Five notable South African deals
We highlight five South African investments, as featured in our Dealmaker’s Log.
We highlight five South African investments over the past six months, as featured in our Dealmaker’s Log, a database of reported investment deals, exits, and fundraising milestones. Subscribe to this service here
1. Actis-led consortium completes South African acquisition
A consortium led by Actis, a global investor in sustainable infrastructure, completed the acquisition of a 100% stake in Swiftnet, a telecom tower portfolio in South Africa.
The Actis-led consortium, which includes international and local investors including South Africa’s Mineworkers Investment Company, now owns 70% of Swiftnet, partnering with Royal Bafokeng Holdings as the 30% shareholder.
Swiftnet, which was acquired by the Actis-led consortium from Telkom for an enterprise value of about $370 million (ZAR6.75 billion), has more than 4,000 telecom tower sites across South Africa. Read the full article
2. Summit Africa acquires stake in healthcare group
Private equity firm Summit Africa acquired 55% shareholding in St Mary’s Hospital in Mthatha, located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, from Life Healthcare Group.
Summit also has a majority interest in a healthcare management company Crestcare Hospital Group, which will manage St Mary’s Hospital. Read the full article
3. South African PE firm announces logistics deal
South African private equity fund manager Clearwater Capital announced the purchase of Etlin International’s temperature-controlled storage and logistics arm through a business rescue deal. This division, SnoLink Logistics, will continue to serve its existing customer base, which includes several blue chip retailers.
Under the new ownership structure, the logistics provider will maintain its workforce of 480 employees. However, there are plans to grow the company in the near future. Currently, expansion is underway nationally to increase the company’s capacity by 43%. Part of this includes building a new facility in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, with construction due to commence in 2026. Read the full article
4. Infinite Partners acquires interests in three fibre network operators
Infinite Partners, a South African-based private equity fund manager, and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) announced the acquisition of a strategic interest in three fibre network operators: Net Nine Nine, Evotel, and LinkLayer. These businesses have now been consolidated into a single holding company, Fibre Holdco, dedicated to expand reliable and affordable fibre connectivity primarily to historically underserved communities, including townships and rural mining towns across South Africa.
Edward Pitsi, co-founder and chief executive officer of Infinite Partners, said: “This investment represents a significant step in the development of our new fund’s portfolio. Fibre Holdco will be the second portfolio company in our Fund II programme. It is a transaction that neatly marries our goal of investing in sectors supported by structural tailwinds whilst also delivering against our sustainable impact goals. As a firm, we are looking forward to partnering with Albert Oosthuysen, chief executive officer of the new Fibre Holdco, and our fellow shareholders, KLT and Myriad Capital, as we support the business over the next exciting phase.” Read the full article
5. Ascension Capital increases stake in CPB
Ascension Private Equity Fund I, managed by Ascension Capital Partners, increased its equity interest in Consumer Profile Bureau (CPB) from 26% to 85% to become the majority shareholder alongside the management team.
CPB, founded in 1981, is a South African payment profile hosting credit bureau. CPB goes beyond traditional credit bureau offerings – delivering bespoke real-time credit solutions, advanced reporting and analytics, digital identification, paperless FICA, and online data analytics, alongside tracing, credit verification, and debtor profiling. CPB continues to serve as a trusted partner to its extensive and varied client base. Read the full article
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