Business Partners Limited, South Africa’s leading investment company for small and medium enterprises, has established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Business Partners International (BPI), in order to take the company’s internationally-recognised investment model into sub-Saharan Africa.

BPI has raised and is managing SME risk finance funds in Madagascar and Kenya, with a similar fund in a third country currently being planned. If these three pilot funds prove successful, further funds may be established elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, and possibly even beyond.

Business Partners’ unique model will be used to address some of the key obstacles facing entrepreneurs in Africa, namely:

• poor access to investment financing in order to establish or develop a self-sustaining business

• little or no collateral or security

• lack of access to proven due diligence methodologies

• lack of post-investment technical assistance

• lack of business support for long-term success and sustainability