Savca CEO Tanya van Lill
The Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (Savca) has promised to offer its members guidance in “navigating the challenging economic landscape” that lies ahead through a weekly webinar series.
Savca CEO Tanya van Lill on Wednesday stressed that the Covid-19 outbreak would not only affect citizens but “it also has a ripple effect on markets, both public and private”.
“We suspect that the impact it may have on the industry relates to our members reviewing their investment objectives; sharing of additional information with their investee companies, investors and the broader community at large virtually and more frequently; and considering the impact of the crisis on aspects such as valuations, investee company supply chains and finding creative ways to stay connected given the limitation on travel,” she explained.
Van Lill added that global markets were facing “great uncertainty”, and Savca therefore encouraged its members and their portfolio companies to “take the necessary precautions” as outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday to help curb the spread of the virus.
She further encouraged investment professionals to use the complementary Africa Private Equity News app to stay apprised of industry developments and proactive measures that could be taken.
While the road ahead would not be without challenges, Van Lill said Savca would “continue to closely monitor the situation” and do all possible to protect the private equity industry, employees and the general public.
“Private equity and venture capital has been known to be agile and flexible, and there isn’t a better time than the present for our industry to demonstrate this,” she stated.