Mergence Investment Managers

Kasief Isaacs, Head: Private Markets at Mergence Investment Managers , is speaking at SuperReturn Africa 2024, taking place on 3-5 December at The Westin, Cape Town! Register now and use my code FKR3547EMSPK to save 10%: https://lnkd.in/du_is9E8 #SRAfrica SuperReturn

Commenting on the Trump US election win, The Africa Report states that the US economy could still achieve a soft landing, which would improve prospects for emerging-market currencies such as the rand. Mergence Head of Equities, Peter Takaendsa, added that a combination of South African political stability and a continuation of US Fed interest rate cuts could work together to stabilise the rand. This, in turn, might lead to rating agencies and related capital flows turning in South Africa’s favor. #USElections #SouthAfrica #EmergingMarkets #Investment

Commenting on the local market impact of the Trump electoral victory in the US, Mergence Head: Equities, Peter Takaendsa, noted that if Trump’s policies are implemented, the external environment would not be of much help to South Africa’s economic recovery – making self-help economic reforms more important. If SA could resolve key structural issues and boost business confidence, this together with a Fed that is likely to continue trimming interest rates could stabilise the rand. This could potentially lead to ratings agencies and related capital flows turning in SA’s favour.

Exciting news from Lesotho! The well-respected Public Eye Newspaper ran a cover story on the success of Sanlei Premium Trout and its breakthrough into the US export market.   Mergence Investment Managers (Lesotho) facilitated the investment on behalf of their client, who holds a private equity stake in this unique aquaculture project. This investment continues to generate a positive ESG impact on the Lesotho market and Basotho communities.🇱🇸   Read more about this remarkable achievement and its implications for sustainable development.   #Aquaculture #ESG #Lesotho #SustainableInvesting #MergenceInvestmentManagers #SanleiPremiumTrout 🐟

We are pleased to announce that GCR Ratings has assigned a national scale fund rating of AA+, with a Stable Outlook, to the Mergence Prime Money Market Fund. This Fund is managed by Mohamed Ismail, Head: Fixed Income at Mergence Investment Managers. Launched in December 2022, the Fund is a low-risk fund which aims to protect the capital of investors while providing income in excess of short-term bank deposit rates. It complies with Regulation 28 and CISCA Board Notice 90. The Stable Outlook reflects our commitment to provide an outperforming investment fund that provides capital safety and liquidity. #Investment #MoneyMarketFund #FixedIncome #LowRiskInvestment

Mergence Investment Managers welcomes the focus on water infrastructure in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, says Kasief Isaacs, Head of Private Markets, and are pleased to be participating in the process of fast-tracking public-private partnerships in the sector. The Minister refers to performance-based contracts being fast-tracked in five metros for non-revenue water and recycling water respectively. We have submitted first-stage proposals through our portfolio company, South African Water Works, to the eThekwini Metro following their RFPs. This comes on the back of our six years of success in the only two long-term water PPPs currently in the country. 💧 #WaterInfrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnerships #SustainableDevelopment #WaterRecycling #NonRevenueWater #MergenceInvestmentManagers #SouthAfricanWaterWorks #InfrastructureInvestment #MTBPS2024 #Sustainability

Commenting on the Competition Tribunal’s ruling to disallow the Vodacom/Maziv merger, Peter Takaendsa, Head: Equities at Mergence Investment Managers, said that the prohibition will have implications for other market consolidation transactions that were waiting for the outcome of this case. It is quite likely that Vodacom will deploy more of its capital outside South Africa or prioritise repaying debt should it not win the case on appeal. Regarding the wider trend, both Vodacom and MTN have realised that it may be too late to build large national fibre networks of their own and are therefore looking to buy minority stakes in existing fibre network operators to optimise capital expenditure and share infrastructure.

In The Financial Mail ZA, Peter Takaendsa, Head: Equities at Mergence Investment Managers, gives the Mergence long-term outlook on various stocks. He unpacks the merits of investing in Motus (the diversified business in the automotive sector) and suggests that that a long position in Motus could be paired with a short in one of the retailers where the sector has already rerated sharply.

Can Canal+ turn the tide on the MultiChoice subscriber exodus? Peter Takaendsa, Head of Equities at Mergence Investment Managers, comments in Mail & Guardian on the matter. He notes that the jury is still out on whether Canal+ will get good value out of MultiChoice. Additionally, MultiChoice’s efforts to cut costs—such as streamlining content and reducing decoder subsidies—are akin to “running fast to remain in one spot.”

The intricacies of raising renewable energy finance. In the 2024 Mining & Energy Handbook produced by The Brief Live Nam, Hileni Ollyn Nghinaunye, our Portfolio Manager at Mergence Unlisted Investment Managers (Namibia), writes about the sophistication and knowledge required to raise finance for renewable energy projects. Mergence is launching its Fund II on the back of the success of Fund I, which will continue to invest in the renewables sector through practical private funding options. By boosting the energy security of Namibia, we are both contributing to the national economy and helping to uplift communities. #InfrastructureFinance #RenewableEnergy #EnergySecurity #Namibia #Mergence #SustainableInvesting #Investment #Finance