21 Feb 2019

 MNCapital recently hosted a forum to explore infrastructure opportunities in Botswana. 

Speaking in an interview during the two-day forum, MNCapital group chief executive officer, Mr Michael Ndinisa, said the event was meant to identify ways through which asset owners and managers could attract investment or access suitable long term financing to continue driving economic growth. 

“This is a series of events. We do it across the continent. We travel in different countries talking to investors or asset owners about opportunities that exist for the country - looking at a number of factors that go with infrastructure, such as water, transportation and housing needs,” he said.

The open interactive discussion, Mr Ndinisa said, was also the first step towards developing an ecosystem of asset owners, fund managers and investment professionals with a desire to invest in infrastructure. 

Through interaction with asset owners, he said the forum would establish key challenges facing Botswana pension funds and where they saw opportunities to diversify investment, thus reducing risks and maximising on potentially high returns.  

Covered topics included; how to overcome barriers to long-term infrastructure financing, accessing alternative financing and fostering institutional investments in Botswana’s capital markets. 

The event brought together asset owners and managers, project developers, regulators and policy makers, pension funds, trade unions, investors to discuss how they could work together to realise infrastructure development as a key and fundamental element in economic growth. From Botswana, he said the forum will be held in Swaziland, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia, followed by the main event, which will be the continental event, called: Africa Asset Owners and Managers Forum scheduled for Zanzibar in October 2.ENDS