Johannesburg, South Africa; 10 May 2016: Africa investor (Ai), a leading international investment and communications group, today successfully closed the 9th Africa investor (Ai) CEO Infrastructure and Sovereign Investment Summit and Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Summit gathered and engaged over 200 leaders, with discussions focusing on mobilising institutional investment for African infrastructure as an investable asset class. African governments and development partners are increasingly recognising that African sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other strategic long-term investment pools represent an important untapped source of infrastructure investment capital for the continent.
As such, Ai once again convened its Ai African Sovereign & Pension Funds Infrastructure Investors Network platform, which exists to intermediate relationships between African asset owners and share best practice with their international counterparts and policy makers to create a more hospitable environment for infrastructure investment for long-term investors.
Commenting on the Summit, Hubert Danso, CEO and Vice Chairman of Africa investor said, “We were delighted to convene and host our partner sovereign wealth funds and Africa’s largest and leading pension funds, which are growing increasingly interested in African infrastructure as an investable asset class. There is no doubt that they are keen to invest more in African infrastructure, but we caution developers and sponsors to fully appreciate these funds’ investment mandates and risk appetites before presenting their projects.”
The annual Ai Infrastructure Investment Awards ceremony took place later in the day. Now in their 9th year, these highly sought-after Ai Infrastructure Awards formally recognised achievements across the main infrastructure sectors in Africa, and rewarded the institutions and personalities driving transactions and improving the continent’s infrastructure investment climate.
Within the sectors, Ai Power Deal of the Year was awarded to the International Finance Corporation (IFC); RMB walked away with the Ai Transport Deal of the Year Award, and IHS Towers was recognised for the Ai ICT/Telecoms Deal of the Year. The European Investment Bank (EIB) was recognised for Water Deal of the Year while GE Healthcare was very deserving of the Ai Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year Award. Finally, Oil and Gas Deal of the Year was won by the Blackstone Group.
Azura Power won for the Ai PPP Champion of the Year; Ai Infrastructure Fund of the Year was awarded to African Infrastructure Investment Managers for the African Infrastructure Investment Fund 2, and the Ai Infrastructure Regulator of the Year Award went to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking walked away with Ai Bank Arranger of the Year, while a strong entry from Fasken Martineau saw them recognised as Ai Legal Advisor of the Year. Ai Advisor of the Year went to Deloitte
The Ai Pension Fund Infrastructure Investment Initiative of the Year was won by the Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (EPPF); the Ai Sovereign Wealth Fund Infrastructure Investment Initiative of the Year went to the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), and the LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority was recognised as the Ai Regional Infrastructure Investment Initiative of the Year.
In a new category, the Ai Capital Market Infrastructure Investment Initiative of the Year Award was presented to Gaia Infrastructure Partners and, finally, as a special Award, Brian Molefe, CEO of Eskom, was named Ai Infrastructure Investment Champion of the Year for his hard work over the past year. The full winners’ list is below.
The Ai CEO Infrastructure and Sovereign Investment Summit and Awards 2016 took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. Summit partners included Bunengi Group, the IDC and the EIB. For more information on the event, contact Precious Nkandu (pnkandu@africainvestor.com; +72 11 783 2431).
Ai Infrastructure Investment Awards Winners 2016
- Ai Power Deal of the Year
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
- Ai Transport Deal of the Year
RMB
- Ai ICT/Telecoms Deal of the Year
IHS Towers
- Water Deal of the Year
European Investment Bank (EIB)
- Ai Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year
GE Healthcare
- Oil and Gas Deal of the Year
The Blackstone Group
- Ai PPP Champion of the Year
Azura Power
- Ai Infrastructure Fund of the Year
African Infrastructure Investment Managers – African Infrastructure Investment Fund 2
- Ai Infrastructure Regulator of the Year
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)
- Ai Bank Arranger of the Year
Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking
- Ai Legal Advisor of the Year
Fasken Martineau
- Ai Advisor of the Year
Deloitte
- Ai Pension Fund Infrastructure Investment Initiative of the Year
Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (EPPF)
- Ai Sovereign Wealth Fund Infrastructure Investment Initiative of the Year
Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA)
- Ai Regional Infrastructure Investment Initiative of the Year
LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority
- Ai Capital Market Infrastructure Investment Initiative of the Year
Gaia Infrastructure Partners
- Ai Infrastructure Investment Champion of the Year
Brian Molefe, CEO, Eskom
ENDS**
Note to Editors
For more information on the Ai CEO Infrastructure Investment Summit and Awards, contact Catherine Wright on +27 11 783 4043 or cwright@africainvestor.com.
About Africa investor – www.africainvestor.com
Africa investor is a specialist investment and communications firm advising governments, international organisations and businesses on communication strategies for capital market and foreign direct investments in Africa. Africa investor publishes Africa investor, the leading international newsstand magazine for Africa’s investment decision makers; maintains the Africa investor 40 Investors’ Index, hosts the Ai Index Series Summit & Awards and the Africa investor Infrastructure Projects Summit & Awards, among other events.
