Global private markets investment manager Partners Group and African information and communications technology impact investor Convergence Partners have joined forces to support the establishment of a private markets firm, Helical Capital Partners, which will provide the South African investor community with access to a diversified and global portfolio of private investments.

The focus will be placed on global relative value investing across private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt.

Helical’s South African operations will be based in Johannesburg and will be led by principals Craig Beney and Carlos Ferreira, who were previously the COO of Convergence Partners and CEO of Fairstone Capital, respectively.

“There has definitely been a move by local investors towards looking for alternative investment opportunities that still deliver returns above listed equity, while also providing hard currency exposure and reducing portfolio risk with further asset allocation,” Helical co-CEO Beney highlighted.

Co-CEO Ferreira added that at Helical Capital Partners, “we understand where to find these opportunities in developed private markets and are able to provide access to attractive international investments through our relationship with Partners Group”.

Helical’s initial focus will be on offering exposure to an integrated portfolio of primary, secondary and direct private equity investments spanning multiple sectors and geographies.

“We have seen steadily increasing interest from sophisticated institutional investors worldwide in private markets investment,” Partners Group client solutions partner Felix Haldner pointed out.

He explained that many of these investors are seeking to enhance the risk-return profile of their portfolios by reducing their public markets exposure in favour of allocations to globally diversified private markets offerings.

In this context, Haldner said he looks forward to working closely with Helical Capital Partners to provide the sub-Saharan African investment community with local access to global private markets investments.

“Convergence Partners has been working closely with Partners Group to identify investment opportunities for the benefit of the African continent,” Convergence Partners CEO Brandon Doyle commented.

He explained that while Convergence Partners will maintain its core focus on tech-specific private equity funds across sub-Saharan Africa, this relationship will enable local investor participation in international private markets through the establishment of Helical Capital Partners.

“We believe it will also deliver enhanced cross-border skills transfer and capacity building within the sector.”

Going forward, Helical Capital Partners will look at a variety of fundraising and investment opportunities, including listing local funds and select bespoke funds for international private markets investments.

In addition, the company will explore the establishment of an impact fund manager specifically focused on investments across the sub-Saharan African region.