Allocator Media Podcast

After 17 years in the British Army, Wayne Hennessy-Barrett made an unlikely move into African fintech. Today he leads 4G Capital, a fintech lender that provides millions of working capital loans to small businesses across Kenya and Uganda. In this episode, Wayne shares how the army shaped him as an entrepreneur, why 4G is betting on Africa’s smallest businesses, what 8 million loans have taught 4G about underwriting, how the firm blends tech with on-the-ground relationships, and what the digital lending industry still gets wrong today. Enjoy!Learn more about Wayne Hennessy-Barrett | 4G CapitalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynehennessybarrett/ Website: 4G Capital Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media PodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/Website: https://allocator.media/

At 23, Finn Walker is probably one of the youngest people managing an Africa-focused public equity fund. In this episode, he explains why he believes African equities are “priced for catastrophe” and where the market may be getting it wrong. He discusses Heron’s core investment thesis, finding undervalued businesses with durable advantages, his contrarian exposure to Zimbabwe, and why time on the ground matters when investing across Africa’s fragmented public markets. Enjoy!Learn more about Finn Walker | Heron PartnersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finn-walker-618164145/Website: https://www.heron.africa/Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media PodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/Website: https://allocator.media/

What does the Chief Operating Officer inside a private investment firm actually do? In this episode, Nima Yussuf, COO at Silverbacks Holdings, a Mauritius-based pan-African investment firm backing growth-stage companies, explains. She goes further and shares why the operational function sits at the intersection of strategy and execution. She also delves into a variety of themes, for example: some common operational challenges that come from working across diverse African markets; why emerging managers should take operations seriously from Day 1; the early operational signs that a portfolio company may be in trouble; and why Silverbacks likes "second-act" founders. It's a different conversation to the ones we normally host on the podcast, but a very insightful and important one. Enjoy!Learn more about Nima Yussuf | Silverbacks HoldingsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimayussuf/Website: https://silverbacks.holdings/Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media PodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/Website: https://allocator.media/

Why would a global value investor allocate almost half of its EM portfolio to African public equities? In this episode, Brad Virbitsky, Co-Portfolio Manager of the Emerging Markets Fund at US-based Equinox Partners, explains why Africa wasn't a top-down allocation decision but the natural outcome of a disciplined value investing process. He shares how Equinox identifies dominant businesses trading at attractive valuations, why many investors misunderstand risk on the continent, and how investor psychology creates opportunities where others see uncertainty. Enjoy!Learn more about Brad Virbitsky | Equinox PartnersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-virbitsky-395b5662/Website: https://www.equinoxpartners.com/Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media PodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/Website: https://allocator.media/

Why would a private equity investor pay 9-10x EBITDA for an unlisted business when a comparable listed company trades on 5-6x EBITDA? In this episode, Yasser El Halaby, CEO at Cairo-based Compass Capital, explains why his firm sees the market's mispricing of risk as one of Egypt's biggest investment opportunities. Rather than trading stocks, Compass invests in public companies with a private equity mindset – building concentrated positions, aligning with major shareholders and taking a long-term ownership approach. Yasser also discusses Compass' evolution from a deal-by-deal private equity firm into a multi-strategy alternatives manager, investing across public equities, commercial real estate and M&A advisory. Enjoy!Learn more about Yasser El Halaby | Compass CapitalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasser-el-halaby-aa326539/ Website: https://compass-cap.com/ Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media PodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/Website: https://allocator.media/

How do you go from tourist to investor? In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Herta von Stiegel shares how trips to Africa as a holidaymaker soon turned into philanthropy, and then into a mission to join others in developing and financing the continent's energy future. She talks about how smart capital allocation can support long-term energy security, the vital role that domestic African pension funds can play in that, and more. Enjoy! Learn more about Dr. Herta von Stiegel | Ariya Capital GroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herta-von-stiegel-j-d-b51b2a13/ Website: https://www.ariyacapital.com/ Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media PodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/Website: https://allocator.media/

The best investment opportunities often emerge after everyone else has left. (Yes, you read that right). In this episode, Johan de Bruijn, Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager at 337 Frontier Capital, breaks down the capital cycle driving today's opportunity within Frontier Africa public equities. He explains why today's opportunity reminds him of the early 2000s, how he uncovers overlooked businesses capable of compounding in dollars, and the hard-earned lessons that shape his investment decisions today. Enjoy!Learn more about Johan de Brujin | 337 Frontier CapitalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johan-de-bruijn-2a4aa937/ Website: https://www.337frontier.com/Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media PodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/Website: https://allocator.media/

Sango Capital was created to be a bridge between global capital and African opportunity. In this episode, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Richard Okello (formerly of Bridgewater Associates and Makena Capital Management) talks about the journey since 2011. He explains his philosophy and approach to capital allocation, why he thinks sustainable impact comes only from commercially viable businesses, and what he's learned about people and resilience. Enjoy! African Allocator is an Allocator Media Ltd company. Learn more about Richard Okello | Sango CapitalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-okello-8201b09 Website: https://www.sangocapital.com/Learn more about Chipo Muwowo | Allocator Media PodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipomuwowo/Website: https://allocator.media/