Gender Lens Impact Fund

The Tshiamo team is currently fundraising for a Gender Lens Impact Fund that will close the SME funding & gender gap while empowering women on the continent, starting in South Africa. The Fund will include a Technical Assistance Grant program to support the investee companies in the portfolio.

Fund Target: R400m target AuM ($21.8 million)

Investing less than R40m ($2m) equity into predominately women-led and women-owned businesses.

Investing in demographics overlooked by traditional finance:

Well-structured solution for the SA market
Investment experience, impact expertise and demonstratable track-record
Leveraging blended finance to ensure fund sustainability and success

Fund Terms - Direct

01.

Investment Approach

To close the SME funding & gender gap while empowering women on the continent, starting in South Africa, through a Gender Lens Fund that aims to invest and transform

02.

Geographical Focus

South Africa

03.

Fund Size

R400 million ($21.8 million) – with R50million committed from a local Foundation endowment

04.

Ticket Size

R10m – R40m ($546,000 – $2.2million) with ability to deploy additional capital through co-investment

05.

Equity ownership

At least Significant influence

06.

Primary Impact Outcome

Investing in innovative enterprises that:

Create jobs and reduce poverty
Address gender inequality and empower women
SME support to enable growth
Economic and rural empowerment

07.

Return profile

Financial and Social Return

08.

Return

25 – 30% (Projected Gross IRR)

09.

Alignment to the SDGs & National Priorities

10.

Social and environmental metrics

Fund to use the revised and standardised Impact Reporting and Investment Standards (IRIS+) metric and sector customized metrics based on the focus area and investment

11.

Investment Criteria

Strong, experienced management team
Clear business model and defensive product offering that demonstrates how it will generate revenue and remain profitable
Scalable business with supportive market dynamics – competitive advantage, supply/inputs, off-take and sales growth potential
2X Challenge compliant (gender lens criteria)
Opportunity to create substantial growth through value addition, governance, optimisation of capital structure, value chain linkages and transformative business development

10.

Management Fee

Fee on committed capital and includes an impact incentive structure (2/20) structure at an 8% hurdle.