About Us
African
Capital Mobilisation
The Africans for Africa Initiative combines government advisory, project development, research, and institutional-grade private equity, purpose-built for the moment when the world's demand for Africa's minerals can no longer be separated from the question of who benefits.
Lost Value
At the heart of Africa’s resource paradox lie two interconnected forces. The first is the relentless export of unprocessed natural resources (cobalt leaves the DRC to be refined internationally, same for bauxite, gold, tin et al).
Over 80% of Africa’s mineral exports leave the continent in raw form, forfeiting up to 60% of potential value and exporting the jobs alongside the rocks.
High Cost
The second is the continuous outflow of financial capital.
African sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and high-net-worth individuals invest capital in foreign markets at 5% returns. Those same markets lend it back to Africa at premiums of 20% or more.
The vast private sector cannot afford to explore, expand projects nor build refineries at 25–30% local cost of capital rates, so it exports raw commodities for quick cash, which perpetuates the resource drain. It is a self-perpetuating cycle.
Practical
Conviction
The Africans for Africa Initiative was founded by the Africa Minerals Strategy Group, Core International and Motimose Metals, led by practitioners who had spent decades in African mining and watched the same structural failure repeat. They built the foundation first, then brought in Launch Africa Ventures to build the investment vehicle.
The Initiative generates the government relationships, policy frameworks, and project intelligence that give the Fund its structural edge. The Fund generates the proof-of-concept and the returns that give the Initiative its credibility with partners. Neither works as well without the other.
Watch the Launch Video
Benefitting African Communities
For every investment, a minimum of 51% total project benefits for African communities.
Every AFA Mining Fund investment must result in a Total African Benefit of at least 51%, measured across equity ownership participation, employment, procurement frameworks, taxes, and community development.
This mandate exceeds the beneficiation & local ownership requirements now enacted by African governments transforming political risk into political licence.
The mandate does not exclude global capital. It defines the terms on which global capital is welcome. Sovereign wealth funds from the Gulf, development institutions from Asia, institutional investors from Europe and the Americas all participate within a structure that ensures African communities capture greater benefit. It is the reason the investment is sustainable. And it is the reason global investors find AFA a compelling partner rather than a challenging one.