For Press Release

London, 29th November 2025 – The Central Africa Markets VC & Private Equity Association (CAMPEA) has released the shortlist for the CAMPEA-powered regional category at the SuperReturn Africa 2025, for the Central Africa Investment Leader of the Year Award, reaffirming the growing depth, sophistication, and institutional maturity of the region’s investment-management industry.

This  CAMPEA supported category aims to highlight the fund managers, investment funds and institutions whose leadership is shaping, elevating and fostering the region’s private capital landscape across innovative verticals, industries and sectors. As Central Africa continues to attract growing interest from regional and international LPs, as well as witnessing a sprawling and budding fund management space, the SuperReturn Africa and CAMPEA supported awards have become a strategic indicator of excellence in fund management, portfolio performance, governance discipline, and market-building contributions. The 2025 finalists exemplify the sophistication and resilience driving the region’s maturing venture capital and private equity ecosystem.

A Recognition Grounded in Investment Discipline: Benchmarking Leadership Across a Rapidly Transforming Market

CAMPEA designed the award to highlight the highest standards of investment management, not just headline deals. The Central Africa Investment Leadership award is regarded as a proxy for corporate and  institutional strength within Central Africa’s alternative-investments sector. The finalists collectively oversee mandates across private equity, VC, infrastructure, energy transition, and specialized debt vehicles—key arenas for investors seeking differentiated exposure in frontier and emerging markets. For professional investors, GPs, LPs, and allocators seeking exposure to Central Africa’s expanding private-capital landscape, the award has become a reliable benchmark for evaluating leadership quality and fund-management discipline. The 2025 finalists—whose names will be detailed separately—represent the individuals setting the pace in capital deployment, governance, risk management, and long-term value creation across one of Africa’s most dynamic investment corridors.

The CAMPEA Jury evaluated nominees across three central pillars:

1. Portfolio & Performance Leadership
   Demonstrated track record of strong risk-adjusted returns, disciplined capital allocation, and operational value creation across diverse market cycles:

   • Strong risk-adjusted returns in challenging macroeconomic conditions

   • Disciplined deal selection and portfolio construction

   • Demonstrated ability to create operational value, not just financial engineering

2. Governance, Compliance & Institutional Maturity: Governance, ESG & Institutional Standards
   Adherence to international fiduciary practices, transparent reporting, credible ESG integration, and responsible stewardship of LP capital:

   • Transparent LP reporting and fund-governance structures

   • Robust risk-mitigation frameworks across currency, liquidity, and political exposures

   • Integration of ESG and sustainability principles at the asset and fund level

3. Regional Development : Market Impact & Ecosystem Strengthening 
   Contributions to market-deepening initiatives—supporting startups, SMEs, industrial projects, and cross-border investment collaboration:

   • Contribution to market-deepening initiatives across Central Africa

   • Support for regional integration and cross-border portfolio strategies

   • Capacity-building for local management teams and investee companies

The 2025 Finalists 

After diligent Jury deliberation by the CAMPEA Award committee, the selected  final shortlist for the Central Africa Investment Leader Award are announced as follow:

• FEDA – Fund for Export Development for Africa
• PROPARCO
• FMO
• XSML Capital

What This Signals for Fund Managers and LPs

For fund managers and allocators monitoring Central Africa as part of a diversified frontier-market strategy, the 2025 shortlist conveys several important signals about the region’s investment trajectory. For global and regional investors monitoring Central Africa’s investment trajectory, the CAMPEA shortlist offers a high-quality lens into the leadership driving the region’s next phase of capital formation.

Key trends reflected in the 2025 finalist group include:

• Enhanced Deal Pipeline Quality
  Increasing sophistication in mid-market, digital economy, agribusiness, and renewable-energy transactions.

• Strengthened Governance Frameworks
  Wider adoption of international GP standards, valuation transparency, and LP engagement models.

• More Structured Cross-Border Investment Strategies
  A shift toward integrated Central African portfolios spanning Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, and the wider ECCAS region.

A Sign of Growing Investor Confidence

The 2025 finalists collectively oversee mandates ranging from early-stage venture capital and mid-market private equity to blended-finance vehicles and sector-focused infrastructure funds. Their leadership is central to the region’s evolving investment narrative:

• Capital is being deployed more strategically into areas with scalable growth potential

• Exit pathways are expanding, including trade sales, regional consolidation, and selective IPO prospects

• Local capital participation is rising, expanding the investor base beyond DFIs

These trends strengthen Central Africa’s profile as an increasingly competitive destination for institutional capital.

A High-Impact Cohort Driving Regional Capital Markets

The 2025 nominees collectively influence billions in assets under management and have been instrumental in structuring blended-finance vehicles, promoting investor education, and supporting regulatory modernization efforts. Their leadership is accelerating confidence in Central Africa’s capacity to deploy capital effectively and generate sustainable long-term value.

This year’s shortlist reflects:

• A growing professionalization of VC and PE practices within the region

• Increasing participation of development finance institutions (DFIs) and strategic corporate investors

• An expansion of co-investment platforms that reduce risk and deepen market access

Preparing for the 2025 SuperReturn Africa Award Ceremony

The final winner will be announced at the 2025 Super Return Africa Annual Summit, a gathering of fund managers, DFIs, sovereign wealth entities, corporate investors, and policymakers. The announcement is expected to influence partnership discussions, fundraising momentum, and regional investment strategies across the coming year.

As Central Africa strengthens its position in Africa’s private-capital landscape, the CAMPEA Leadership Award remains a critical indicator of the professionals shaping the region’s growth trajectory, policy dialogue, and investment integrity.