental and social summary
A high-level description of the environmental and social aspects of the investment. This may include a summary of key environmental and social risks identified during environmental and social due diligence (ESDD); key elements of an environmental and social action plan (ESAP); or ways in which we plan to support the investee improve environmental and social standards, such as through their environmental and social management system (ESMS); as well as any other priority areas agreed with the investee.
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Environmental and social risk
A risk category rating, which indicates the level of environmental and social risk associated with an investment. For an explanation of the categorisations used, see here. We consistently provide an environmental and social risk category for all investments screened from 2023 onwards.
Environmental and social summary
We worked closely with the fund manager to develop and implement an ESMS for this first-time fund.
Reporting and Complaints Mechanism
The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism allows anyone outside BII to report alleged breaches of the business integrity or environmental and social provisions of BII’s Policy on Responsible Investing. This includes breaches made by BII, a BII investee, or a portfolio company of a fund in which BII has invested. The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism Rules are available here. Reports and complaints can be submitted by email to reportsandcomplaints@bii.co.uk or by mail. See more details on our Reporting and Complaints Mechanism here.
For any other general enquiries contact us at enquiries@bii.co.uk
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Key facts
- Last updated
:
When the last quarterly update of the website database occurred.
- June 2024
- Project number
:
An identifier number shared by investments in the same project.
- D114
- Status
:
The current status of the investment (green flag for active and red flag for exited).
- Active
- Region
:
The geographical region where the country is located. We currently invest in Africa, South Asia, South East Asia and the Caribbean. In 2023, BII’s investment mandate was extended allowing it to invest in regional funds linked to Ukraine, with the majority of activity expected to begin post-war. Investments outside these regions were made prior to 2012 under previous investment mandates.
- Africa
- Sector
:
We prioritise those sectors that facilitate development and need our capital the most. Our priority sectors contribute towards many of the Sustainable Development Goals. They range from investing in the power infrastructure that will provide people with better access to electricity, to investing in financial institutions that direct capital to the individuals and businesses that need it the most.
- Communications & IT services, Consumer - Health, Consumer - other services, Manufacturing
- Investment type :
- Fund
- Start date :
- September 2015
- Amount :
- $15m
- Currency of investment :
- USD
- Fund Manager:
- Ascent Capital Africa Ltd
- Domicile
:
The company or investment fund’s place of incorporation.
- Mauritius
We provide capital in the following ways: directly – through direct equity, direct debt, guarantees and other non-intermediated financial instruments; and indirectly – principally through investment funds.
For direct investments and fund investments, this is the date BII committed capital to the investments. This is typically the date on which legal agreements are signed by all parties.
For the portfolio companies of our fund investments, this is the date (either the month or the quarter) on which the fund committed capital to the portfolio company.
For direct equity investments, this is the date at which British International Investment exited the investment.
For debt investments, this is the date at which the final debt repayment was made.
For funds, this is the date at which the fund was terminated.
For underlying fund investments, this is the date at which the fund manager exited the investment.
The total amount committed, per financial instrument, per investment, on the date BII becomes subject to a binding legal obligation to provide funding or assume a contingent liability. This information is provided in US dollars.
For direct investments, this is the amount that BII has committed to the business or project. For fund investments, this is the amount BII has committed to the fund.
The currency in which the investment was made.
- Last updated
Investments made by this fund into companies:
For further information about these companies, visit http://ascent-africa.com/
| Investment name | Country | Region | Sector | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Queen Uganda Holdings Ltd | Uganda | East Africa | Consumer - other services | December 2015 | Active |
| Allcent Global Corporation | Ethiopia | East Africa | Manufacturing | March 2017 | Active |
| Auto Springs Mauritius Ltd | Kenya | East Africa | Manufacturing | March 2018 | Active |
| Chims Africa Ltd | Uganda | East Africa | Communications & IT services | August 2015 | Exited |
| Kisumu Concrete Products | Kenya | East Africa | Manufacturing | February 2017 | Exited |
| Medpharm Holdings Africa Ltd | Ethiopia | East Africa | Consumer - Health | February 2015 | Exited |
| Metroplast Mu Ltd | Kenya | East Africa | Manufacturing | October 2019 | Active |
| Pharmcent Limited (Guardian Healthcare Limited) | Uganda | East Africa | Consumer - Health | May 2017 | Exited |
| Unicent Limited (Universal Plastics Factory Plc) | Ethiopia | East Africa | Manufacturing | May 2017 | Active |
