MEA July 2017

MEAMARKETS / July 2017 61 Company: Barak Fund Management Name: Giles Hedley Email: [email protected] Web Address: barakfund.com Address: Marbella Road, Pellegrin, Trianon Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius Telephone: +230 698 0397 Invest in Africa g Africa is also endowed with the world’s youngest population, which offers the continent a chance to reap a demographic dividend by using its young workforce to boost economic growth. “The region also boasts a rising in the use of technology. Indeed, Africa has leapfrogged into the digital age, sustained by low internet rates, increasing mobile penetration connectivity and mobile apps, which are reshaping youth culture and creativity. “Finally, in terms of traditional liquidity constraints, even more so than ever, traditional financing from banks and finance institutions is difficult to come by. Banks are highly risk averse and thus proving difficult for borrowers to find an avenue of financing that is easy to come by. Alternative financiers in Africa are operating in a niche market.”