18 December 2013, Washington, DC: The Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA) announced today that it has welcomed five new members to its Africa Council, an advisory group comprised of senior representatives from among its leading members in the African private equity community.

Representing a diverse range of African private equity expertise, the newly welcomed Council members include: Afolabi Oladele, Partner, African Capital Alliance (ACA); Annette Berendsen, Manager of Business Development, FMO; Emile du Toit, Head of Infrastructure Investments, Harith General Partners; Matthew Hunt, Investment Committee Member, South Suez Capital; and Eytan Stibbe, Founding Director, Vital Capital Fund.

EMPEA now serves over 300 member firms, representing both the fund management and institutional investor communities who share the belief that private equity investment in emerging markets can generate attractive returns to investors while providing unique value to companies, economies and communities. Commenting on the appointments, Robert W. van Zwieten, EMPEA President and CEO said: “We are very fortunate to have such experienced and committed individuals joining the Africa Council. Africa plays a key role in demonstrating the transformative power of private equity and offers significant opportunities for investment. With the addition of these new members, the Africa Council will continue to help EMPEA direct its programming to best reflect the needs of its members within EMPEA’s global emerging markets mandate.”

Members of the Africa Council will join leading private equity firms and global investors this upcoming February in Stellenbosch, South Africa at the Private Equity in Southern Africa 2014 leadership summit to discuss the future of private equity in the region. Presented by the South African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (SAVCA), Financial Times Live and EMPEA, the summit will convene on 11 February 2014 and will be preceded by a Limited Partners-Only Masterclass on 10 February 2014.

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About GPCA

The Global Private Capital Association, which was founded as the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA) in 2004, is a non-profit, independent membership organization representing private capital investors who manage more than USD2t in assets across Asia, Latin America, Africa, Central & Eastern Europe and the Middle East. United by a long-term investment approach, our members are fund and institutional investors including private equity, growth equity, venture capital, credit, pension plans and sovereign wealth funds, among others.

GPCA’s Africa Council Members

Runa Alam, Development Partners International; Annette Berendsen, FMO; Ngalaah Chuphi, Ethos Private Equity; David Creighton, Cordiant Capital; Thierry Dalais, Lereko Metier; Hurley Doddy, Emerging Capital Partners (ECP); Emile du Toit, Harith General Partners; Lindel Eakman, University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO); Hisham El-Khazindar, Citadel Capital; Michelle Kathryn Essome, African Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (AVCA); Murray Grant, Actis; Matthew Hunt, South Suez Capital; Gloria Mamba, Global Environment Fund; Kevin Njiraini, International Finance Corporation; Henry Obi (Chair), Helios Investment Partners; Afolabi Oladele, African Capital Alliance; Ziad Oueslati, AfricInvest Group; Line Picard, African Development Bank (AfDB); Soula Proxenos, International Housing Solutions; Davinder Sikand, The Abraaj Group; Eytan Stibbe, Vital Capital Fund; Paul Tierney, Development Capital LLC; and Erika van der Merwe, South African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA).