Our Perspective
We believe that broad-based wealth creation is the most powerful means to achieving lasting social and economic development in Africa and that the mobilization of capital and the building of management capacity are the keys to achieving broad-based wealth creation. The mobilization of significant amounts of capital depends simply on the demonstration that attractive risk-adjusted returns are to be earned.
As such, Helios' view is that, in Africa, more than elsewhere, generating attractive risk-adjusted returns and investing for the social good go hand-in-hand and we intend to demonstrate this in the performance of the funds we advise:
- Investing in growth creates fulfilling and well-compensated employment opportunities;
- Investing in "infrastructural sectors", such as telecommunications, transportation, power and housing improves access, increases efficiency and lowers the cost of everyday goods and services
- Investing in financial services promotes domestic capital formation and opens paths to wealth accumulation
We aim to do this while maintaining the highest ethical standards and driving the same within our portfolio companies.
Social Investing
Notwithstanding the above, we believe that access to quality education and basic healthcare are particularly indispensable. We recognize that there are limits to the ability of private sector-led for-profit investments to provide these developmentally-critical services.
In recognition of this, Helios will each year contribute a fixed percentage of its gross fee income to non-profit groups and programs in Africa that demonstrate particular efficacy in improving access to education and healthcare for the underprivileged.
We favour those programs in which the commitment of the sponsors is demonstrable, where the project in question has the potential to be self-sustaining, and where results are measurable.