This investment was made when British International Investment was named CDC Group.
Our investment
In 2016, British International Investment invested $10 million in ARF, alongside the IFC and other DFIs including the Dutch Development Bank, Belgium's BIO and France's Proparco, the Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF) and Canada's Lundin Foundation. The fund manager will look to make equity and debt investments between $0.25 million to $5 million. The total fund size is $50 million. Our investment will provide much-needed finance and support for small businesses in this challenging region.
Expected impact
Lack of finance is a major barrier to effective growth and expansion for high-growth SMEs in Central and East Africa. Many of these companies can also help provide basic goods to low-income groups. Our investment will allow the fund manager to improve access to affordable products and services, and generate direct and indirect jobs, helping to unlock the region's potential for growth. The fund manager will also provide technical assistance and training to investee companies to help them reduce operating costs and develop business skills. Since its launch, the ARF has invested in Qualicoff, a Ugandan exporter of coffee beans; Telcare, an operator of Ugandan mobile money kiosks; Ecopharm, a Ugandan pharmacy chain; and Institut Aurora, an education provider which offers nursery, primary and secondary education in Kinshasa, DCR. XSML made 32 investments in SMEs across 10 sectors with its first fund.
Environmental and social aspects
We will work closely with the fund manager to develop and implement an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS).
Key facts
- Status:
- Active
- Region
:
Since 2012, we’ve only invested in Africa and South Asia. Investments outside these regions are from our pre-2012 portfolio.
- Africa, Central Africa
- Sector
:
We have seven priority sectors. However, we continue to invest outside these sectors, largely in the most challenging regions, as new investment supporting any sector helps to underpin the private sector, and create jobs and livelihoods for people. For funds, the sectors listed here are those the fund has invested in so far.
- Communications and IT Services, Education, Food and agriculture, Health, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Other consumer services, Others
- Website:
- https://xsmlcapital.com/
- Investment type
:
We provide capital in three broad ways: direct equity, debt, and intermediated equity (principally through investment funds).
- Intermediated investment
- Fund manager:
- XSML
- Start date
:
For direct investments, this is the date British International Investment committed capital to the business or project.
For funds, this is the date that British International Investment committed capital to the fund.
For underlying fund investments, this is the date that the fund invested capital into the business.e
- February 2016
- Amount
:
For direct investments, this is the total amount that British International Investment has committed to the business or project (it may be a combination of equity and debt).
For funds, this is the total amount that British International Investment has committed to the fund.
- $10m
- Domicile
:
This is the investee company’s place of incorporation; or a fund’s jurisdiction.
- Mauritius
Investments made by this fund
- Active
- Exited
| Investment name | Country | Region | Sector | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NRJ Sarl
Established in 2006, NRJ is one of the largest trucking companies operating in the Kinshasa/Bas Congo region and has a fleet of Renault trucks, trailers and elevator tractors. It specialises in the transport of cement, mined materials, fuel, logs and other conventional freight. It also offers rental services. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Manufacturing | April 2016 | Active |
|
RJ Trading Sarl
RJ Trading is a trading and wholesale company in Kinshasa and Pointe-Noire which imports and distributes fast moving consumer goods brands, bakery products and pet food. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | April 2016 | Active |
|
Ets. B.I.S
BIS manufactures more than 50 pharma products and specialises in injectable and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals for the mass market in DRC and is planning to expand into household cleaning products. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Health | April 2016 | Exited |
|
SOGOOD SARL
SoGood is the first wholesaler in the Congo focused on the distribution of fresh, frozen and dry good to the hospitality sector (restaurants, hotels, etc) in Kinshasa. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | April 2016 | Exited |
|
Institut Aurora
Set up in 2012, Institut Aurora provides affordable nursery, primary and secondary school education to French and English curriculum standards |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Education | April 2016 | Active |
|
GROUPE M&N SARL
Groupe M&N, operating as VIP Palace, has a hotel and restaurant in Goma (Eastern DRC) and is well placed to gain from an increase in tourism to Lake Kivu and Virunga National Park. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | May 2016 | Active |
|
Pop Shop Sarl
Pop Shop operates Limoncello, an Italian restaurant, and a stationery store retailing to schools and offices, Both are based in Kinshasa. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | June 2016 | Active |
|
Maison Galaxy
Established in 2014, Maison Galaxy is a consumer goods and cosmetics retailer and has stores in Goma, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Lolwezi, Lubumbashi, Kindu and Matadi, with plans to open outlets in Cote d'Ivoire and Angola. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | August 2016 | Active |
|
Monishop
Monishop is a supermarket retailer in Kinshasa. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | August 2016 | Active |
|
Quickprint Sarl
Established in 2014, Quickprint is a digital printing shop in Gombe, Kinshasa and offers modern printing solutions for corporates, NGOs and SMEs in the area. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Manufacturing | December 2016 | Active |
| Fawaz Trading | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | February 2017 | Active |
| Gerant de l’Eternal | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | March 2017 | Active |
| Kare Distribution | Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Food and agriculture | May 2017 | Active |
| SODEP | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Infrastructure | May 2017 | Exited |
| Qualicoff | Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Food and agriculture | May 2017 | Active |
| Telcare Ltd | Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Communications and IT Services | July 2017 | Exited |
| M&N Cleaning | Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Other consumer services | July 2017 | Active |
| Ecopharm Ltd | Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Health | October 2017 | Active |
| Simba Oil Ltd | Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Others | March 2018 | Exited |
| PCA | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Other consumer services | September 2018 | Active |
| TMR | Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Health | September 2018 | Active |
| Sodikim | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Manufacturing | October 2018 | Active |
| Citadel Holdings | Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Health | November 2018 | Active |
| MDN | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Health | November 2018 | Active |
|
Ice Industries
Ice Industries (ICE) is a producer of flake ice, which is used mainly to keep fresh produce cold and is an essential element for the fishing sector in Uganda. |
Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Food and agriculture | February 2019 | Active |
|
Prime Concept
Prime Concepts Packaging Ltd. is a manufacturer of corrugated carton boxes, heavy duty packaging boxes, punched boxes, corrugated sheets, corrugated rolls and egg trays. It was founded to be the premier manufacturers of corrugated carton packaging materials and egg trays in Uganda and East Africa. |
Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Manufacturing | March 2019 | Active |
|
First and Future
First and Future is the first truly independent commercial call centre in the DRC. It manages both on-site as well as their own off-site call centre to service the growing need for customer service. As all other existing call centres are in-house and captive, it is the first to offer this service to all companies in the DRC. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Communications and IT Services | June 2019 | Active |
|
Simba Telecom
Simba Telecom is the biggest mobile phone retailer in East Africa with over 100 retail outlets and is also the largest airtime distributor in the region |
Uganda | Africa, East Africa | Communications and IT Services | December 2019 | Active |
|
Sindco
Sindco is a plastic fabrication company in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa, Central Africa | Manufacturing | December 2019 | Active |
