IFU

💰 DKK 100 MILLION MORE FOR IFU INVESTMENTS IN AFRICA 💰 In a summer interview with GlobalNyt, IFU’s CEO Lars Bertram is welcoming the new Danish strategy for Africa, which was launched last week. Lars Bo Bertram highlights that the strategy promotes close cooperation based on mutual respect between Denmark and Africa whether it is between states, companies or civil society. And he says: “The Africa Strategy also compares to the way IFU works. We are minority shareholders when we invest in African companies. We try to sit on the boards and influence the companies, but we are by no means in the majority. That way, we always have to be at eye level. The new Africa strategy is in a way reminiscent of our business model, and we can only welcome the fact that it will be done in other areas as well.” 👇 You can read the full New Africa-strategy in the link in the comments The interview is in Danish 

🌍 IFU VIL INVESTERE MILLIARDER I AFRIKA 🌍   ”Jeg vil gerne rose regeringen for at fremlægge en ambitiøs strategi for Afrika. Det er i alles interesse at bidrage yderligere til udviklingen af et kontinent, der fremover vil spille en stigende rolle,” siger Lars Bertram , administrerende direktør i Investeringsfonden for Udviklingslande (IFU).   Den private sektor er en afgørende motor i udviklingen af de afrikanske lande. I dag skabes omkring 9 ud af 10 job i Afrika i den private sektor, og en større privat sektor kan samtidig bidrage med bl.a. øgede eksportindtægter og lokale skatter, der kan styrke landenes økonomi og velfærd.   ”Hvis vi skal lykkes med at sikre en bedre fremtid for den voksende afrikanske befolkning, er det vigtigt, at vi styrker den private sektor med flere investeringer, så der kan skabes job til de mange millioner unge, som kommer ud på arbejdsmarkedet i de kommende år. Samtidig giver en stærk privat sektor også øgede offentlige indtægter, der kan bidrage til bedre velfærd for den brede befolkning,” siger Lars Bo Bertram.   Investerer yderligere otte mia. kr. i Afrika IFU har aktuelt en samlet portefølje af investeringer (aktiekapital og lån) i Afrika på ca. 3,5 mia. kr. i mere end 60 virksomheder. Med reformen af IFU, der blev vedtaget sidste år, styrkes indsatsen yderligere, og forventningen er, at IFU frem mod 2030 vil investere yderligere 💰 otte mia. kr. i Afrika.     ”Vi har en lang erfaring med at investere i Afrika. Og for de kommende år har vi en ambitiøs strategi for at øge vores engagement, der kan bidrage yderligere til at understøtte den grønne omstilling og forbedre levevilkårene i Afrika,” siger Lars Bo Bertram.    Styrket samarbejde med dansk erhvervsliv IFU har gode erfaringer med at hjælpe danske virksomheder med at gøre forretning i Afrika.   Det er fx tilfældet i Ghana, hvor vi sammen med FLSmidth har investeret i en lokal virksomhed, der med teknologi og udstyr fra FLSmidth reducerer CO2-udledningen med omkring 20 % per produceret ton cement. Eller sammen med Coop i Kenya, hvor vi har investeret i et kafferisteri, der sourcer kaffebønner fra lokale farmere, rister dem lokalt og eksporterer kaffen til Coops danske supermarkeder.    ”Dansk erhvervsliv kan spille en vigtig rolle i udviklingen i Afrika, og i IFU er vi klar til at gøre en ekstraordinær indsats for at bidrage til, at det kan lykkes at få flere danske virksomheder engageret på de afrikanske markeder,” siger Lars Bo Bertram.   👇 Læs hele IFU’s pressemeddelelse i kommentar #impactinvesteringer #verdensmål #afrika

✏ NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD OF IFU ✏ The Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jørgensen, has appointed new members to the board of directors of IFU, who will be acceding on 1 September 2024. It happens when the 3-year term of the current board ends on 31 August. Michael Rasmussen, CEO of Nykredit, will continue as chairman, and Anette Eberhard as deputy chairman. Four new board members have been appointed, extending the board from eight to ten members. “I am very satisfied with the results achieved by the retiring board of directors. I particularly commend them for their work on the reform of IFU. It resulted in the Danish government adopting an ambitious funding plan last year, providing access to DKK 20 billion (EUR ~2.7bn) towards 2030, which will contribute to investments in climate and Africa, for example. It is now up to the new board to set the course for this achievement,” said Dan Jørgensen. “I look forward to cooperating with the new board, IFU’s executive management and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are delivering on a very ambitious agenda. One objective is to increase IFU’s contribution to mobilising climate financing from DKK 2 billion (EUR ~270m) annually to DKK 6 billion (EUR ~800m) annually towards 2030. We also hope to play a significant role in delivering on the upcoming Africa strategy. Towards 2030, we expect to invest more than DKK 8 billion (EUR ~1.1bn) in Africa,” said Michael Rasmussen. The new board will have the following members: Chairman: Michael Rasmussen, CEO of Nykredit Deputy Chairman: Anette Eberhard, former managing partner in Institutional Investment Partners and CEO of EKF Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen, former secretary general of Danish Church Aid Emilie Damm Klarskov, Head of Analysis, The Economic Council of the Labour Movement Fleming Voetmann, Vice President for External Relations and Sustainability, Velux Hanna Line Jakobsen, Associate Director, Novo Nordisk Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, former chairman of the Liberal Party of Denmark (Venstre) and former deputy prime minister and minister for economic affairs Jarl Krausing, International Director, Concito Thomas Bustrup, Deputy CEO in Danish Industry Tommy Ahlers, chairman of Concito, entrepreneur and former minister for higher education and science 👇 Read full story in comments

🌱 HOW WE CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE REFORESTATION IN THE AMAZONIA REGION 🌱 Large areas in the Amazon region of Colombia have been transformed from native grasslands and/or gallery forest into low-productivity pasturelands for cattle or agricultural activities, leading to land degradation and soil erosion. A new afforestation and reforestation project, Amazonia Nativa, is set to revert the development and plant an area of up to 7,500 hectares with native species in the form of hard wood and acai palms. Together with the Dutch Development Finance Institution, FMO, IFU is co-financing the first phase of the project of 550 hectares that aims to prove the project design concept and be ready for the scale-up. “The Amazonia Nativa project is very interesting and fits well with IFU’s aspiration to support climate action and greening the economy. We hope to see it evolve and become at project that can be commercialised and attract other investors as well,” said Jesper Kaspersen, Senior Investment Manager in IFU. Watch the video and learn more about the project #Impactinvestment #reforestation #dkpol

🎓 AFRICA’S LARGEST SINGLE PHASED STUDENT HOUSING IS OPEN 🎓 About 90% of South African students need accommodation near their educational institutions. But the lack of capacity and high rental prices force many into long commutes, unsafe living conditions, or even dropping out of school. Especially students from low-income families suffer from the deficit, which is estimated to be of more than 500,000 beds. Now SASAII, a platform investing in and owning student accommodation in South Africa, has constructed and opened Africa’s largest single phased purpose-built student accommodation facility in Cape Town, providing housing for up to 3,000 students, primarily from low-income families. “Rise Student Living Cape Town offers an exceptional living experience with a wide range of facilities. As a resident on the 11th floor, I appreciate the study labs and collab lounges available on all floors, providing excellent spaces for individual and group study,” said Olwethu Khanyile. SASAII has also opened student housing facilities in Johannesburg and Pretoria and has additional projects in the pipeline. All co-financed by the Danish SDG Investment Fund managed by IFU. “By providing students with quality housing in a safe and secure environment close to their place of study, we are contributing to making access to education more equal in one of the world’s most unequal countries. SASAII focuses on students from disadvantaged backgrounds, aligning perfectly with IFU’s investment and impact strategy to foster more just and inclusive societies in developing countries,” said Emil Sierczynski, Investment Director at IFU. 👇 Read the full story in comments Eris Property Group (Pty) Ltd, Johan Janse van Vuuren #Southafrica #impactinvesting #SDGs #dkpol

🎓 BACK TO SCHOOL - IFU IS LOOKING FOR STUDENTS IFU has open positions for students within Finance & Accounting, Communication and Strategy & Business Development. We are looking forward to reading your applications! See the job ads on Jobteaser: Finance & Accounting: https://lnkd.in/dAefZVdS Communication: https://lnkd.in/d-HWYMWD Strategy & Business Development: https://lnkd.in/d_ggw9ct Read more about working in IFU: https://www.ifu.dk/en/job/

🚀 NY CEO LARS BO BERTRAM SÆTTER KURSEN FOR IFU 🚀 I det første større interview efter sin tiltrædelse understreger CEO Lars Bertram , at IFU går en spændende fremtid i møde. IFU får mere end fordoblet sin 💵 kapital fra ca. 15 til 35 mia. kr. mod 2030 Der skal rejses en ny Verdensmålsfond II på fem mia. kr. i samarbejde med danske pensionsselskaber og private investorer IFU skal som organisation udvikles til at kunne fordoble sine årlige investeringer I interviewet med FinansWatch understreger Lars Bo Bertram, at skiftet til IFU ikke er tilfældigt. ”Det er heller ikke helt tilfældigt. Jeg har altid syntes, at det var sjovere at bygge op end at vedligeholde. Og så har jeg jo en forholdsvis stor forkærlighed for udviklingsøkonomier,” siger Lars Bo Bertram, som også sidder som næstformand i bestyrelsen i SOS Børnebyerne. Dialogen med nye potentielle investorer i Verdensmålsfond II er sat i gang, og det forventes, at de første underskrifter kan blive sat i løbet af efteråret. ”Vi ser frem til dialogen og håber meget på, at danske pensionsselskaber, fonde, familiekontorer m.fl. igen vil stå på listen over investorer i den nye Verdensmålsfond II, når den er færdigtegnet i løbet af det næste års tid,” siger Lars Bo Bertram. Den første Verdensmålsfond er fuldt investeret i 27 selskaber i Afrika, Asien og Latinamerika. Indtil videre har investeringerne bl.a. bidraget med behandling af 1,2 millioner patienter i 2023, etableringen af samlet 1.800 megawatt vedvarende energi og understøttet knap 100.000 småbønder i at omlægge til økologisk produktion. Forventningen er, at fonden samlet giver investorerne et årligt afkast på 10 – 12 % netto i danske kroner.   Læs hele interviewet hos FinansWatch (kræver abonnement) #impactinvestment #SDG #dkpol

🌍 For the next four days, IFU Senior Vice President Reik Haahr Müller, Senior Vice President Thomas Hougaard and Investment Director Henrik Henriksen are ready to discuss energy investments at the Africa Energy Forum in Barcelona. Meet IFU and the other Nordic DFIs at stand A124.

♀ BANCOSOL ISSUES FIRST GENDER BOND IN BOLIVIA ♀   BancoSol, the largest microfinance bank in Bolivia, has issued the first gender bond in the country. The bond called “Bonos Sociales Avanza Mujer BancoSol 1 was sold in the Bolivian Stock Market ending at a total sales amount of 💵 USD 30 million.   The proceeds will go towards financing micro and small enterprises led by women (MSE Women) in Bolivia, with the goal of financing at least 4,500 MSE Women.   The project seeks to increase access to credit for MSEs in Bolivia, strengthening BancoSol's “Avanza Mujer” strategy, a programme that has a differentiated value proposition, which promotes the inclusion and growth of businesses led by women. Additionally, the project seeks to encourage the growth of BancoSol's portfolio with underserved clients in the Amazon region, promoting social and rural development.   The Danish SDG Investment Fund, managed by IFU and backed by large Danish pension funds and private investors, is an investor in Bancosol. “A big congratulations to Bancosol for a successful launch of the first gender bond in Bolivia. This is a perfect match with our impact strategy to provide financing for small businesses and empower women,” said Morten Elkjær, SVP, Head of Financial Services at IFU. Bancosol has provided microfinance in Bolivia for more than 30 years and has significantly impacted million of lives in the country. Two of those are Soledad Garcia and Felipa Mamani who are portraited in a book that pay tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit of the many Bolivian women who have made their own paths challenging barriers, breaking paradigms and building bridges towards a more inclusive and equitable future.   👇 Read the full story and more about Soledad Garcia and Felipa Mamani in the comments #bolivia #impactinvesting #2Xcahllenge

🚀 ABOVE AND BEYOND - A NEW 2X CHALLENGE TARGET OF USD 20 BILLION FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT 🚀 The 2X Global Challenge has set a new target of mobilising USD 20 billion between 2024 – 2027. This is by far the largest commitment made by development finance institutions and multilateral banks after the initial initiative was launched in 2018. For the first time the initiative is also joined by private investors. “We are very proud to be part of 2X Challenge putting a strong focus on our effort to empower women and improve their job and career opportunities. Last year, half of IFU’s investment had a gender lens equality focus and we intend to keep up the pace, going forward,” said Birgitte Bang Nielsen, Sustainability Director at IFU. About the 2X Challenge The 2X Challenge was founded by the G7 Development Finance Institutions as a call to action to shift more capital towards investments that empower women in developing countries to access entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities, quality jobs, and products and services that enhance their economic participation. Since then, the flagship initiative has raised gender lens investments totalling USD 33.6 billion.  👇 Read more about 2X Challenge in the link in comments