Private equity seems to hold the African growth promise. Amid the sluggish economy and the lengthy deleveraging process that the developed countries have been going through, Africa is rising as a fertile, promising, and untapped playground for foreign investments. Investors are shifting gears towards the black continent, not only to diversify away from a slowing economy, but also to grasp the unrivalled opportunity that Africa has to offer. Africa’s real GDP has been growing at an average compound rate of 5% in the last 5 years, a pace that is faster than that of developed nations. Other economically viable reasons to set foot on the continent, to name a few, are: a booming consumer market that is expected to reach US$1 trillion by 2020, an advancing and more efficient financial sector, and more importantly new governmental measures that aim at bolstering new opportunities through reforms and diversification from oil industries. (more…)