African Allocator Podcast

Prior to founding Urquhart Partners, Richard Cheesman built a reputation anonymously, running one of South Africa's largest corporate finance Twitter accounts. This was 2017, around the time of the Steinhoff scandal. That online work, and Richard's deeply analytical mindset, so impressed the founder of one of the country's largest hedge funds that he offered Richard a job. In 2019, Richard jo...

How do you go from tourist to investor? In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Herta von Stiegel shares how trips to Africa as a holidaymaker soon turned into philanthropy, and then into a mission to join others in developing and financing the continent's energy future. She talks about how smart capital allocation can support long-term energy security, the vital role that domestic African pensio...

The best investment opportunities often emerge after everyone else has left. (Yes, you read that right). In this episode, Johan de Bruijn, Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager at 337 Frontier Capital, breaks down the capital cycle driving today's opportunity within Frontier Africa public equities. He explains why today's opportunity reminds him of the early 2000s, how he uncovers overlooked businesses...

Sango Capital was created to be a bridge between global capital and African opportunity. In this episode, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Richard Okello (formerly of Bridgewater Associates and Makena Capital Management) talks about the journey since 2011. He explains his philosophy and approach to capital allocation, why he thinks sustainable impact comes only from commercially viable businesses,...

How do you grow a logistics business when disruption becomes the norm? In this episode, Abir Leheta, Co-CEO of Egytrans NOSCO, a listed Egyptian transport and logistics group, discusses navigating crises, the strategic logic behind the 2025 NOSCO acquisition (one of the first non-cash share swap deals on the EGX), and more. Enjoy! African Stock Hunter is an Allocator Media Ltd company. Learn more...

For generations, Africans measured wealth in cattle long before modern finance arrived. Could fractional ownership of this familiar, everyday asset be the bridge between traditional wealth and modern investing? Since 2017, this has been the core idea driving SV Capital, a Johannesburg-based alternative real assets manager. In this episode, Co-Founder & COO Kagiso Tloubatla explains w...

Andre Steyn, CEO and CIO of Steyn Capital Management, explains how forensic accounting and investor psychology create opportunities on both the long and short side. From spotting frauds, fads, and broken balance sheets to finding dominant businesses trading at attractive valuations, Andre shares the lessons behind his quality-value approach, and why African equities may be one of the most overlook...

Nyeji Mhango is the Founding Partner and CEO of wCap, a Zambia-based investment firm providing private credit to high-growth, women-led businesses in underserved Southern African markets. In this episode, she walks through wCap's evolution from venture capital to private credit, why the SME financing gap in Africa demands bespoke lending solutions over one-size-fits-all products, and what emerging...

Kieran Godden trained as an actuary. He moved from South Africa to Kenya over four years ago where today, he leads Liberty Kenya Holdings Plc. The firm is a full-spectrum insurer listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and part of the Standard Bank Group. In this conversation, why digitalisation is core to its strategy, Kenya's highly competitive insurance industry, the value of return on equity...

Dr Slim Feriani is a Founding Partner and CEO at Alternative Path Partners, a new Africa-focused multi-asset investment firm. Over the years, he has held roles in academia, government and asset management. He most recently served as CEO of Djibouti's sovereign wealth fund. In this conversation, Dr Feriani explains APP's investment thesis, why Africa demands a multi-asset approach, and why “capital...

Luni Libes, CEO at Africa Eats, discusses his company’s Berkshire Hathaway-inspired model, why traditional venture capital often struggles in Africa, and how public markets can unlock scale. He also explores the power of “boring” food and agriculture businesses, founder networks, and the long-term opportunity across Africa’s fast-growing economies. Enjoy! African Stock Hunter is an Allocator Media...

Django Davidson is a founding partner at Hosking Partners, a London-based investment manager running a global equity strategy with a capital cycle approach. In this conversation, Django explains what the capital cycle approach to investing actually is, why he's bullish about platinum group metals (PGMs), and what true contrarianism means to him. Enjoy! Learn more about Django Davidson | Hosking Pa...

Dave Uduanu is CEO of Access ARM Pensions, one of Nigeria’s largest pension fund administrators (PFAs). In this episode, he explains more about Access ARM’s allocation strategy, some notable trends within the Nigerian pensions industry, and why he expects more industry consolidation in the years to come. Enjoy! Learn more about Dave Uduanu | Access ARM Pensions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/i...

Steven Quattry is a Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, where he leads the Next Gen Emerging Markets Fund focused on large, fast-growing yet overlooked markets. In this episode, he talks about the fund's top-down macro investment approach, compelling opportunities in countries like Nigeria and Egypt, and why amidst noisy global politics, he's focused on dollar-dominated retu...

Roland Gräbe is Chief Investment Officer at Old Mutual Multi-Managers, a South African investment firm with $6.8 billion in assets under management. As an asset allocator, Roland oversees OMMM's allocations to various asset managers both locally and internationally. In this episode, he talks how growing up in an academic household shaped his career path, why it's hard to find truly skilled investm...

Nerina Visser is Director at ETFSA Portfolio Management Company, a South African investment firm that specialises in exchange traded products. In this episode, she talks about her unusual journey into the investment industry, how the South African exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry differs from other African markets, and why regulators are key to unlocking growth in the African ETF industry. Enjo...

Mike Adsetts is Chief Investment Officer at Momentum Investments, a South African multi-asset manager. In this episode, he talks about strategic and tactical asset allocation strategies, how liquidity and regulation impact investment decision-making, and why he's still a firm believer in ESG investment principles. Enjoy! Learn more about Mike Adsetts | Momentum Investments LinkedIn: https://www.li...

Vuyo Ntoi is Co-Managing Director at African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), one of the continent’s leading sustainable infrastructure investors. In this episode, he shares how AIIM is allocating its new $954 million pan-African infrastructure investment fund, why local knowledge is key to investment success, and how he navigates short-term market noise vs. long-term strategy and convic...

Ayo Salami is Chief Investment Officer at Emerging Markets Investment Management (EMIM), a London-based investment manager. In this conversation, he reflects on his journey from academia to fund management, provides a historical view of the present moment in African listed equity valuations, and explains why domestic African capital sources are key to the next decade of African development. Learn...

Aum Thacker is an investment professional at TLG Capital, a London-based private credit investment firm focused on African markets. In this conversation with Chipo Muwowo, he discusses why private credit is transformative for African entrepreneurs, how TLG structures deals to reduce risk in Africa's rapidly evolving private credit landscape, and why a Nollywood deal remains his firm favourite. Aum...

In this conversation, Chipo Muwowo speaks with Thea Jamison, Managing Director, CHANGE Global Investment. Thea explains why she likes blue-chip companies “that have multi-bagger upside”, where in Africa her firm is currently invested, and why the gap between perception and reality is Africa’s biggest investment challenge. She also shares one thing she’s optimistic about, and one thing she’s cautio...