SAVCA 2021 Private Equity Industry Survey - Full Report

SAVCA released the survey findings in a series of three volumes, which culminated in a final consolidated report.

This report is now available online for download.

As the world became accustomed to constant change through the COVID-19 pandemic, at SAVCA we also decided it was time to change how we reported on our private equity (PE) data. For twenty years, SAVCA reported annually on the industry trends for the preceding calendar year in the form of a report accompanied by an in-person event.

This year however, instead of one report, we published three volumes that not only highlighted deal activity and trends, but also captured important industry sentiments around key issues, supported by the inclusion of global comparisons. Given the robustness of the data being reported, each of these volumes warranted its own webinar where industry experts provided additional insights based on their experiences in the market.

These three volumes collectively culminated into this final report – capturing all the data, industry trends and market sentiments collected and analysed by our valuable research partner, EY. This report therefore not only provides important deal activity, fundraising and transformation data, but also valuable insights into the strategic priorities of PE firms, the impact of the pandemic on PE firms and their underlying portfolio companies, as well as changing operating models within the industry.

In terms of deal activity, we were pleased to see that the industry continued to invest regardless of a difficult trading environment, and that southern African PE firms were still able to raise funds that will ultimately be deployed in support of economic growth and recovery. An interesting insight from Volume 2, was that 54.4% (R9.2 billion) of total funds raised, were from Pension and Endowment Funds. Of this R9.2 billion (about $574.1 million), 97% were from South African pension and endowment funds. This speaks positively to the market sentiment that the PE industry continues to remain agile, and is a viable vehicle to invest in the real economy.

As in previous years, we would like to thank our members who participated in the survey, as well as those who supported the survey through taking up advertising space. Your support makes it possible for SAVCA to achieve its objectives of creating a more supportive regulatory environment, and to promote the value and impact of PE and venture capital to various stakeholders, including local and international investors.

We also take this opportunity to thank our research partner, EY, as they not only provided valuable market insights over and above data collection and reporting, but also were key to the creative element of the various volumes and this report.

We hope you enjoyed the new volume format and that the collective SAVCA report is both insightful and beneficial.

About SAVCA:

The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) is the industry body and public policy advocate for private equity and venture capital in Southern Africa. SAVCA represents about R171 billion in assets under management through 181 members that form part of the private equity and venture capital ecosystem. SAVCA promotes the Southern Africa venture capital and private equity asset classes on a range of matters affecting the industry.

SAVCA also provides relevant and insightful research, offers training on private equity and creates meaningful networking opportunities for industry players.

For more, visit our website: http://www.savca.co.za/

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